Allen antics provide colourful sideshow

WHATEVER the score, Athletic fans can expect some antics on the touchline in tonight’s FA Cup game with Cheltenham.

Robins boss Martin Allen is one of the great off-the-wall characters of lower-league football.

He kicks every ball, goes up for every header and, no doubt, dishes out a few mental tackles over the course of 90 minutes.

Allen’s teams are known for their long-ball approach, while the man himself has a reputation for unusual techniques.

A few years ago, as manager of Brentford, Allen took a dip in the River Tees in the build-up to a cup win at Hartlepool. It was February.

For the next round at Southampton, he swam in the Solent. And then, with the superstition embedded, he ordered all his players to join him in the Thames.

After taking over at Cheltenham earlier this season, Allen revealed: “I’ve been out of work for a year, three weeks, four days and two hours.

“On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights I’ve been helping out at the local village pub, clearing tables and washing up.

“It kept my feet on the ground because in football you live in a very different world.”

And two weeks later, having guided Cheltenham to their first away point since March, Allen ordered the coach driver to stop at a garage so he could reward his players with ice cream all round.

Frolics aside, Athletic know tonight’s first-round replay could well be a bruising encounter.

They eventually got to grips with League One strugglers Cheltenham in the original match at Whaddon Road, but only after going 2-0 down.

Winger Chris Taylor sparked the fightback with his seventh goal of the season, and Taylor said: “Cheltenham will play very direct and be very aggressive in the tackle.

“That’s the way they do things and you’ve got to handle it, but being at home gives us an advantage.

“They play tight and try to narrow the pitch, so we’ll be looking to spread the play.

“If we knock the ball around I’m sure we’ll make a few chances, which we managed to do in the first game.

“Beating Northampton on Saturday was a massive result because the club, players, management and fans all needed that win.

“We are trying to build on that and make sure we have a decent run in the cup.”

Cheltenham have a dreadful away record in the league – no wins, one draw, seven defeats, including a 3-0 loss at Hereford on Saturday.