Starting his career in 1946 with Port Vale, he spent four years with the club before making a record-breaking transfer to West Bromwich Albion.
He then moved on to Northwood Mission, where he played at outside-right, alongside Bill McGarry and Basil Hayward, who would later become his teammates at Port Vale.
[5] He made his full debut on 2 April 1945 in a 2–2 draw against Wrexham in the Football League North, playing at outside-right and laying on one of Vale's goals.
[1] He scored his first goal for the club in a 4–3 win against Norwich City in August 1945, and in March 1946 signed as a part-time professional, for which he received a £10 signing-on fee.
Though only 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m) and barely 11 stone (70 kg), he emerged as a talented striker, helping to define the modern role of target man.
[1] Allen also benefited from the ultra-modern training techniques of Jesse Carver, who served Albion as manager for a brief time in the 1952–53 campaign.
[2] Carver's successor, Vic Buckingham, also had a Total Football philosophy and appreciated the technical skill Allen possessed, allowing him to play as a deep-lying attacker with room to dribble at will – a revolutionary position and tactic.
He then scored a hat-trick in the 1954 FA Charity Shield at Molineux, ensuring a 4–4 draw with league champions and Black Country rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Albion managed to improve their league form in 1957–58, finishing fourth, as Robson and Derek Kevan's strike partnership replaced that of Allen's and Nicholls'.
He scored a total of 234 goals in 458 appearances for West Brom, making him the second-highest scorer in the club's history, behind Tony Brown.
Dick Graham then took the reins for the rest of Allen's time at Selhurst Park, as the club struggled in mid-table in 1962–63, only to win promotion as runners-up in 1963–64.
[15][16] He had to wait almost two years for his second cap, which came against Scotland on 3 April 1954,[15] the same day that his club West Bromwich Albion were playing rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers in a vital First Division match.
Allen scored with a header in the second half to help England beat the Scots 4–2 in the match at Hampden Park, and also had another headed goal disallowed.
[17] He also appeared against Yugoslavia, and was included in England's initial squad for the 1954 FIFA World Cup, but did not make the final travelling party.
[22] The official West Brom website describes Allen as "the complete footballer", and compares him to the Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskás.
Despite their league form, new manager Mário Lino did lead Sporting to their ninth Taça de Portugal success after defeating Vitória 3–2 at the Estádio Nacional.
But Allen could not put together a good run of form in the First Division, and Albion only stayed up after winning their final game of the season.
[31] He had a son, Russell Allen, who started his career at West Brom, before playing close to 300 league games at Tranmere Rovers and Mansfield Town between 1971 and 1981.
[1] Ronnie Allen died suffering with Alzheimer's disease on 9 June 2001 in Hardwick Court Nursing Home, Great Wyrley, Staffordshire.
[1] West Bromwich Albion's pre-season friendly against Athletic Bilbao later that summer was designated as the "Ronnie Allen Memorial Match", in recognition of his contribution to both clubs.
[32][33] A minute's silence was held before kick-off and proceeds from the match donated to the Alzheimer's Society,[34] a disease he had been diagnosed with in later life.
[1] Allen had himself played and scored the only goal for West Brom in a testimonial match for Athletic's long serving player Agustín Gaínza in 1958,[35][36] and while managing the Spanish side in 1971 he had arranged two friendlies between the clubs for the benefit of Bobby Hope and José Ángel Iribar.
[35][37] In 2004 Allen was named as one of West Bromwich Albion's 16 greatest players, in a poll organised as part of the club's 125th anniversary celebrations.
[38] West Bromwich Albion Crystal Palace Wolverhampton Wanderers Los Angeles Wolves England General Specific