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Samuel Allardyce (born 19 October 1954) is an English football manager and former professional player. Allardyce made 578 league and cup appearances in a 21-year career spent mostly in the Football League, as well as brief spells in the North American Soccer League and League of Ireland. He was signed by Bolton Wanderers from Dudley Town in 1969 and spent nine years at Bolton, helping the club to win the Second Division title in 1977–78. He spent the 1980s as a journeyman player, spending time with Sunderland, Millwall, Tampa Bay Rowdies, Coventry City, Huddersfield Town, Bolton Wanderers (for a second spell), Preston North End, and West Bromwich Albion (also working as assistant manager). During this time, he helped Preston win promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1986–87.
Moving into management, he took charge of Irish club Limerick in 1991, leading the club to the League of Ireland First Division (second tier) title in 1991–92. He returned to England as a youth coach at Preston North End and served briefly as caretaker-manager. He took up his first permanent management role in England at Blackpool in July 1994 but was dismissed after two years, having narrowly failed to achieve promotion. He spent January 1997 to October 1999 in charge at Notts County, taking them to the Third Division title in 1997–98. He then returned to Bolton Wanderers as manager, leading the club to promotion out of the First Division via the play-offs in 2001, as well as a EFL Cup final and UEFA Cup qualification.
Following a spell at Newcastle United from May 2007 to January 2008, Allardyce managed Blackburn Rovers for two years from December 2008. He was appointed West Ham United manager in June 2011, leading the club to promotion out of the EFL Championship via the play-offs in 2012 before leaving West Ham in May 2015 after criticism from fans over his playing style. He was appointed Sunderland manager in October 2015, saving the club from relegation. He was appointed as manager of the England national team for a brief spell in July 2016 before taking charge at Crystal Palace five months later. After helping Palace avoid relegation that season, he resigned in May 2017. He has since had spells as manager at Everton from 2017 to 2018, West Bromwich Albion from 2020 to 2021, and Leeds United in May 2023.
Some analysts have labelled Allardyce a long ball manager, though he has disputed this perception as "totally and utterly wrong". He takes a modern technology—and statistics-centred approach to tactics and coaching and has been praised for his organizational and man-management skills. Allardyce has faced allegations of misconduct in two separate undercover media investigations, though he denied wrongdoing and was ultimately not charged in either case. In September 2006, he and his son, Craig Allardyce, were implicated in a BBC Panorama documentary for taking bribes, allegations which they denied. In September 2016, undercover Daily Telegraph reporters posing as businessmen recorded him offering to help them to get around FA third party ownership rules and provisionally agreeing a £400,000 contract. Following the Daily Telegraph investigation, Allardyce resigned as England manager in a mutual agreement with the Football Association on 27 September.
Manager Jimmy Armfield gave Allardyce his debut for the "Trotters" on 6 November 1973, in a 2–1 EFL Cup defeat to Millwall at Burnden Park. He made his Second Division debut eleven days later, in a 2–1 defeat to Notts County. However he failed to establish himself in the first team under Armfield, and only got a run of games under new manager Ian Greaves, who played Allardyce in the last ten games of the 1974–75 season after he sold Don McAllister to Tottenham Hotspur. He impressed during this short run, winning himself the club's Young Player of the Year award.
Bolton lost to Newcastle United after two replays in the FA Cup Fifth Round in the 1975–76 season, and went on to miss out on promotion out of the league by a single point. They were similarly disappointed in the 1976–77 campaign, reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup, and again finished just one point outside the promotion places. Allardyce played alongside Paul Jones at centre-half, and a scouting report for England manager Don Revie in 1977 described Allardyce and Jones as "one of the best central defensive pairings in the Football League." Despite this, however, he was never called up to the England team. Promotion was finally achieved in the 1977–78 season, as Bolton returned to the First Division as champions of the Second Division. Bolton consolidated their top-flight status with a 17th-place finish in 1978–79. However the 1979–80 season proved difficult, and manager Greaves was dismissed as the club went seven months without a league victory, whilst his replacement Stan Anderson was unable to steer the club away from relegation and a last-place finish. Allardyce decided to leave Bolton at the end of the season as he felt that he was underpaid at Bolton and did not get on with Anderson.
