Jason Allen Player Profile

Biography

Towering central defender Jason Allen was an integral part of the Sky Blues’ success in the 1990s under Alan Fraser, enjoying six seasons at the Showgrounds.

Born and raised in Ballybeen, Jason started his footballing journey at Glentoran Colts and was a Northern Ireland Schoolboy international by the time he joined Oldham Athletic straight out school in the summer of 1987.

Allen spent three seasons at Boundary Park under the watchful eye of manager Joe Royle, but unfortunately failed to break through into the first team for a senior appearance. Following the expiry of his contract at the Latics, Jason was offered the choice of a short term deal in either Hong Kong or Sweden, choosing the latter by joining IF Tanum with team-mate, and fellow countryman, Norman Kelly for the final three months of the Swedish season.

In October 1990, shortly before his 20th birthday, Allen returned home to sign for Eric Bowyer’s Linfield side and went straight into the Blues’ team, and retained his place for the remainder of a disappointing 1990/1991 campaign which seen the club finish seventh in the table and trophyless. Despite his personal progression at the Blues, Allen was hit with a double blow of losing his first senior final in December 1991 in the Floodlit Cup to Omagh Town; then two weeks later his 1991/1992 season was brought to a premature end with a collapsed lung in the Boxing Day derby clash against Glentoran.

Jason returned for the start of the following campaign, but getting back into the Linfield team would prove difficult in the 1992/1993 season as Trevor Anderson had replaced Bowyer in the dugout as South Belfast club went onto win both the Irish League and the Ulster Cup without a meaningful contribution of the defender, who only made eight senior appearances across all competitions that season.

In a similar vein, Allen spent the majority of the 1993/1994 season on the sidelines with only a handful of appearances, watching on as the Blues filled the trophy cabinet with the Irish Cup, League Cup and Floodlit Cup and a second successive League Championship. It was a first foray into European Football as he was an unused substitute in Linfield's four Champions League games against Dinamo Tblisi and FC Copenhagen, the latter in which his team-mates surrendered a 3-0 home lead to miss out on a second round tie against AC Milan.

Jason forced his way back into Anderson's panel during the second half of the 1994/1995 season and picked up his first senior winner's medal from the bench in the County Antrim Shield final win against Glenavon in January 1995. However, his season ended in disappointment as he was left out of the squad for the Irish Cup final against Carrick Rangers despite featuring in almost every round in the lead up to the final.

Following the Irish Cup final he left the club after 92 appearances (and 1 goal) in five seasons. He joined fellow Linfield fringe players John McConnell and Nigel Boyd in moving to Alan Fraser’s Ballymena United in June 1995. Despite missing out on promotion to Coleraine, Jason became an instant hit with the Braid fans for his assured performances in the centre of the Ballymena defence, as he swept the board at the 1995/1996 individual end of season club awards.

United made no mistake on securing the 1996/1997 First Division title the following season, with 27-year-old Allen now in his prime in this successful and resolute team. The Sky Blues narrowly missed out on a league and cup 'double' as they lost out to Cliftonville on penalties in the County Antrim Shield final in February 1997.

Allen and his team-mates took to the Premier Division like ducks to water during the 1997/1998 campaign, with the Sky Blues surprise league leaders at Christmas, but couldn't keep up the momentum in the second half of the season - eventually finishing fifth and losing in the final of the Irish News Cup to Omagh Town. The following season, defeat in the Irish Cup semi-final to Portadown in April 1999, saw to the end of Fraser's reign at the Showgrounds and the slow dismantling of the league winning team.

Nigel Best was appointed to the Showgrounds hotseat but couldn't halt the Sky Blues' alarming demise, as United avoided relegation on the final day of the 1999/2000 season by the skin of their teeth. It was only a short reprieve - as further cost cutting left Allen as one of the few experienced players in a youthful Ballymena team. Best lasted until December 2000, but his replacement Kenny Shiels couldn't prevent relegation back to the First Division, despite a late rally in the closing weeks.

Brought to tears on the pitch, Jason Allen left the Showgrounds following relegation with 242 appearances and 8 goals but with the respect of the United faithful as a loyal servant who was a fans favourite throughout the good and bad of six seasons at Warden Street.

Persuaded not to retire by Crusaders boss Gary McCartney, the 30-year-old joined Crusaders in July 2001 to remain in the top division, but his stay at Seaview lasted only until October 2001 as he walked away, disillusioned from the game. Later that same season Jason signed for Harland & Wolff Welders in February 2002 and was part of the team which won Smirnoff Cup beating Banbridge Town in May 2002.

From almost walking away from the game altogether, the rejuvenated Allen spent a further four full seasons at Tillysburn Park as the Welders established themselves as one of the top sides outside of the senior divisions, finishing as runners-up in the Second Division in 2002/2003 and winning the Intermediate Cup in the same season.

Jason made the move across to First Division rivals Bangor in October 2006, but spent only one season with the Seasiders, as they narrow missed out on Premier Division promotion, losing in the playoffs to Glenavon. The big defender finally finished his career with Knockbreda, joining in October 2007 for the remainder of the 2007/2008 campaign before hanging up his boots.

Career
Glentoran; (1987) Oldham Athletic; (Jul 1990) IF Tanum; (Oct 1990) Linfield; (Jun 1995) Ballymena United; (Jun 2001) Crusaders; (Feb 2002) Harland & Wolff Welders; (Oct 2006) Bangor; (Oct 2007) Knockbreda

Honours
(with Linfield)
County Antrim Shield: (winner) 1994/1995
Floodlit Cup: (finalist) 1991/1992
Steel and Sons Cup: (finalist) 1994/1995
(with Ballymena United)
First Division: (winner) 1996/1997; (runner-up) 1995/1996
County Antrim Shield: (finalist) 1996/1997
Irish News Cup: (finalist) 1997/1998
(with HW Welders)
Second Division: (runner-up) 2002/2003
Smirnoff Cup: (winner) 2001/2002
Intermediate Cup: (winner) 2002/2003

International Honours
Northern Ireland Under-19 (3 caps, 0 goals - 1989)
Northern Ireland Under-17 (1 cap, 0 goals - 1987)
Northern Ireland Under-16 (7 caps, 0 goals - 1986-1987)