I was privileged to see all the home games that season from my vantage point on the Shelf. Allen had a patent move; he would dash into the box between the two centre halves, then pause. This meant that he created space, either in that gap or by allowing the defender marking him to drift on. Either way, he had that fraction of a second to pop the ball into the net, usually with a first time touch. The alternative was a decisive burst to the near post.

My memory is that Allen was (obviously)very popular but I wouldn’t say he was loved, in the way many of the Spurs greats have been. I guess he did not stay around for long enough.