The latest Four Four Two has a 'legends' feature on Malcolm Allison, now 81 years old and living in a nursing home in Manchester. Just to remind you, he was born in Dartford, educated at Bexleyheath Central School and his playing pedigree was Welling Civic; Danson Boys' Club, Erith and Belvedere, Charlton Rovers and then Charlton Athletic.
His career at The Valley was interrupted by national service and on his return training was taken by Jimmy Trotter who was later to succeed Jimmy Seed as manager. He recalled, 'I remember standing there one morning and thinking "this training is terrible". So I said to the trainer Jimmy Trotter "what we're doing is ****ing rubbish". The next day he sold me to West Ham.'
From what we know of those days, the training wasn't very good, even if Trotter wore a white coat to lend authority to his role as ringmaster in the running round the pitch and up and down the East Terrace exercises he favoured.
4 comments:
..wonder if he has eaten his hat yet
Back in the early 80's Big Mal came on business to the Trade Mark Agents I used to work for (why I don't know). He left his big hat a fur coat with the girls on the reception. Sometime later when he came back to collect it he found all the receptionists taking it in turns to parade around in his fur. From what I was told he took it in very good spirits and could see the funny side of events.
Wyn, don't know if it lends the story greater credence but my father was on teh books at the Valley during the fifties with Mr Seed in his last years as manager. He tells exactly the same story about training, sprint the goal line ends, jogs the length of the pitch. In the end he quit to go to University. You will not be surprised to hear he found it numbingly boring! If they were lucky they got a football as part of training on Fridays!
Floyd.
Apparently the idea was that if they were kept away from the ball during the week they would be hungry for it at the weekend - although an exception was made for the keepers. At least some things do get better.
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