He was offered the chance to return to Bolton Wanderers, but manager George Mulhall was only able to offer 50% of Allardyce's wages at Sunderland. Instead he made a surprise £95,000 move to Third Division side Millwall, who were able to match Sunderland's wages and also pay out a £30,000 signing on fee and a £10,000 loyalty bonus. Millwall player-manager Peter Anderson had seen Allardyce as the successor to long-serving central defender Barry Kitchener, and as Anderson was also a property developer he allowed Allardyce to live rent free in a six-bedroom mansion. The "Lions" ended the 1981–82 season in mid-table, and Anderson was dismissed in November 1982. Chairman Alan Thorne offered Allardyce the vacant management position, but Allardyce rejected the offer as he felt that at aged 28 he was far too young to enter management. Instead it was George Graham who took up his first management position, and Graham immediately froze Allardyce out of the first team on both matchdays and training after Allardyce insisted that he would not report teammates who broke Graham's rules. He came close to joining Charlton Athletic on a free transfer in March 1983, but Charlton boss Lennie Lawrence did not complete the move before the end of the transfer deadline. Graham agreed to pay Allardyce £15,000 to cancel his contract, acting under the assumption that Allardyce would struggle to find a club willing to offer him £300 a week.
Upon returning to the UK, he joined Bobby Gould's First Division Coventry City on a one-year £300 a week contract. He was made captain, and though Coventry enjoyed a good first half to the 1983–84 season, they faltered badly in the second half of the season. They finished just one place and two points above the relegation zone after beating Norwich City on the season's final day. Midway through the campaign, Gould had promised him a new two-year contract, but following the poor end to the season, he instead opted to release Allardyce.
In July 1984, he was signed by Mick Buxton at Second Division Huddersfield Town. The move reunited him with Paul Jones, his former centre-half partner at Bolton. Huddersfield finished in 13th place in the 1984–85 season, and at the end of the campaign accepted an offer of £15,000 from Bolton Wanderers, who offered Allardyce a three-year contract. Bolton were then managed by Charlie Wright, who was the goalkeeper during Allardyce's first spell with the club. However, Wright was dismissed in December 1985, and his successor, Phil Neal, did not get along with Allardyce. Neal played himself at centre-half and relegated Allardyce to the bench, despite Neal being a full-back. Bolton reached the 1986 Associate Members' Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, which ended in a 3–0 defeat to Bristol City, with Allardyce as an unused substitute.
Allardyce was offered the chance to join Tranmere Rovers, but instead joined Preston North End after being persuaded by manager John McGrath, who promised to make Allardyce the backbone of his team. Preston won promotion out of the Fourth Division in second-place in 1986–87 (Allardyce was also named on the PFA Team of the Year), and consolidated their Third Division status with a 16th-place finish in 1987–88. By this time Allardyce began considering his retirement as a player, and applied to management positions at York City and Notts County, and had an unsuccessful interview with Doncaster Rovers.
Allardyce then took up the role of player-manager of Limerick and guided the team to promotion into the League of Ireland Premier Division after winning the 1991–92 League of Ireland First Division. Despite tremendous financial pressures, they achieved promotion, with Allardyce coaching and playing for the first team whilst the club board signed players as Allardyce had no knowledge of the Irish football scene.
After his season in Ireland, Allardyce returned to England for the start of the 1992–93 season to coach at Preston North End under Les Chapman. Ten games into the season, however, Chapman was dismissed and Allardyce was appointed caretaker manager. Despite a promising spell in charge, Allardyce did not get the job permanently, and in December 1992 Preston appointed John Beck as manager. Allardyce worked as youth team coach for 18 months, but later said the extreme long ball tactics Beck enforced upon the club were "indefensible".
He spent £200,000 on striker Andy Preece, and also brought in young defender Jason Lydiate and goalkeeper Steve Banks for the 1995–96 campaign. Blackpool finished third, missing out on automatic promotion on the last day of the season, and were beaten in the play-off semi-finals by Bradford City. They had won 2–0 away at Valley Parade, only to lose 3–0 in the return leg at Bloomfield Road. Chairman Owen Oyston, while he was in a prison cell, dismissed Allardyce shortly after the play-off defeat. Allardyce then had a brief spell on the coaching staff under Peter Reid at Sunderland, working as director of the academy.
