George Allan (footballer)

Infobox Football biography
playername = George Allan


fullname = George Horsburgh Allan
dateofbirth = August 23, 1875
cityofbirth = Linlithgow
countryofbirth = Scotland
dateofdeath = death date and age|1899|10|17|1875|8|23
cityofdeath = Elie, Fifeshire
countryofdeath = Scotland
height =
nickname =
position = Striker
youthyears = 1891-1893
youthclubs = Broxburn Shamrock
years = 1893-1894 1894-1895 1895-1897 1897-1898 1898-1899
clubs = Bo'ness Leith Athletic Liverpool Celtic Liverpool
caps(goals) = 49 (41) 17 (15) 30 0(8)
nationalyears = 1897
nationalteam = Scotland
nationalcaps(goals) = 01 0(0)

George Allan (23 August 1875 – 17 October 1899) was a Scottish international footballer who played for Liverpool in the late 19th century.

Life and playing career

Born in Linlithgow Bridge, West Lothian, Scotland, the Centre-forward played for Vale of Avon, Linlithgow Athletic, Broxburn Shamrock and Leith Athletic before being signed by Liverpool manager John McKenna and W. E. Barclay in September 1895. The 20 year old Allan made quite an impact for Liverpool after making his debut in a Football League Second Division match a 5-1 home thumping of Newcastle on 14 September 1895, he scored his first goal for the club 7 days later on the 21 September against Loughborough Town at the Athletic Ground. This sparked an impressive goals per game run for the rest of the 1985/96 promotion season, he bagged an amazing 25 league goals from just 20 appearances, averaging 1.25 goals per games, Allan scored a further 3 goals in the promotion Test matches (the equivalent of today's play-offs) helping the Anfield club regain their spot back in the top flight of English football.

Allan moved to Celtic in May 1897 where he carried on his goalscoring exploits hitting 15 goals in 17 games helping the Parkhead club win the Scottish First Division, he returned to Anfield a year later when new manager Tom Watson re-signed him in April 1898.

Allan scored 58 goals in only 96 appearances during his 2 spells at Liverpool, an average of a goal every 1.65 games.

He made his only Scotland appearance on 3 April 1897 in a 2-1 victory against England at Crystal Palace.

Allan was a prolific goalscorer who could have gone on to be one of the all time greats but his life was tragically cut short when he contracted tuberculosis in 1899 during his second spell at Liverpool, he was forced to give up playing and died of the condition on 17 October.

Career details

As a player:

*Liverpool FC (1895 - 1897 & 1898 - 1899): 96 appearances, 58 goals - Football League Second Division winner's medal (1896)

*Scotland (1897): 1 appearance

External links

* [http://www.lfchistory.net/player_profile.asp?player_id=521 Player Profile at LFChistory.net]