Nicknamed "Big Mal", he was one of English football's most flamboyant and intriguing characters because of his panache, fedora and cigar, controversies off the pitch and outspoken nature.

Allison's managerial potential become apparent while in his youth at West Ham United, where he became a reliable defender and acted as a mentor to the younger players including future England World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore.

As a coach, he is remembered for assisting manager Joe Mercer in the transformation of the team he supported as a young boy – Manchester City.

[5] A promising career as a centre-half was ended prematurely by a bout of tuberculosis as he fell ill after a game against Sheffield United on 16 September 1957 and had a lung removed in hospital.

This turned out to be his last senior game for West Ham, and although he battled on in their reserve team he struggled with the inability to achieve full fitness.

[9] Allison's first season as a manager was a moderate success; he led the club to a third-place finish in the league, and to a third round F.A.Cup tie with First Division Bolton Wanderers.

His success at Bath had alerted a number of Football League clubs, and in May 1964 he joined Plymouth Argyle, where he had been offered a £3,000 per annum salary.

As ill health had hindered him in his previous job as manager of Aston Villa, Mercer sought a younger, energetic man to be his assistant.

Allison immediately instigated a huge stylistic shift both on and off the field, raising Palace's profile with his charismatic media appearances, replacing the club's rather homely nickname 'The Glaziers' with 'The Eagles', and ending the 68-year association with claret-and-blue kits.

[14] Palace's highly recognisable red-and-blue striped home kit was introduced, and later, the all-white strip with red and blue sash, changes which still reflect in the character of the club today.

[14] Allison completely restructured the side in an attempt to halt the club's decline and he angered many fans with his decision to replace favourite John Jackson in the Palace goal.

Allison's larger than life image was a mixed blessing in Division Three for it raised hopes and aspirations of supporters while also serving to motivate other clubs when they visited Selhurst Park.

[15] However 1975–76 ended up the most successful season for Allison at Selhurst Park as he spurred Palace on to an FA Cup semi-final appearance,[14] after brilliant victories against higher league opposition in the shape of Leeds United, Chelsea and Sunderland.

The FA Cup run was also notable for the first appearance of Allison's trademark fedora hat during a third-round game at Scarborough and his use of the sweeper system in football which, at the time, was a relatively new idea.

[14] With the team failing to reach Wembley and win promotion (despite building up a big lead in the league table in the early part of the season) Allison resigned in May 1976.

Allison controversially sold crowd favourites Peter Barnes and Gary Owen and replaced them with players including Michael Robinson and Steve Daley – who became the British transfer record for £1,450,000m.

[16] Allison later admitted on his first meeting with chairman Swales: "I looked at him, saw the comb-over, the England blazer and the suede shoes and thought 'this isn't going to work'".

[20] Allison's outspoken nature and womanising were of great interest to tabloid newspapers and it was reputed that he had relationships with Christine Keeler of the Profumo scandal, singer Dorothy Squires and two Miss UKs.

[21] In 1976, Allison received a Football Association disrepute charge after a News of the World photograph appeared showing him in the Crystal Palace players' bath with porn star Fiona Richmond whom he had invited to a training session.

Fans set up a campaign on www.cpfc.org, an unofficial forum dedicated to the club, to mark the 31st anniversary of the famous FA Cup run which Allison masterminded.