Despite the success, chairman Derek Pavis refused to spend money on transfers and, as a result, fell out with Allardyce. Allardyce was eventually allowed to spend £50,000 on striker Kevin Rapley, who helped the club to steer clear of relegation at the end of the 1998–99 campaign. In the summer, he signed midfielder Craig Ramage and utility player Clayton Blackmore. Allardyce remained in charge at Meadow Lane until 14 October 1999, when he resigned his post at Notts County to return to Bolton Wanderers.
In summer 2000, Guðjohnsen and Jensen were sold for £4 million each. Allardyce focused on spending money to improve the club's facilities and backroom staff, believing that money spent in these areas would allow Bolton to compete with clubs who had bigger budgets and paid bigger wages than Bolton could afford. On the playing front he spent £400,000 on striker Michael Ricketts and £1.5 million to bring back Frandsen from Blackburn and also signed utility player Ian Marshall and Bradford City loanee Isaiah Rankin. Teenager Kevin Nolan was also promoted from the youth team, whilst 35-year-old defender Colin Hendry arrived on loan. Bolton reached the play-off final at the Millennium Stadium in 2000–01, where they beat Preston North End 3–0 to achieve promotion to the Premier League after a three-year absence.
Allardyce managed to sign another big name on a free transfer for the 2002–03 season, bringing in 28-year-old Nigeria captain Jay-Jay Okocha, who four years previously had been purchased by Paris Saint-Germain for £14 million. He also brought in Spanish central defender Iván Campo on loan from Real Madrid. He sold 2001–02 top-scorer Michael Ricketts to Middlesbrough for £3.5 million, bringing in Pierre-Yves André on loan as his replacement. Bolton struggled all season but managed to avoid relegation with a final-day win over Middlesbrough.
Looking to avoid another relegation battle, Allardyce made some signings in preparation for the 2003–04 season, the most significant of which were Brazilian defender Emerson Thome, Greece international Stelios Giannakopoulos, and target-man striker Kevin Davies. Allardyce's side finished eighth in the league and reached the League Cup final, in what was his first major domestic final appearance as a player or manager. Bolton lost 2–1 to Middlesbrough in the final, though Allardyce blamed referee Mike Riley for not giving a late penalty for an alleged handball by Ugo Ehiogu.
Bolton reached the Round of 32 in the UEFA Cup in 2005–06, beating Lokomotiv Plovdiv (Bulgaria) in the First Round and successfully negotiating through the Group stage after beating Zenit Saint Petersburg (Russia), and drawing with Sevilla FC (Spain), Beşiktaş (Turkey) and Vitória Guimarães (Portugal), before losing to Marseille (France) in the knock-out stages. Allardyce's success with Bolton resulted in the FA putting him on a short-list of four people to succeed Sven-Göran Eriksson as England manager after the 2006 FIFA World Cup, alongside Alan Curbishley, Steve McClaren and Martin O'Neill. He was interviewed for the position and was told by FA Chief Executive Brian Barwick that the final choice would be between him and McClaren however the FA eventually decided to give the job to McClaren. Allardyce was also again offered the Newcastle job and was this time to keen to take it, but Newcastle chairman Freddie Shepard broke off contract negotiations after electing to appoint caretaker-manager Glenn Roeder on a full-time basis. Allardyce's team seemed unaffected by speculation on his future or by their European exploits and ended the season in eighth position.
Keen to strengthen Bolton for a European push in the 2006–07 season, Allardyce signed France international striker Nicolas Anelka from Fenerbahçe for a club record £8 million. He also signed Ivory Coast defender Abdoulaye Méïté from Marseille, and in an unusual sequence of events made a £400,000 profit on Dietmar Hamann, who changed his mind about joining Bolton and signed with Manchester City a day after signing a pre-contract agreement with Bolton; Manchester City agreed to pay Bolton £400,000 in compensation. Bolton had another good season: their 16 points from their first eight games was the last time for 14 years that two teams from outside the so-called 'big six' averaged at least two points per match in their first eight games (the other team being Portsmouth). However, Allardyce's relationship with chairman Phil Gartside became increasingly strained as Gartside refused to sanction greater transfer spending to finance a push for UEFA Champions League qualification. On 29 April 2007, Allardyce resigned with the club in fifth place with two games of the season left to play, and the following day, his assistant Sammy Lee was announced as his replacement.
