Charles Edward Allan (7 January 1908 – 1947) was an English professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

who played in the

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

as a full back for

Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...

and Northampton Town.

Life and career

Allan was born in 1908 in

County Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly �About North East E ...

, to Charles Edward Wheatland Allan, a bricklayer, and his wife, Meggie ''née'' Chipchase. He had an older sister, Laura, and a younger brother, John. Allan joined his home-town club,

of the

Third Division North The Third Division North of the Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to ...

, from minor football in the area. He made his club and

debut on 16 April 1932, coming in to play the last three matches at

left back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...

, normally occupied by Herbert Brown. He moved on to Third Division South club Northampton Town. He began the season in their London Combination team, and in early September, scored against

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...

's reserves "with a shot which, if not from the half-way line, was taken from a point preciously close to it." He made his first-team debut on 24 December in a 2–2 draw with Norwich City, and played five more matches in the last few weeks of the season. Retained for 1933–34, he played nine games between September and November, but then injury kept him out until nearly the end of the season. He rejected Northampton's offer of terms for another season, and was transfer-listed at a fee of £200. There were no takers, and he dropped out of League football and signed for

Kidderminster Harriers Kidderminster Harriers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England. The team compete in the National League North, at the sixth tier of the English football league system. Formed in ...

of the Birmingham & District League on a month's trial. The trial proved successful, but Allan turned down the terms offered, returned home and rejoined Darlington. During the second of his five appearances that season, away to Crewe Alexandra on 16 February 1935, he took over in goal after

Jack Beby John Victor Beby (23 August 1907 – 1976) was an English footballer who made 157 appearances in the Football League playing as a goalkeeper for Gillingham, Leicester City, Bristol Rovers, Darlington and Exeter City in the 1920s and 1930 ...

was sent off in the second half: he conceded once, and the match ended as a 4–1 defeat. He played twice at outside right at the start of the 1936–37 season, but did not get a chance in his proper position until mid-November, when he took over at left back from the injured Don Ashman and kept his place to the end of the season. He scored what proved to be his only Football League goal to open the scoring in a 2–1 win against Accrington Stanley in November with a penaltyhe missed one against

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

a couple of weeks later. He helped Darlington reach the final of the 1936–37 Third Division North Cup, which they lost 2–1 to Chester, and in March 1936, he was reported as being watched by an unnamed Lancashire-based First Division club. Allan kept his place until March 1937, when a succession of defeats prompted major changes to the eleven. He appeared once more after being dropped, taking his appearances for Darlington in this second spell to 77 in all competitions, and was released on a free transfer at the end of the season. Allan married Sarah Scott in 1937. The 1939 Register finds him employed as a platelayer in a steel and armaments plant and living with his wife in Temperance Place, Darlington. Allan died in Darlington in 1947 at the age of 38.

Career statistics

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Allan, Charles 1908 births 1947 deaths Footballers from Darlington English men's footballers Men's association football fullbacks Darlington F.C. players Northampton Town F.C. players Kidderminster Harriers F.C. players English Football League players