[7] A strong-tackling left-back, he joined Coventry City as an amateur while in the army but made no first-team appearances.
In November 1952, he joined Birmingham City on a free transfer, and made his league debut the following season on 19 April 1954 in a Second Division game against Nottingham Forest at St Andrew's which ended 2–2.
When Green sustained the injury which eventually forced his retirement, Allen took his place and kept it until suffering a fractured skull in 1961.
After almost ten years at the club, and 166 games in all competitions, he joined Torquay United in January 1962, following in the footsteps of Birmingham teammate Gordon Astall who had made the same move six months earlier.
He made his Torquay debut in a 4–2 home win over Hull City on 20 January 1962[8] and was ever-present for the remainder of the season.