Blackburn were forced to sell talismanic Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz to Manchester City and defender Stephen Warnock to Aston Villa for a combined £21.5 million to balance the books. Allardyce was permitted to bring in defensive midfielder Steven Nzonzi from Amiens SC for £500,000, Croatia international forward Nikola Kalinić from Hajduk Split for £6 million, and Pascal Chimbonda from Tottenham Hotspur for £2.5 million. In the 2009–10 season, Blackburn reached the League Cup semi-final against Aston Villa, but lost over two legs. Blackburn remained mid-table for the duration of the season, and finished tenth with a final day victory away at Aston Villa.
The club was put up for sale in the summer of 2010, and Allardyce was offered the job of managing Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai but could not secure permission to leave Blackburn without paying compensation to the club and so remained in charge at Ewood Park. Allardyce was later dismissed by new owners the Venky's on 13 December 2010, with Rovers placed 13th in the league. He was replaced by one of his coaches, Steve Kean, whose agent Jerome Anderson was a highly influential figure with the Venky family.Conn, David. "How an agent came to hold so much power at Blackburn Rovers", The Guardian, 21 December 2010. Retrieved 2 August 2016.Hytner, David. "Steve Kean finds value of friends in high places at Blackburn Rovers", The Guardian, 16 December 2010. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
A busy transfer window for the summer of 2012 saw Allardyce bring in eleven players, including his former Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jääskeläinen, midfielder Mohamed Diamé, Mali international striker Modibo Maïga, Wales international centre-back James Collins, defensive midfielder Alou Diarra, winger Matt Jarvis, England striker Andy Carroll (on loan from Liverpool) and Israel international midfielder Yossi Benayoun. West Ham finished the 2012–13 season in tenth place, and Allardyce renewed his contract at West Ham by signing a new two-year deal.
Allardyce's main signing of summer 2013 was Andy Carroll, for a £15 million fee from Liverpool, whilst he also spent an undisclosed fee on winger Stewart Downing, again from Liverpool, to provide crosses for Carroll to convert into goals. He also signed goalkeeper Adrián on a free transfer from Real Betis. However, Allardyce's plans were disrupted when Carroll picked up a long-term injury, which left Allardyce regretting the transfer, especially as he had chosen Carroll instead of signing Swansea City's Wilfried Bony, who went on to score 16 league goals in the 2013–14 campaign. Allardyce was awarded the Premier League Manager of the Month for February 2014 following a run of four wins and one draw in their five Premier League games. In April 2014, during an away game against West Bromwich Albion, a section of West Ham fans expressed their distaste at the style of football played under Allardyce by displaying a banner which read "Fat Sam Out, killing WHU". The following month some supporters hung a banner bearing the legend "Fat Sam Out" outside the mansion owned by club chairman, David Sullivan, in Theydon Bois, Essex. Despite protests, on 20 May 2014, the club announced that Allardyce would be staying as manager and would be supported by new attacking coach Teddy Sheringham for the 2014–15 season to "ensure the team provides more entertainment" and to "improve the club's goal tally". "Teddy Sheringham returns to West Ham as attacking coach" BBC Sport, 30 May 2014
In summer 2014, Allardyce signed midfielder Cheikhou Kouyaté, left-back Aaron Cresswell, attacker Enner Valencia, right-back (on loan from Arsenal) Carl Jenkinson, striker Diafra Sakho, defensive midfielder Alex Song (on loan from FC Barcelona), midfielder Morgan Amalfitano, and forward Mauro Zárate. In October 2014, pundits like BBC's Robbie Savage were commenting about the team's "more attractive and attacking playing style" "Robbie Savage on West Ham, Sunderland and Louis van Gaal", BBC Sport, 24 October 2014 or "the statistics that show the progress that West Ham have made in the last few months." "Five reasons why Big Sam deserves a new contract at West Ham", Forever West Ham, 23 October 2014 Allardyce was awarded the Premier League Manager of the Month for October 2014 after three wins for West Ham out of four games played that month. Allardyce left West Ham on 24 May 2015, the final day of the season, after his contract was not renewed. Allardyce stated that "I didn't want to stay. I suppose you could say it was mutual if they didn't want me to stay either". His West Ham side had finished 12th in the 2014–15 season, one place higher than in the 2013–14 season.
