Allen: Vernon

1939-1943

Left Half

Born: Leeds: 28-12-1922

Debut: Nil

Height & Weight: Unknown

Played his early football with Brownhill School and went on the represent Leeds City Boys and Captained them before joining Ashley Road Methodists. While with them he represented the Leeds Minor F.A. against Stockton when he was barely fifteen. He was signed on Amateur forms by Leeds United soon afterwards. In those early War Years, the club signed many young men on amateur forms and they often were given a chance with the Yorkshire League team or with one of the clubs Junior Clubs, such as Outwood Stormcocks. However, he is quite likely to have remained with Ashley Road Methodists as they were amongst the highest ranking teams in Leeds at the time. From these ranks players like Harry Vickers and Leslie Thompson and later Dennis Kirby became professionals and went on to play at first team level, but many never signed professional. Before his football career could blossom he joined the RAF in 1940 and rose to the rank of Sergeant in 101 Squadron. He was killed on 28th July 1943, at the age of twenty, and is buried in the War Cemetery in Hamburg, Germany. Vernon Allen never played for the first team, but has been included in these profiles as having died on active service in the Second World War while being a registered players with the club, along with Maurice Lawn, Leslie Thompson and Eric Stephenson, Alan Fowler and Robert Montgomery. (Many thanks to Neil Roche for his information, for much of the aforegoing)