Dulwich Hamlet winger Allen on playing for Dutch legend Edgar Davids and “shock” of dropping out of full-time game

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Iffy Allen has found himself out of full-time football for the first time in his career – and admits it has only made him appreciate the game more.

The 24-year-old winger joined Dulwich Hamlet on a non-contract basis and is effectively playing for free. He scored their winner as they upset National South leaders Woking earlier this month.

Allen was signed by Fulham at 14 and released due to his size. His next move was to Barnet, where he made the transition from scholar to professional – signing a two-year deal at 18.

His debut was certainly memorable – coming on as a substitute in a home FA Cup tie against Oxford in November 2012 and playing alongside Dutch legend Edgar Davids, then player-manager of the Bees.

“It was surreal – I remember I got FIFA 13 and he was on the cover of it,” said Allen. “There aren’t many players can say they played with him. Obviously he has got a big status. You had to call him Sir or Mr, it was just the way you were brought up in his team. Apart from that, he was fine. He wore the number one on his training shirt.

“I played under Martin Allen and Mark Robson at Barnet – too many people and too many styles of play. Players don’t often suit that.

“After I got in the team I broke my right leg and was out for three months. It was stop and start for me there after that. By the time I came back the team was winning most weeks, they went on to win the league [Football Conference in 2015].”

Lambeth-born Allen, who lived in Mitcham until the age of 17, went on to have moves to Yeovil, Torquay United, Aldershot, Wrexham and Bromley. But now he finds himself training part-time with Dulwich.

“I’m not doing anything else [in terms of a job] and it’s a scary feeling because this is all I have known.

“It’s more of a wake-up call of how lucky you are to kick a football, to do a job that you love. I don’t know what I’m doing otherwise. I’ve never been in an interview scenario. I’m going into a different world which is unknown to me right now.

“Everyone’s expectations when they play football is to try and get to the top, that’s normal. But right now I just want to get back to enjoying my football and see where it leads. Last season I didn’t enjoy my football at all. I am enjoying it now.”

Allen joined Bromley after his release from Wrexham in May 2017.

“I only played 14 games. Sometimes you got a club and you might not see eye to eye with the manager, that’s part of the game. I won’t badmouth anyone, it just didn’t work out how I wanted it to work out. 

“To start three and come on as a sub in the rest, if you add the minutes together I probably didn’t even play seven games.

“I knew in the last three months I would be leaving. You go in every day and work hard, as much as you are doing it for the manager you are also doing it for yourself – I have got a family and you need to be able to put bread on the table.

“I didn’t have a pre-season because of the whole situation with Bromley. I just wanted to play football. Some people are all about the money, which is understandable, but I was grateful just to be kicking a ball. Dulwich is a good club.

“As long as you’re playing you will always be happy. You have times when you lose but then you go again next week. But when you are just watching week in and week out it makes you go into depression.”

Tooting & Mitcham lost 2-1 at home to Bedfont Sports on Tuesday night in the Bostik League South Central Division. Dan Clements had put the Terrors ahead in the first half.

Solomon Taiwo and Reece Deakin scored for Greenwich Borough as they lost 3-2 at Phoenix Sports in the Bostik League South East Division.

Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe and Frankie Sutherland netted as Bromley won 

2-1 at Ebbsfleet in the National League. The Ravens are 17th in the table.