In the January transfer window he signed centre-backs Lamine Koné and Jan Kirchhoff and attacking midfielder Wahbi Khazri. On 6 February 2016, Sunderland scored two late goals to draw 2–2 with Liverpool at Anfield, having trailed 2–0 with ten minutes remaining. Later that week winger Adam Johnson was dismissed by the club after pleading guilty to one count of sexual activity with a child and one charge of grooming. Sunderland remained in the relegation zone for much of the remainder of the 2015–16 season, before they boosted their survival chances by beating Norwich City 3–0 at Carrow Road on 16 April, closing the gap on 17th-place Norwich to just one point. Allardyce successfully led Sunderland to safety from relegation after beating Everton 3–0 on 11 May, a result which also ensured the relegation of rivals (and one of his former clubs) Newcastle United. Allardyce earned praise for his management of Sunderland from some , particularly for his organized approach and emphasis on a strong defence.
In January 2021, Allardyce said that three transfers had fallen through for West Brom as, following Brexit, the players would not have obtained a work permit. In the same month, it was reported that Allardyce could not get the hoped for reinforcements. He had wanted to sign another two players before the transfer window closed. Despite picking up some notable results, such as a memorable 5–2 away victory against eventual 2020–21 UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea, he was unable to keep West Brom in the Premier League, as they were relegated to the Championship on 9 May following a 3–1 away defeat against Arsenal. This marked Allardyce's first relegation from the Premier League in his career. On 19 May, following a 3–1 defeat to West Ham, Allardyce confirmed he would step down as manager at the end of the 2020–21 season, despite the club stating their desire for him to continue as manager next season.
Allardyce has a reputation for using long ball tactics, though he has said that this perception is "totally and utterly wrong". Former Newcastle player Lee Clark defended Allardyce from criticism of his tactics and said that Allardyce was right to work hard on set-plays and on the organisation of his team. His talent for getting the best out of modest squads also gave him a reputation as a "survival specialist" who could steer a struggling Premier League club out of the relegation zone.
Criticism of his perceived long-ball tactics became more intense as he managed West Ham United in the Premier League, including discontent from West Ham's own supporters. In January 2014, following a 0–0 draw at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea manager, José Mourinho criticised West Ham's football, likening it to "football from the 19th century". In October 2014, Allardyce claimed his reputation for playing long ball football was "not founded in fact" and had been used as an excuse by opposing managers such as Arsène Wenger, David O'Leary, Graeme Souness and Rafael Benítez following defeats by sides managed by Allardyce. Allardyce wrote in his autobiography that "when they hit a 50-yard ball it was a cultural pass; when we did it, it was a hopeful hoof". In 2021, Allardyce was described by Pep Guardiola as a "genius" for his ability to save clubs from relegation.
In January 2013, Allardyce received "substantial", but undisclosed, damages from former Blackburn Rovers manager Steve Kean. In 2011, Kean had been recorded in a bar in Hong Kong alleging that Allardyce had been dismissed from his post at Blackburn Rovers because he was a "crook".
In May 2019, Allardyce's grandson, also named Sam, signed for Oxford United having previously been a youth team player with Manchester United and Bury.
Allardyce was the manager for the England teams at Soccer Aid in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020. Sam Allardyce and Bradley Walsh confirmed as England's Soccer Aid management team BBC Sport: "Soccer Aid: Wayne Rooney to manage England with Sam Allardyce as co-manager"
On 14 November 2021, Allardyce took part in a charity match to help raise money for the mother of Bolton Wanderers player Gethin Jones, who had been diagnosed with motor neuron disease. The current Bolton first team played against a team of legendary Bolton players, with Allardyce acting as manager of the legends team. The Bolton first team won 7–4. BWFC: "Wanderers 7 All Stars 4"
Following a review by City of London Police, Allardyce was cleared of any wrongdoing, with The Daily Telegraph also clarifying that it "did not suggest that Allardyce had broken the law", though he agreed that he had been "a fool". Speaking to The Observer, Martin Glen, CEO of the FA, said that "it is a tragedy that we have ended up having to part company with him Allardyce over the, the – you know – entrapment".
