Big Mal: The High Life and Hard Times of Malcolm Allison, Football Legend

by David Tossell

Malcolm Allison is one of the most controversial figures of the last half-century of English soccer. Leader of the famed West Ham Academy, his playing career was cut short by the loss of a lung to tuberculosis. Disillusioned, he became a professional gambler before acknowledging that soccer was his calling. After humble beginnings as a coach, he began a celebrated partnership with Joe Mercer, turning Manchester City into one of the most stylish teams English soccer has produced. Along with the trophies came the birth of Big Mal, the larger-than-life personality who helped revolutionize televised soccer. He became instantly recognizable for his cigar and Fedora, and equally notorious for a string of affairs with beautiful women. As the dark side of Big Mal took over, he was banned for life from the touchlines, became embroiled in a series of boardroom battles, and spent time in jail cells and rehab clinics fighting the effects of alcoholism. Yet despite the often-destructive effect of his Big Mal persona, Malcolm Allison retains his status as one of the most incisive minds to have graced the game. This book tells both sides of the story, tracing the life and times of one of the most charismatic characters in British sports.

Genres: Football

336 pages, Hardcover

First published September 4, 2008

About the author

David Tossell has been a sports journalist for four decades. Long-time head of European Public Affairs for the NFL (National Football League) and former Executive Sports Editor of the Today newspaper, he is the author of 17 sports books. He has been short-listed seven times in the British Sports Book Awards - for Bertie Mee (Best Biography, 2006); Grovel! (Best Cricket Book, 2008); Nobody Beats Us (Best Rugby Book, 2010); Tony Greig (Best Cricket Book, 2012); The Great English Final (Best Football Book, 2014), Natural: The Jimmy Greaves Story (Best Biography and Best Football Book, 2020). He has also been short-listed twice for MCC/Cricket Society Book of the Year.
He has written books on football, cricket, rugby and American football.

Reviews

[Alan Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

A real football pioneer

Big Mal was a true football legend, a pioneer coach and larger than life character. His appearance on the World Cup 70 panel was one of my earliest memories.

[Ipswichblade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb biography of one of the great characters of 70s and 80s football. Some biographies don’t go into any depth about the less than great parts of the subjects life and career but this misses nothing. A great read

[Martyn Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real character

A good book about a man that was years ahead of others in the game and who would have been even more successful in today's football.