Editing Martin Allen (section)

===Brentford===
[[File:Martin Allen, football manager, February 2005.jpg|thumb|right|Allen exiting the [[Brentford F.C.|Brentford]] team bus at [[Victoria Park (Hartlepool)|Victoria Park]] in 2005.]]
Allen took over from [[Wally Downes]] at [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] side Brentford in March 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/472385.print/|title=Martin Allen the new Bees boss after Downes is sacked|date=19 March 2004 |access-date=26 April 2015}}</ref> He had a good run at the club, saving them from relegation to the [[Football League Third Division|Third Division]] in what remained of the [[2003–04 Brentford F.C. season|2003–04]] season.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.brentfordfc.co.uk.p.preprod.performgroup.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10421~522812,00.html |title=Brentford {{!}} News {{!}} Latest News {{!}} Latest News {{!}} MARTIN ALLEN: "My greatest achievement" |date=8 May 2004 |website=brentfordfc.co.uk |access-date=19 February 2018}}</ref> In the [[2004–05 Brentford F.C. season|2004–05]] and [[2005–06 Brentford F.C. season|2005–06]] seasons he took Brentford to the play-offs with fourth and third-place finishes respectively, but they were eliminated by Sheffield Wednesday and [[Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea City]] respectively in the semi-finals on both occasions.<ref name="FCHD">{{Cite web |url=https://www.fchd.info/BRENTFOR.HTM |title=Football Club History Database – Brentford |website=www.fchd.info |access-date=19 February 2018}}</ref> Allen won press attention during the 2004–05 season for the success of his self-described "two bob team",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-124598058|title=Football: A 'TWO-BOB' SOB STORY; Bristol City 1 Brentford 1|access-date=26 April 2015}}</ref> which was composed of ageing pros ([[John Salako]], [[Andy Myers]], [[Scott Fitzgerald (footballer born 1969)|Scott Fitzgerald]] and [[Jamie Lawrence (footballer, born 1970)|Jamie Lawrence]]), [[Free transfer (association football)|free transfers]] ([[Deon Burton]], [[Chris Hargreaves]], [[Stewart Talbot]] and [[Isaiah Rankin]]) and young guns who would go on to play in the [[Premier League]] ([[Jay Tabb]], [[Stephen Hunt (footballer, born 1981)|Stephen Hunt]], [[Sam Sodje]] and [[Michael Turner (footballer, born 1983)|Michael Turner]]).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=378&teamTabs=stats&season_id=134 |title=Brentford FC Player Appearances {{!}} Past & Present {{!}} Soccer Base |website=www.soccerbase.com |access-date=19 February 2018}}</ref> Allen took Brentford to the fifth round of the [[FA Cup]] in two consecutive years, going out to Premier League sides [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]] in the 2004–05 season (losing 3–1 in a replay, after a 2–2 draw at [[St Mary's Stadium|St Mary's]]) and [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]] 3–1 in the 2005–06 season.<ref name="FCHD" /> He also was in charge of one of the major [[Upset (competition)|giant killings]] in the fourth round in the 2005–06 season, beating Premier League side [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]] 2–1.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/4634288.stm |title=Brentford 2–1 Sunderland |date=2006 |access-date=19 February 2018 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

At Brentford, he proved to be a very popular manager with the fans and an object of curiosity to opponents and media alike due to his unconventional managerial methods, which paid off due to the relative success Brentford had under him on a limited budget. He participated in a 25-mile sponsored bike ride in November 2005 to raise funds for Brentford.<ref name="Sponsor Martin Allen">{{cite news
| title      = Manager Allen completes bike ride
| url        = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/brentford/4480964.stm
| publisher  = BBC Sport
| date       = 29 November 2005
| access-date = 25 May 2007}}</ref> To inspire the team, Allen swam in the [[River Tees|Tees]] before a 1–0 FA Cup fourth round replay victory over [[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]] in February 2005 and jumped naked into the [[Solent River|Solent]] before Brentford's 2–2 draw at Southampton in the following round.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2005/feb/27/newsstory.sport8|title=Football: Martin 'Mad dog' Allen will show Soton his breeding|author=Will Buckley|work=The Guardian|date=27 February 2005 |access-date=26 April 2015}}</ref> In May 2006, Allen announced his resignation as manager of Brentford, citing lack of Board commitment to investing in the team to take it to the next level.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.brentfordfc.co.uk.p.preprod.performgroup.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10421~835361,00.html |title=Brentford {{!}} News {{!}} Latest News {{!}} Latest News {{!}} A STATEMENT FROM BRENTFORD FC |date=2 June 2006 |website=brentfordfc.co.uk |access-date=30 October 2018}}</ref> In July 2006 he completed his [[UEFA Pro Licence]] in coaching.<ref name="class2006">{{cite news
|title       = The Class of 2006
|url         = http://www.thefa.com/GetIntoFootball/FALearning/NewsAndFeatures/2006/Pro_Licence
|date        = 3 July 2006
|newspaper   = The Football Association
|access-date  = 26 April 2012
}}</ref> With the club struggling in League One in late 2010, there was speculation that Allen would replace [[Andy Scott (footballer, born 1972)|Andy Scott]] as manager, but the reports were quashed by Brentford chief executive Andrew Mills.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/other-sport/brentford-play-down-rumours-martin-5992207|title=Brentford play down rumours of Martin Allen return|author=Jacob Murtagh|date=22 November 2010|work=getwestlondon|access-date=26 April 2015}}</ref>