| Allan Sliman | |
| Fullname: | Allan Melrose Sliman[1] |
| Position: | Centre half |
| Birth Date: | 27 February 1906 |
| Birth Place: | Busby, Scotland |
| Death Place: | Ely, England[2] |
| Years1: | 1925–1928 |
| Clubs1: | Arthurlie |
| Caps1: | 70 |
| Goals1: | 1 |
| Years2: | 1928–1932 |
| Clubs2: | Bristol City |
| Caps2: | 136 |
| Goals2: | 1 |
| Years3: | 1932–1938 |
| Clubs3: | Chesterfield |
| Caps3: | 241 |
| Goals3: | 9 |
| Years4: | 1938–1940 |
| Clubs4: | Chelmsford City |
| Manageryears1: | 1938–1939 |
| Managerclubs1: | Chelmsford City (player-manager) |
Allan Melrose Sliman (27 February 1906 – 14 April 1945), sometimes known as Jack Sliman,[3] was a Scottish professional footballer who made over 370 Football League appearances for Chesterfield and Bristol City as a centre half. He also had a spell as player-manager of non-League club Chelmsford City.
A centre half, Sliman began his career with Scottish League Second Division club Arthurlie, before Bristol City manager Alex Raisbeck paid a £280 fee to bring him to the Second Division club in September 1928.[4] [5] After making 136 league appearances for Bristol City, Sliman joined Second Division club Chesterfield for a £1,738 fee on 4 March 1932.[6] He remained at Saltergate until October 1938 and was a part of the club's 1935–36 Third Division South title-winning team.[7] Sliman finished his career with Southern League club Chelmsford City during the 1938–39 season. Aside from captaining the club, he held the role of player-manager between October 1938 and March 1939.
Sliman's younger brother Richard was an amateur footballer. Before and after his professional football career, he worked as a carpenter. In 1943, during the Second World War, Sliman joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and became a flight engineer with No. 75 Squadron. On 14 April 1945, Sliman took part in his first bombing mission, targeting a location southwest of Potsdam. During the return trip to England, Sliman's bomber was attacked by Junkers Ju 88s and he was fatally wounded by cannon fire. He died in hospital in Ely and was buried in Chelmsford Cemetery.
| Season | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Arthurlie | 1925–26[8] | Scottish Second Division | 32 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 35 | 1 | ||
| 1926–27 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | ||||
| 1927–28 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | ||||
| 1928–29 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 70 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 73 | 1 | ||||
| Chesterfield | 1931–32[9] | Second Division | 11 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
| 1932–33[10] | 39 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1[11] | 0 | 44 | 3 | |||
| 1933–34[12] | Third Division North | 37 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1[13] | 0 | 40 | 1 | ||
| 1934–35[14] | 39 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5[15] | 1 | 44 | 4 | |||
| 1935–36[16] | 42 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5[17] | 0 | 50 | 1 | |||
| 1936–37[18] | Second Division | 41 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3[19] | 0 | 45 | 2 | ||
| 1937–38[20] | 32 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 1 | |||
| Total | 241 | 9 | 17 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 273 | 12 | |||
| Career total | 311 | 10 | 20 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 346 | 14 | |||
1932–33, 1936–37