Ian Allinson

Ian James Robert Allinson (born October 1 1957) is an English former football player and manager.

Allinson was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, and joined Colchester United as a schoolboy in 1974. He spent nine years with them, playing usually as a striker. He was the club's top scorer for two seasons, as Colchester were first relegated from the Third Division to the Fourth in 1976, only to bounce back a year later, before getting relegated again in 1981.

After a bureaucratic blunder, Allinson's registration with Colchester expired in 1983, and he signed for First Division Arsenal on a free transfer in the summer of 1983. His debut came at home to Walsall on November 29 1983, in the League Cup a match that Arsenal surprisingly lost 2-1; the result ultimately led to Arsenal manager Terry Neill being sacked a few weeks later. However, despite the nightmare start, Allinson continued to be picked for Arsenal and fully broke into the first team in the 1984-85 season; along with Brian Talbot and Tony Woodcock he was the club's top goalscorer in the League with ten that season.

By now, Allinson played more often in midfield than up front; he possessed plenty of pace and could cross the ball well. However, in 1986 Neill's successor, Don Howe left Arsenal and was ultimately replaced by George Graham; the Scotsman did not rate Allinson as highly as his predecessor had done, and Allinson found himself mainly being used as a substitute in 1986-87 (13 of his 21 appearances that season were where he had come off the bench). Allinson was to have one historic moment of glory that season, though; in Arsenal's League Cup semi-final replay against deadly rivals Tottenham Hotspur on March 4 1987 and with Arsenal 1-0 down, Allinson came on as substitute and scored the equaliser. David Rocastle scored the winner, and Arsenal went on to win the Cup over Liverpool in the final.

Allinson played no part in the final, and despite his heroic contribution was seen as surplus to requirements at Highbury. In the summer of 1987 Allinson was given a free transfer by Arsenal. In all he played 105 matches for Arsenal and scored 23 goals. He joined Stoke City, but his time there was short-lived and he signed for Luton Town for £10,000 in October the same year. After a year and 32 league appearances for Luton, he moved to back to Colchester United (still in the Fourth Division) in December 1988; unfortunately for him, in his last professional season (1989-90) the club were relegated to the Conference.

After retiring, Allinson moved into management, and spent spells in charge of various minor non-league clubs (including Harlow Town), before joining Boreham Wood as manager in January 2004. He left the club after twelve months, but was persuaded to return to the club as Director of Football in the summer of 2005. In December 2006 Allinson took over as manager of Stotfold FC.

External links

* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/searchresults.asp?FootballHeroName=Ian+Allinson Photos and stats] at sporting-heroes.net