Malcolm Allison is one of the most charismatic and controversial figures in the last half- century of English football. An innovative coach, he created one of the greatest-ever club sides, only to see his later life stumble along in a blur of birds, booze and boardroom battles. Aided by the memories of many of those who knew him best, IBig Mal/I traces the life and times of one of the most outrageous characters in British sport. Inspired by the great Hungarians, Allison was the leader of the famed 'West Ham Academy', but had his playing career ended by the loss of a lung to tuberculosis. Disillusioned, he became a professional gambler before acknowledging that football was his calling. After humble beginnings as a coach he began a celebrated partnership with Joe Mercer, turning Manchester City into one of the most stylish teams English football has produced. But along with the trophies came the birth of Big Mal, the larger-than-life personality who helped revolutionise the presentation of televised football. He became instantly recognisable for his cigar and Fedora and equally notorious for a string of affairs with beautiful women. As the dark side of Big Mal took over, he was banned for life from the touchlines, manoeuvred a City takeover to get himself installed in Mercer's position and quit Maine Road for his lover in London, before eventually returning for a disastrous second spell at the club. He was fired by one club because they didn't approve of his social life, was sacked by Crystal Palace for inviting a porn star into the team bath and was booted out of Middlesbrough for refusing instructions to sell players. He was warned off the race tracks, hauled into court for non-payment of maintenance and spent time in prison cells and rehabilitation clinics fighting the effects of alcoholism. Yet there still remained moments of football brilliance, notably on foreign fields. And, despite the often-destructive effect of his Big Mal persona, Malcolm Allison retains his status as one of the most inventive and incisive minds to have worked in football. This book tells both sides of the story.
