Clive Allen
A nomadic London goal-scorer whose explosive 49-goal season for Tottenham remains a towering, unmet benchmark in English football.
Born 1961 (age 65)·English footballer·Birthday: May 20·Baby Boomers
Biography
Clive Allen's career was a relentless London tour, a journey of a striker perpetually in demand. The son of former professional Les Allen, his pedigree was clear from his youth debut at Queens Park Rangers. His path was anything but linear, however, as he was transferred a remarkable seven times, often before even playing a game, earning him a unique place in football lore. His true homecoming came at Tottenham Hotspur, where in the 1986-87 season he delivered a masterclass, netting 49 goals in all competitions—a club record that still stands. A classic penalty-box predator, Allen's powerful shooting and aerial threat made him a constant danger, even if his England caps were limited. His later career saw him become a respected coach and pundit.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Clive was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Clive Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Clive's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Scored 49 goals in all competitions for Tottenham Hotspur during the 1986-87 season, a club record.
- Won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award in 1987 following his record-breaking season.
- Played for seven different London clubs during his professional career: QPR, Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Tottenham, Chelsea, West Ham, and Millwall.
- Won the FA Cup with Tottenham Hotspur in 1991.
Did You Know?
He was transferred between Arsenal and Crystal Palace twice in the same calendar year (1980), without playing a first-team game for Arsenal.
He is one of the few players to have scored for six different London clubs in competitive matches.
His father, Les Allen, was a member of Tottenham's 1960-61 double-winning team.
He played in the 1987 FA Cup Final for Tottenham, which they lost to Coventry City.
“I just wanted to score goals, and I was fortunate to play for some great clubs.”
