Joe Allon

Joseph Ball Allon (born 12 November 1966) is an English former footballer.

A striker, he scored 135 goals in 361 league and cup games in a 14-year career in the English Football League.

Starting his career with Newcastle United in 1984, he failed to break into the first team and moved on to Swansea City three years later.

After a season with the Swans he signed with Hartlepool United.

Allon joined Newcastle United in 1982 and made his debut in the first-team when Jack Charlton was manager in a 2–1 win over Stoke City at St James' Park on 1 December 1984.

At the end of 1984–85 he starred in the FA Youth Cup final victory over Watford, scoring twice in a game in which Paul Gascoigne also netted a wonder goal.

Allon scored twice in nine First Division games in 1985–86 and 1986–87, before manager Willie McFaul moved him on to Swansea City in August 1987.

Terry Yorath's Swans won promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1987–88 after beating Torquay United 5–4 on aggregate in the play-off final.

During the season Allon also scored against rivals Cardiff City in the South Wales derby, in a 2–2 draw at Vetch Field on New Year's Day.

He scored 12 times in 40 league and cup appearances in a partnership with Colin Pascoe, before he returned to the North-East to join Hartlepool United in November 1988, as one of Bobby Moncur's first signings as manager.

Moncur drove from Hartlepool to South Wales to watch the striker in a reserve team game and decided to sign him.

Pools paid a nominal fee for the striker to bring him back to the North East.

Pools struggled near the foot of the Football League in 1988–89 under Moncur, and Allon scored just five goals in 26 starts.

The team again struggled in 1989–90, and suffered a number of heavy defeats under Moncur – losing 7–1 at York, 6–1 at Aldershot and 6–0 at home to Doncaster.

As Pools improved in the second half of the season and moved off bottom spot after being rooted there with 9 points from 18 games, Allon managed 17 goals in 45 league starts to become the club's joint top-scorer with strike partner Paul Baker.

New boss Cyril Knowles was the catalyst for change as he turned the club's fortunes around.

He won three promotions with three clubs, and was voted onto the Fourth Division PFA Team of the Year in 1990–91 and won the North-East Footballer of the Year award in 1990–91.

Allon enjoyed a reunion with his former Newcastle United teammate Gascoigne in September 1990 as Pools played Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup.

Gascoigne netted 4 in a 5–0 White Hart Lane defeat for Pools, who lost the second-leg 2–1 at the Victoria Ground.

Allon netted the winning goal for Pools at Feethams in November 1990, as Pools beat rivals Darlington 1–0.

Allon netted 35 times as Pools won promotion in 1990–91 for only the second time in their history.

Pools finished third, but were only one point behind champions Darlington.

Allon hit 35 goals in 55 games in the campaign, and was named Hennessey Cognac North East Player of the Year and North East Football Writers Player of the Year, and was also voted onto the PFA Team of the Year.

He came close of a move to Middlesbrough, but called off the deal after manager Colin Todd was sacked.

His form in the 1990–91 season earned him a move to top-flight side Chelsea in August 1991, with manager Ian Porterfield paying a fee reported to be £375,000.

Middlesbrough were also interested in his services that summer.

Allon scored at home on his Chelsea debut, at the Shed End, however, he failed to make an impact at Stamford Bridge after sustaining a leg injury which became infected.

After scoring 48 league goals for the club he transferred to Chelsea in 1991.

After a season with Chelsea, including a loan spell with Port Vale, he joined Brentford.

In February of the 1991–92 season he joined Port Vale on loan, but made just six goalless appearances for John Rudge's Valiants, who struggled in vain to avoid relegation out of the Second Division.

He only stayed for a few months of 1992–93, the inaugural season of the Premier League.

It was rumoured that his friendship with Vinnie Jones led him astray and helped to bring about his poor form.

In all he started just four games (with a further 14 substitute appearances) and scored three goals for the Blues.

He was sold to Brentford in November 1992 for a club-record incoming fee of £275,000.

The "Bees" were relegated out of the First Division at the end of the 1992–93 season under Phil Holder.

He scored a total of 28 goals in 56 league and cup appearances at Griffin Park.

However, new manager David Webb wanted Allon off the wage bill.

In 1994, he moved back to Port Vale permanently, before moving back to Hartlepool United via Lincoln City in 1995.

By scoring the winning goal at Feethams in 1997, the striker holds the distinction of being the only Pools striker to have twice scored a winning goal in front of the Tin Shed, the favoured end for supporters of Darlington.

He retired in 1998 because of a knee injury.