City Lad Posted 24 July 2007 Share Posted 24 July 2007 Why Allen's a winner by smiles A black wooden Buddha sits on top of Martin Allen's desk. For anyone ushered into the manager's office, the statuette is the obvious focal point. "I bought him in Thailand," said Leicester City's new manager. "You see, he's got a big smile on his face. Every morning I rub his belly to put one on mine." Martin mantra: Allen's Buddha keeps him smiling No sooner are the introductions made than afternoon training begins and the interview is cut short. Allen does not know it yet, but I am about to receive a fascinating insight into the man from his son. George Allen is sweating on his A-level results but has been taken to work with his dad to see life at the sharp end. It does not come much more pointed than when Milan Mandaric is the club chairman. George is hoping to read maths and philosophy at university and is waiting for his grades. After spending an hour in the teenager's company, you can see a little bit of stardust has clearly filtered its way down the family tree. The three of us sit in the dugout adjacent to the training pitch. I ask Allen Snr about his first managerial role. "Winchester Under 9s," he recalled. "When I arrived at Portsmouth as a player I needed to get the boys involved in something. So I turned up with George. "I watched this guy, Alex, who was covered from head to toe in paint, split the groups into two. He sent them to opposite ends of the pitch. As soon as he had left instructions with one group, he would turn his back. "When he did that, they started fighting. He walked up the other end, asked the rest to do some shooting practice. As soon as his attention was drawn back to the first group, the second would kick off on each other. "I watched this go on for a couple of weeks. Someone might have told him what I did for a living and he asked me for some help. A fortnight after that, I was asked to run it. "I called a meeting and told the parents I was prepared to put the time in if they were. There would be no dropping the boys off for two hours and going home. "They were welcome to attend matches, but they were allowed to shout only two things: 'Well played' or 'Good pass' and nothing else. "At training they fetched the balls and mucked in. At the end of the season, we did not have players' player awards. We had best skills, best passer and most improved player. "And do you know something? Ten years later, I see Trevor Brooking is now saying this is the blueprint for English football." Allen invited his Winchester players to an FA Cup tie against Southampton when he was assisting Alan Pardew at Reading. And again when Brentford played Southampton a couple of years later. He breaks off suddenly because he sees something he does not like. "Stop, now!" he screams as Leicester players carry out some pattern work that ends with Stephen Clemence smashing home a delightful shot from the edge of the area. "Mr Clemence has just scored a beauty with his left foot and not one of you congratulated him. Not one of you gave him a high five, nothing. You are all miserable. This is how you do it . . ." Elvis Hammond is minding his own business, standing five yards away when Allen throws himself into the bemused striker's arms. "Elvis, you little beauty," he shouts. "You are saving my career, you are feeding my children, I love you." Leicester's players laugh. His son rolls his eyes and smiles. But there is more to Allen than meets the eye. He is one of a select band in England to have attained the UEFA Pro Licence. Part of his backroom team is Alistair Smith, one of the architects of the course. Leicester's boss refers to it as "method in the madness". George takes up the story of Winchester's Under 9s. "We weren't very good really when my dad took over, but I bet there are a few who are playing semi-professional because of the work he did with them when they were younger. "You know what it's like in junior football. The big centre half belts it up to the big kid up front and he scores all the goals. Everyone in our team was encouraged to play. "But it was fun, too. Once, he just stopped a game, my dad. He had noticed half the pitch was bathed in sunshine and the other half was snowing. He said, 'Gentlemen, take a look around you. Nothing like this will ever happen to you again'. "And do you know what? When Southampton played Brentford, one of my friends said to me, 'Do you remember that day your dad made us look at the snow and the sunshine?' He has that effect on people." The session is over and the players trudge towards the dressing rooms. They are adorned with flowers in the club's colours, blue, yellow and white. Allen ordered that change. He also ordered the academy players from the new changing rooms at Leicester's complex, claiming they had not "earned the right" to use the same facilities as the first team. "Some people think I've stepped out of a cave, but I know what football is about. People have called me disloyal. There's not a disloyal bone in my body. "My dad Dennis was sacked when his team were lying seventh in the Southern League. I could never quite work that out. And I haven't to this day. "It's precarious. I never see a collection made for any sacked managers to put food on their table. Football is important. But life outside football is more important." With that he rushes to a meeting with Mandaric. George fetches a cup of tea for us both and takes his boots off. "It's all about total commitment for him," said Allen Jnr. "I saw it at Brentford. He would get players giving 110 per cent for him. They might not have been the best in the world but what they had to give, he got out of them. "When he was at MK Dons, he took the players to Bournemouth in a battered minibus. He took them to a hotel that had a small swimming pool that wasn't heated. "He ordered them to take off their clothes and jump in. Two refused. Two weeks later, both players had left the club. It's commitment." Or, enlightenment. The Martin Allen way. Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manwell Pablo Posted 24 July 2007 Share Posted 24 July 2007 Ahhhh, so Elvis getting a hug actually had nothing to do with the "daring tackle" he put in at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ric Flair Posted 24 July 2007 Share Posted 24 July 2007 I officially love this man. I just hope to dear god that he doesn't ruin this love. I am DESPERATE for Martin Allen to be the most successful manager at Leicester in the past 10 years. He is unique, he seems to have that special something that seperates him from the rest. I cannot wait for the season to start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daggers Posted 24 July 2007 Share Posted 24 July 2007 The first person to point out the similarity between me and the Buddha is going to be roundly abused the next time I see them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 24 July 2007 Share Posted 24 July 2007 Ahhhh, so Elvis getting a hug actually had nothing to do with the "daring tackle" he put in at all. But it did .... it just took MA some time to run halfway across the field! And even longer to hobble back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr The Singh Posted 24 July 2007 Share Posted 24 July 2007 Ahhhh, so Elvis getting a hug actually had nothing to do with the "daring tackle" he put in at all. Good story, but this is all book material, time filling etc, I can't wait for the season to start...................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manwell Pablo Posted 24 July 2007 Share Posted 24 July 2007 The first person to point out the similarity between me and the Buddha is going to be roundly abused the next time I see them For those who have not met Dave he is neither bold, nor black. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THEBIGJOHNSTEADER; Posted 24 July 2007 Share Posted 24 July 2007 I am desperate for Allen to succeed after the drab likes of Taylor and Levein. Putting some charisma back into the club, whilst appreciating the simple things in life makes Allen a winner hand downs. I just hope the players gel and don't let him down because as we know Milan doesn't have alot of patience Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 24 July 2007 Share Posted 24 July 2007 I officially love this man. I just hope to dear god that he doesn't ruin this love. I am DESPERATE for Martin Allen to be the most successful manager at Leicester in the past 10 years. He is unique, he seems to have that special something that seperates him from the rest.I cannot wait for the season to start. I feel exactly the same. However it goes football needs characters like Martin Allen. But when the squad's assembled, when All For One One For All is forever impressed on their psyche, when all the motivational ploys have been effected MA's still going to have a test. A brain test. Because team spirit and 100% effort will only get you so far against other teams who have the same built-in philosophy. MA will need all his wisdom to manipulate his massive squad for the best outcome. Big squads can be a blessing or a curse. But of some things I am sure and they will represent massive steps forward... The team will be fit. The team will be committed. The team will have a clan spirit The team will try their very best to win. The team will play some football. Simple things really. But they've been missing for a long, long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ric Flair Posted 24 July 2007 Share Posted 24 July 2007 One things for sure, I can't imagine Martin Allen ever playing for a point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James. Posted 24 July 2007 Share Posted 24 July 2007 I officially love this man. I just hope to dear god that he doesn't ruin this love. I am DESPERATE for Martin Allen to be the most successful manager at Leicester in the past 10 years. He is unique, he seems to have that special something that seperates him from the rest.I cannot wait for the season to start. That pretty much sums up how I'm feeling too. What a guy. Although when I was over there I heard it was against Thai law to take any form of Buddha out of the country. Seriously. If this makes Allen a fugitive then I love him even more. EXPORTSBuddha images, Bodhisattva images or fragments thereof are forbidden to be taken out of Thailand. A license must be obtained from the Department of Fine Arts in order that such objects of antiquity or objects of art, irrespective of whether they are original or reproductions, may be taken out of the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo V Posted 24 July 2007 Share Posted 24 July 2007 The bloke is a nutter and that is the biggest Budha Ive ever seen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The People's Hero Posted 24 July 2007 Share Posted 24 July 2007 I love how it says 'Elvis Hammond is minding his own business' If you tack - 'standing in an offide position' to the end of that sentence, you've pretty much summed up his matchday activities and the main body of his curriculum vitae. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ric Flair Posted 24 July 2007 Share Posted 24 July 2007 I love how it says 'Elvis Hammond is minding his own business'If you tack - 'standing in an offide position' to the end of that sentence, you've pretty much summed up his matchday activities and the main body of his curriculum vitae. I think that article should have said 'Elvis Hammond is minding his own beef' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zingari Posted 24 July 2007 Share Posted 24 July 2007 For those who have not met Dave he is neither bold, nor black. can we assume then that he sits on MA's desk semi-naked then ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daggers Posted 24 July 2007 Share Posted 24 July 2007 For those who have not met Dave he is neither bold, nor black. I'm not bald either Because team spirit and 100% effort will only get you so far against other teams who have the same built-in philosophy. Yea - it was really noticeable that Greece's team spirit only got them so far in Euro2004 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasyls Pec Deck Posted 24 July 2007 Share Posted 24 July 2007 One of the best articles I've read in that rag for agesssss...what a guy, part of me still wants to love him even if we have a shit season!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnegan Posted 24 July 2007 Share Posted 24 July 2007 The first person to point out the similarity between me and the Buddha is going to be roundly abused the next time I see them For those who have not met Dave he is neither bold, nor black. True, but, y'know it's just something there that still reminds me off.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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