R.I.P BIG MAL

[eastie]

Sorry to hear of the death of Malcolm allison today- one of the great characters of the 70s!

[Deano's Mullet]

RIP Malcolm.
 
My main recollection of the man is when his Bristol Rovers side drew us in the FA Cup in 1992-93 and he did a lot of verbal sparring with BFR. I seem to recall H and V at the time did a cartoon of BFR in boxing gear stood over Big Mal victorious with the quote "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" over the top of it. In fact i still have that issue in a box at my moms house.

[Dr Butler]

RIP 

I only saw him on TV last night in the Bobby Moore story..

[TimTheVillain]

RIP Big Mal, great character.

[mozza]

That big 'floppy' hat comes to mind when I hear his name -

Larger than life character  -

God Bless 

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Just heard this too.
My memory was also that Villa FA cup game against Bristol Rovers . He was manager after a break from the game, as it turned out it was his last job. Funnily enough Rovers were then playing at Twerton Park the home of Bath City, they had been his first job in management in the early 60s.
The Villa won of course, Rovers were really struggling at the time. Lots of chants of "and now you got to believe us, your gonna get the sack"...which I think occurred  soon after.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/world-cup-2010/7891072/World-Cup-2010-When-Malcolm-Allison-led-ITV-to-victory-in-punditry-wars.html

 

[AV82EC]

RIP.  Another talented coach who didn't have what it took to be a Manager.  And another individual criminally underused by the FA.

[eastie]

Don't forget the cigar that went with the hat mozza, a great showman and his stints on the tv panel with cloughie and the doog were always lively affairs too.

[darren woolley]

RIP big mal.

[Salsa Party Animal]

oh I was reading thinking it is about Malcolm Everall.

[Dave Cooper please]

Ah that's a shame, a real throwback to "when football was football"!

Larger than life sums him up I think.

[SteveD]

I was speaking to a colleague who met him at a nursing home about a year go - he had severe Alzheimer's by that stage and was only having flashes of recollection, which was a very sad end for someone so flamboyant.

Although he had a big personality and played up to it - he also had a very modern approach to football, learning a lot of European techniques which was ahead of its time.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

He'll be sorely missed over here, having managed Sporting, winning the league, Cup and Super Cup in 81-82. It took Sporting another 18 years to win the league again. All the Sportingistas I speak to always speak of him fondly.

RIP

[Brend'Watkins]

The very mention of Allison gives me that image of him in the players bath with Fiona Richmond* when he was manager of Crystal Palace.

*Latter Day Porn star and actress.....for our younger posters.

[garyshawsknee]

Just heard this too.
My memory was also that Villa FA cup game against Bristol Rovers . He was manager after a break from the game, as it turned out it was his last job. Funnily enough Rovers were then playing at Twerton Park the home of Bath City, they had been his first job in management in the early 60s.
The Villa won of course, Rovers were really struggling at the time. Lots of chants of "and now you got to believe us, your gonna get the sack"...which I think occurred  soon after.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/world-cup-2010/7891072/World-Cup-2010-When-Malcolm-Allison-led-ITV-to-victory-in-punditry-wars.html

 

 Didn't he get under Big Ron's skin after the first game? Did BFR not shake his hand after the second game?

 Another example of someone with great ideas for the English game being under used by the powers that be.