Dave Allen (football chairman)
Encyclopedia
Dave Allen is a Sheffield
based businessman and ex-chairman of football team Sheffield Wednesday. Allen owns a 99.9% share of the A & S Leisure Group which runs Napoleons Casino
s across England
, as well as the greyhound racing
track at Owlerton Stadium
in Sheffield.
Allen joined the Sheffield Wednesday board in 2000 and eventually became chairman in June 2003.
In his spare time Dave Allen enjoys pigeon racing
.
According to the Sunday Times
Allen was listed as the 944th richest person in Britain in 2006 and was said to be worth £60m, however by 2007 he had dropped out of the top 1,000 richest people in Britain.
Allen came under severe criticism from some supporters throughout the tenure of manager Paul Sturrock
, especially for what was perceived as forcing fan favourites such as Steve MacLean
and Jon-Paul McGovern
out of the club. The ill-feeling towards Allen hit a new high in October 2006 after the sacking of popular manager Sturrock, with fans attributing a slump in form to the chairman's relationship with the manager and Allen's transfer policy rather than the performance of the manager; this then led to a series of protests by supporters aimed directly at the chairman and board of directors. However, the appointment of caretaker manager Sean McAuley
and his eventual successor Brian Laws
did see an improvement in results. Allen was sometimes the basis of much criticism from Wednesday fans, who he referred to as "scum", "yobs" and "cretins", also labelling one female fan a "venomous bitch" after she voiced her frustration at Allen as he sat in the directors box at Hillsborough Stadium
. This animosity between chairman and supporters arose because the fans felt Allen put little money in to the club and did so with the sole intention of taking a lot more out – lacking a "supporters' heart".. Several media soundbites (such as those featuring his "yobs" and "scum" remarks) over the last few years of Allen's reign as Sheffield Wednesday chairman stoked the criticism.
Allen's unpopularity amongst Wednesdayites steadily increased, as he took the extraordinary step of using club money to take legal action against a number of fans who criticised him and his colleagues. Eventually, all cases were dropped. Most of the charges were dismissed out of hand by High Court judge Mr Richard Parkes QC as "trivial", and no more than "saloon bar moanings".
Allen resigned as Chairman and a Director of Sheffield Wednesday on 23 November 2007. Dave Allen continued to own 10% of Sheffield Wednesday FC, until December 2010 when he sold his shares to new Owls owner Milan Mandaric. Allen sold his shares for an initial £750,000 with another £750,000 to be paid on the Owls returning to the Premiership. The Mandaric sale ended Allen's interest in the club, a relationship which had not been a happy one.
In April 2009 it was reported that Allen would invest about £4m in Chesterfield F.C.
, while still keeping most of his shares in Sheffield Wednesday.
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
based businessman and ex-chairman of football team Sheffield Wednesday. Allen owns a 99.9% share of the A & S Leisure Group which runs Napoleons Casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s across England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, as well as the greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
track at Owlerton Stadium
Owlerton Stadium
Owlerton Stadium, sometimes referred to as Sheffield Sports Stadium, is a greyhound racing track in Owlerton near Hillsborough in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The stadium is also home to the Sheffield Tigers Speedway team and hosts BriSCA Formula One stock car racing events. It is operated...
in Sheffield.
Allen joined the Sheffield Wednesday board in 2000 and eventually became chairman in June 2003.
In his spare time Dave Allen enjoys pigeon racing
Pigeon racing
Pigeon racing is the sport of releasing specially trained racing pigeons, which then return to their homes over a carefully measured distance...
.
According to the Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
Allen was listed as the 944th richest person in Britain in 2006 and was said to be worth £60m, however by 2007 he had dropped out of the top 1,000 richest people in Britain.
Allen came under severe criticism from some supporters throughout the tenure of manager Paul Sturrock
Paul Sturrock
Paul Whitehead Sturrock is a Scottish football manager who, since July 2010, is the manager of Southend United. Until this appointment, Sturrock had most recently been at English League 1 club Plymouth Argyle in a business support role, having been relieved of his managerial duties, until he quit...
, especially for what was perceived as forcing fan favourites such as Steve MacLean
Steve MacLean (footballer)
Steven George "Steve" MacLean is a Scottish footballer who plays as a striker for Football League One side Yeovil Town.-Early Days:...
and Jon-Paul McGovern
Jon-Paul McGovern
Jon-Paul McGovern is a professional footballer currently playing for Carlisle United.-Career:McGovern started his career at Celtic, whom he joined as a trainee before moving to Livingston the following year. His time playing in Scotland was sandwiched by a loan spell at Sheffield United. He joined...
out of the club. The ill-feeling towards Allen hit a new high in October 2006 after the sacking of popular manager Sturrock, with fans attributing a slump in form to the chairman's relationship with the manager and Allen's transfer policy rather than the performance of the manager; this then led to a series of protests by supporters aimed directly at the chairman and board of directors. However, the appointment of caretaker manager Sean McAuley
Sean McAuley
Sean McAuley is an English former professional footballer. He is currently the Academy head coach at Sheffield Wednesday.-Playing career:...
and his eventual successor Brian Laws
Brian Laws
Brian Laws is an English former footballer and manager, most recently of Burnley.Playing as a defender, Laws made over 100 appearances for each of Burnley, Middlesbrough, and Nottingham Forest. In 1994, Laws became player-manager of Grimsby Town before taking a similar position with Scunthorpe...
did see an improvement in results. Allen was sometimes the basis of much criticism from Wednesday fans, who he referred to as "scum", "yobs" and "cretins", also labelling one female fan a "venomous bitch" after she voiced her frustration at Allen as he sat in the directors box at Hillsborough Stadium
Hillsborough Stadium
Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the...
. This animosity between chairman and supporters arose because the fans felt Allen put little money in to the club and did so with the sole intention of taking a lot more out – lacking a "supporters' heart".. Several media soundbites (such as those featuring his "yobs" and "scum" remarks) over the last few years of Allen's reign as Sheffield Wednesday chairman stoked the criticism.
Allen's unpopularity amongst Wednesdayites steadily increased, as he took the extraordinary step of using club money to take legal action against a number of fans who criticised him and his colleagues. Eventually, all cases were dropped. Most of the charges were dismissed out of hand by High Court judge Mr Richard Parkes QC as "trivial", and no more than "saloon bar moanings".
Allen resigned as Chairman and a Director of Sheffield Wednesday on 23 November 2007. Dave Allen continued to own 10% of Sheffield Wednesday FC, until December 2010 when he sold his shares to new Owls owner Milan Mandaric. Allen sold his shares for an initial £750,000 with another £750,000 to be paid on the Owls returning to the Premiership. The Mandaric sale ended Allen's interest in the club, a relationship which had not been a happy one.
In April 2009 it was reported that Allen would invest about £4m in Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
, while still keeping most of his shares in Sheffield Wednesday.