Preston North End
Individual
Notts County
Bolton Wanderers
West Ham United
Individual
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Specific
Sunderland
On 9 October 2015, Allardyce was named the new Sunderland manager, replacing Dick Advocaat. When Allardyce was appointed, Sunderland sat 19th in the Premier League table with three points from their first eight games of the season. Signing a two-year contract, he became the first manager to have managed both Newcastle United and Sunderland. On 25 October, in his second game as manager, he guided Sunderland to a 3–0 win against rivals and his former club Newcastle United. However, after a run of 5 defeats in a row in December, Sunderland headed into the second half of the season in the relegation zone with only 12 points from 19 games.
England
On 22 July 2016, Allardyce signed a two-year contract to become manager of the England national team. He won his first and only game in charge on 4 September, as an Adam Lallana goal deep into injury-time was enough to beat Slovakia on the opening day of qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Following allegations of malpractice, Allardyce left the role by mutual consent on 27 September, having managed the team for just 67 days and one match.
Crystal Palace
On 23 December 2016, Allardyce signed a two-and-a-half-year contract to become manager of Crystal Palace, a day after the dismissal of Alan Pardew. He strengthened in the January transfer window by spending around £30 million on Jeffrey Schlupp, Patrick van Aanholt, and Luka Milivojević. The "Eagles" confirmed their safety from relegation in the penultimate game of the 2016–17 season with a 4–0 victory over Hull City at Selhurst Park. Allardyce unexpectedly announced his departure from Crystal Palace on 23 May 2017, saying he had no intention of seeking another job, in what was interpreted as a retirement announcement. However, on 19 July 2017, Allardyce clarified that he would be open to an international management position, but not another club job.
Everton
Despite announcing his retirement from club management, on 30 November 2017, Allardyce was appointed manager of Everton on an 18-month contract. Everton were lying in thirteenth place in the Premier League table upon his arrival, following a poor start to the 2017–18 season under previous manager Ronald Koeman. His first game in charge came two days later, when his side defeated Huddersfield Town in a 2–0 victory. He guided the "Toffees" to a seven-game unbeaten run at the start of his tenure, a spell which included five clean sheets. Having steadied the defence, he stated that his next task was to bring in a consistent goalscorer. Everton ended the season in eighth-position, but fans were dissatisfied with the style of play. Whilst under Allardyce's management, Everton were ranked 20th for total shots, 19th for total shots on target, 16th for passing accuracy and 17th for shots faced in the Premier League. Allardyce left the club on 16 May 2018.
West Bromwich Albion
On 16 December 2020, Allardyce was appointed manager of West Bromwich Albion on an 18-month contract after Slaven Bilić was dismissed with the club 19th in the Premier League table. His time as manager began with West Brom losing 3–0 at home to local rivals Aston Villa on 20 December with defender Jake Livermore being sent-off in the first half for a bad foul on Jack Grealish. BBC correspondent Simon Stone reported after the match that "Allardyce has his work cut out... the size of this task avoiding cannot be overstated". It took until his sixth game in charge for the Baggies to record a victory, when they won 3–2 away at Black Country derby rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers. In the same month, he testified that it would "kill" him if he was relegated with West Brom and that he was aware of the health risks of returning to the managerial position.
Leeds United
On 3 May 2023, Allardyce was appointed as manager of Premier League club Leeds United following the dismissal of Javi Gracia, with four matches left to play of the 2022–23 season. At the time of his appointment, Leeds were in 17th place, outside of the relegation zone on goal difference. In his first game in charge on 6 May, Leeds lost 2–1 away to Manchester City. Leeds drew their next game, against Newcastle United but lost the last two games of the season, 3–1 away to West Ham and 4–1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur. Leeds finished in 19th place in the Premier League and were relegated to the Championship. On 2 June 2023, following the club's relegation, it was announced by the club that Allardyce had left by mutual agreement. As such, Allardyce became the manager with the shortest tenure for a Premier League manager with just 30 days at Leeds, surpassing Les Reed at Charlton Athletic who previously held the record with a 40-day tenure.
Managerial style
Allardyce is a keen proponent of sports science and using technology and innovative techniques in coaching his teams, such as computerised performance analysis and yoga. Martin Hardy of The Independent described him as "one of the pioneers of sports science in English football". Former players and pundits have cited his preparation as his main strength, which allows his teams to have better organisation and defensive stability. Former Bolton player Kevin Davies also highlighted Allardyce's man-management skills as a strength.
