Derek Allan Explained

Derek Allan
Fullname:Derek Thomas Allan
Birth Date:24 December 1974
Birth Place:Irvine, Scotland
Height:[1]
Position:Defender
Currentclub:Greenock Morton (U17 coach)
Years1:1992–1993
Years2:1993–1996
Years3:1996
Years4:1996–1999
Years5:1999–2001
Years6:2001–2004
Years7:2004–2005
Clubs3:→ Brighton & Hove Albion (loan)
Clubs7:Dumbarton
Caps1:5
Caps2:1
Caps3:8
Caps4:72
Caps5:60
Caps6:47
Caps7:6
Totalcaps:199
Goals1:0
Goals2:0
Goals3:0
Goals4:2
Goals5:4
Goals6:0
Goals7:0
Totalgoals:6

Derek Thomas Allan (born 24 December 1974) is a Scottish former football defender.

He is currently the coach of Greenock Morton's U17 side.

Playing career

Allan or ("Swan Neck") (Due to his aerial ability) was born in Irvine, Scotland and started his professional career at Ayr United, where he made only five appearances. After just one year at the club he was sold to Southampton of the English Premiership for a fee of £75,000 in March 1993. He also was part of the Scottish Under 21 squad in April 1993 which played Iceland at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock.

Southampton's manager Ian Branfoot saw Allan as "one for the future" but a series of injuries restricted him to just one Premier League appearance when he came on as a late substitute for Matthew Bound in a 1–0 defeat at Manchester City on 1 May 1993.[2]

In March 1996 Jimmy Case took him on loan to Brighton & Hove Albion, before making the move permanent. In the three years he spent at Brighton he made 67 league appearances, scoring twice. Allan joined non-league side Kingstonian and was player of the year in the 1999–00 season. Allan had a successful spell at Kingsmeadow, being part of the winning 2000 FA Trophy squad beating Kettering Town 3-2 in a dramatic 2000 Wembley Final, which turned out to be one of the last games ever played at the 'Old Wembley'. 68 appearances in 2 seasons [2]

In July 2001 he was signed by Scottish side Queen of the South where he won the Scottish Second Division Title in May 2002. His stay was again hampered by injuries[3] and he was limited to just 47 league appearances. Allan spent the last season of his career at Dumbarton,[4] before early retirement at the age of just 30.

Derek is now the Elite Youth Coach at Greenock Morton Under 17s and a fully UEFA Qualified 'A' licence Youth Coach.

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Ayr United1992–93[5] Scottish First Division50000050
Southampton
1992–93[6] Premier League10000010
1993–94Premier League00000000
1994–95Premier League00000000
Total1000000010
Brighton & Hove Albion (loan)1995–96[7] Second Division80000080
Brighton & Hove Albion
1996–97Third Division310002010340
1997–98Third Division191100010211
1998–99Third Division221001010241
Total802103030872
Kingstonian
1999–2000Football Conference2911060361
2000–01Football Conference3135020383
Total604600080744
Queen of the South
2001–02Scottish Second Division1302010160
2002–03Scottish First Division1800010190
2003–04Scottish First Division1600010170
Total470203000520
Dumbarton2004–05Scottish Second Division6000001070
Career total199690601202266

Honours

Club

Kingstonian

1999-20[8]

Queen Of The South

2001-02[9]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Glenda . Rollin . Jack . Rollin . Rothmans Football Yearbook 1997–98 . 1997 . Headline . London . 978-0-7472-7738-5 . 424.
  2. Book: Duncan. Holley. Gary. Chalk . In That Number - A post-war chronicle of Southampton FC . Hagiology Publishing . 2003. 227 & 472. 0-9534474-3-X.
  3. Web site: Queen of the South Squad Details 2003/2004 . www.qosfc.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20070305180440/http://www.qosfc.com/profile034.htm . 5 March 2007.
  4. Book: McAllister, Jim . The Sons of the Rock - The Official History of Dumbarton Football Club . J&J Robertson Printers . 2002 . Dumbarton.
  5. Web site: "Games played by Derek Allan in 1992/1993" . neilbrown.newcastlefans.com . 15 October 2022.
  6. Book: Holley, Duncan . In That Number – A post-war chronicle of Southampton FC . Chalk, Gary . Hagiology Publishing . 2003 . 0-9534474-3-X. 228.
  7. Web site: Player search: Allan, DT (Derek) . English National Football Archive . subscription . 15 October 2022.
  8. Web site: Football: Geoff's special Ks; UMBRO TROPHY FINAL - KETTERING 2 KINGSTONIAN 3. - Free Online Library . 2024-01-01 . www.thefreelibrary.com.
  9. Web site: Official Queen of the South Site . 2024-01-02 . www.qosarchive.co.uk.