Allan: John (Jack)

1912-1914 (Leeds City Player Details)

Right Half

Born: Carlisle: 11-05-1890

Debut: v Fulham (a): 07-09-1912

5’7 1/2” 11st 2lb (1910)

He started with several North-Eastern Non-League Clubs, which included Benwell St James, Bentwick Mission, Newcastle North End and Bedlington Town before returning to his home town club Carlisle United who had not yet attained League status and were playing in the Lancashire Combination League. He first tasted League football with Everton who he joined in 1909. He remained there three seasons but only managed nineteen games for the Toffees without scoring, having to be content with Reserve team football for the most part but he did play a big part in the club win the Lancashire Combination in 1910. He made his first team League debut in the derby against Liverpool in February 1910, in a 1-0 victory at Anfield. It was the first of 8 first team appearances in the closing weeks of the campaign, but he spent most of the 1910-11 season back in the reserves, playing just seven First Division games. The following season, he appeared four times as Everton finished League runners up to Blackburn Rovers. His final game came on 22nd April 1912, in a 3-0 win at Goodison over West Bromwich Albion. He left Goodison for Elland Road in search of first-team football in July 1912. Allan had been persuaded by Herbert Chapman to sign for Second Division Leeds City. According to Yorkist, writing in the Leeds Mercury, "Allan, the right-half from Everton, will also strengthen the side. He is sturdily built, tackles well, and has good command of the ball." Allan was a number of arrivals as Chapman sought to rebuild a side that had been forced to seek re-election in the summer. Internationals Evelyn Lintott, Billy Scott and George Law were among the newcomers. He initially went straight into the City first team. The Yorkshire Post reported, "Allan did not look after his forwards so well as he might have done. His defensive work was sound enough, however, and it was as well they were, for Law was unsteady and slow." Allan's form improved as the season progressed and he was often rated the best of the half-back line, but as the season progressed his appearances dwindled and he played his last League game on Boxing Day 1912 against Blackpool at Elland Road and his final senior game was in the F.A. Cup loss at home to Burnley, three weeks later. He had made fourteen League appearances. At the end of the campaign Allan joined Rochdale, then playing in the Second Division of the Lancashire Combination. He moved on again to Southern League Coventry City in 1914, scoring twenty-one goals in just twenty four games for the Southern League, Second Division club and also making a further appearance for them in the F.A. Cup. Allan had by now earned himself something of a reputation as an emergency centre-forward and he scored three hat tricks that season before the Southern League closed down for the war. League Football recommenced after World War One and he restarted with Coventry City, who had joined the Second Division. Coincidently he was in the Coventry team, along with Charlie Copeland which played City in the 1919-1920 season, before Leeds lost their League status. He only made five appearances for the Sky Blues before again drifting into Non-League football with Walsall, then of the Birmingham League. In the1920-21 season he found the net once in twenty-four games.