Personal life
He met his wife Lynne Ward while still a youth team player at Bolton Wanderers, and the pair married on 1 June 1974. They have a son, Craig Allardyce (9 June 1975), and daughter, Rachael (21 April 1979). He was given an honorary doctorate by the University of Bolton in July 2010. In addition to his football career, Allardyce has also run several businesses, including a motor spares firm, a fast-food restaurant, a social club, a public house, a piano bar, and a pub restaurant. He published his autobiography, Big Sam, in October 2015.
Corruption allegations
2006 Panorama investigation
On 19 September 2006, a BBC Panorama documentary alleged that Allardyce and his son, Craig Allardyce, had accepted payments from agents in exchange for signing certain players. Allardyce denied the allegations, and no formal charges were brought against him. Two agents, Teni Yerima and Peter Harrison, were secretly filmed, each separately claiming that they had paid Allardyce through his son. Allardyce denied ever taking or asking for a bribe. Others implicated of wrongdoing were Harry Redknapp, Kevin Bond, and Frank Arnesen. As a result of the allegation, Allardyce refused to speak to the BBC. While he also stated he was going to sue the broadcaster to clear his name, Allardyce failed to issue libel proceedings as he was advised that suing for damage to reputation was a costly and time-consuming process. The final report of the Stevens inquiry published in June 2007 expressed concerns regarding the involvement of Craig Allardyce in some transactions, stating that: "The inquiry remains concerned at the conflict of interest that it believes existed between Craig Allardyce, his father Sam Allardyce—the then manager at Bolton—and the club itself." Allardyce stated that the inquiry was a public relations exercise and that the conclusion of a "conflict of interest" was "innuendo, without any facts".
2014 Ravel Morrison situation
In February 2014, Daniel Taylor, chief football writer for The Guardian and The Observer, wrote that West Ham player and England prospect Ravel Morrison felt he had come "under considerable pressure" from Allardyce to sign up with football agent Mark Curtis, who represented Allardyce himself and a number of other West Ham players, including Kevin Nolan, James Tomkins, Jack Collison, Matt Jarvis, Andy Carroll, and Jussi Jääskeläinen. Curtis had been charged and eventually cleared by the Football Association during the 2008 investigation into Luton Town's illegal transfer dealings. Curtis responded to the allegations by saying they were "nonsense", while Allardyce talked of Morrison complaining about "a groin injury" while the club's medical staff could find "no problem", and made a reference to the player's "disciplinary issues in the past". Morrison was eventually loaned out to EFL Championship side Queens Park Rangers for the remainder of the 2013–14 season.
2016 Daily Telegraph investigation
In September 2016, Daily Telegraph reporters posing as businessmen filmed Allardyce, who had recently been appointed the manager of the England football team, allegedly offering to advise on how to get around FA rules on player third party ownership and negotiating a £400,000 deal, subject to FA approval. Following the publication of the recordings, Allardyce left his role as England manager by mutual agreement with the FA, stating that he had made 'an error of judgment'. Robert Sullivan, Director of Strategy at the FA, later confirmed to the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee that Allardyce's comments were "a factual, correct statement around the laws of the English game and having third-party ownership".
Career statistics
Club
Source:
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition Bolton Wanderers 1973–74 Second Division 0 1974–75 Second Division 3 1975–76 Second Division 6 1976–77 Second Division 6 1977–78 Second Division 5 1978–79 First Division 1 1979–80 First Division 5 Sunderland 1980–81 First Division 2 Millwall 1981–82 Third Division 3 1982–83 Third Division 1 Tampa Bay Rowdies 1983 North American Soccer League 1 Coventry City 1983–84 First Division 1 Huddersfield Town 1984–85 Second Division 0 Bolton Wanderers 1985–86 Third Division 0 Preston North End 1986–87 Fourth Division 3 1987–88 Third Division 1 1988–89 Third Division 0 West Bromwich Albion 1989–90 Second Division 0 1990–91 Second Division 0 Limerick 1991–92 League of Ireland First Division 3 Preston North End 1992–93 Second Division 0
Managerial statistics
Honours
Player
Bolton Wanderers
Manager
Limerick
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