Introduction
John Allen (born 14 November 1964) is a football player and coach. He is currently the head coach of FC Jazz in Finnish second tier Ykkönen.
Playing career
Allen started playing football at his local club Chester City. After a brief visit at Mansfield Town, he emigrated to Finland. At MP he made his top flight debut on 1987. He made a total of 282 appearances and scored 50 goals while playing for RoPS, TPS, MYPA and TPV. As a player, he won the Finnish Championship, then known as Mestaruussarja, twice.
Managerial career
After retiring as a player he joined his former club, TPS, as an assistant coach in 2003. He took charge of the first team as a caretaker on 2008 after Martti Kuusela's dismissal. After the appointment of Pasi Rautiainen in 2009, Allen became the manager of TPS's feeder club, ÅIFK as well as the youth teams of TPS.
On November 2009 Allen signed a two-year contract with RoPS, then playing in the second highest division of Finnish football system. After only one season with RoPS they gained promotion to Veikkausliiga after being crowned the champions of Ykkönen.
In October 2014 he was signed by FC Jazz.
Honours
- Ykkönen: 2010