Award-winning coach Allen still has so much love for basketball

Dudley-born Allen, who enjoyed a stellar career during two stints playing for the Birmingham Bullets, has seemingly moved effortlessly into coaching.

And his switch from playing the game he loves to coaching it has seen him pick up numerous prizes, the most recent being crowned coach of the year, at this month's (APR) Basketball England Volunteer Awards.

Allen, aged 58, who now coaches across the Black Country, including with the West Bromwich Albion Basketball Academy and Wolverhampton university, said winning the award had been a big surprise.

"I did not know I had won until someone told me! Nevertheless, I feel very honoured to have be given this award, with so many great coaches within the West Midlands," he said.

Allen, who played for the now defunct Bullets in the British Basketball League (BBL) for 15 years, between 1985-87 and 1988-2001, claiming play-off titles in 1996 and 1998, said he was still as passionate about the sport now as he was when first starting out.

"Seeing the enjoyment players get out of playing the sport is what I love," said Allen, who also claimed five England caps and played at Northwest Nazarene University, in Idaho, after landing a scholarship.

"Seeing a player realising their potential and goals to play basketball at any level is what inspires me.

"There is so must talent within the West Midlands, which is undiscovered, mainly because the lack of opportunity to get good training, or simply to just play.

"What I love about coaching is having the opportunity to work with anyone that enjoys playing basketball – that is what I appreciate.

"Seeing a big beam on someone's face when they participate in my training sessions is priceless.

"Knowing that my small input could provide a positive impact on a young or older person’s life is a dream job for me."

Allen, who's daughter, Dominique, followed him into the sport of basketball, claiming a silver medal with England during the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia, in 2018, said despite his family's own personal success, a lack of funding in basketball could be a real hindrance.

"It is very frustrating indeed knowing that kids want to play, but have very limited places that offer the great sport of basketball at a reasonable price," said Allen, who went to Hillcrest School, in Netherton, and for a time worked at Grazebrookes Foundries, in Dudley.

"It also needs to be taken more seriously in schools. I know football is the main sport in England but it is also the main sport in other countries, and yet Basketball is at the forefront of so many other countries.

"It's not just something you do when it’s raining outside. The coverage is so poor. If you wanted to watch a game, firstly, you would need to have cable or Sky.

"Secondly, one would need to stay up until the small hours of the night to catch a game.

"The BBL has since started to stream more game this season on YouTube, but there is still a lot more that needs to be done. And it all comes down to funding, I am afraid."

Allen has learned from some of the best in the business too, having played under Nick Nurse, one of the most successful BBL coaches of all time, who moved to the Toronto Raptors in the NBA two years ago, claiming the title in 2019, as well as Mike Finger, under whom claimed his second BBL title.

After enjoying one last hurrah with the Black Country Bears, winning the league title after dropping down a division, he briefly joined former Bullets team-mate Tony Simms as coach at the Aston Athletics basketball team in 2005.

He became assistant coach at the Milton Keynes Lions under Nigel Lloyd, another Bullets legend, and then general manager for the Birmingham Panthers, again under Lloyd, during their only season, from 2007-08.

Having previously launched his own Big Sky Basketball academy – working with more than 70 schools in one year covering Dudley, Stourbridge and Halesowen – he eventually joined the West Bromwich Albion Basketball Academy, which comes under the Sporting Albion umbrella and is directly linked with the football team.

However, like all other coaches, players and fans, Allen has been forced to put basketball on the back-burner for the time being, with the entire country in lockdown, but has still managed to stay in contact with his players and staff, while also working on new ideas.

"It is hard not to be out there coaching, but it's the lack of contact with the player that I miss," he said.

"The lockdown has I given me the opportunity to watch more training videos and games I have coached, but that makes it tougher – because it makes me more frustrated to go out and train.

"I have used the internet, online, webinar – you name it, I am on it.

"There are so many excellent alternative tools out there to continue our training and keeping the players fit and, moreover, to stop them from getting bored.

"We ended the season before all our games where played, which was a shame, but that being said my motto to my coaches and players is TCB – Take Care of Business – which we did at the beginning of the season.

"So most of our teams finished in great positions, with my Wolverhampton university team winning the league and the BUCS Cup.

"But I am looking forward to getting back to 'normal'. It’s not great what is happing at the moment, but I hope this shows people to appreciate what they had.

"I have been furloughed by Albion and an illness I had a few years ago with my lungs has put me on the highest risk of severe illness list.

"But the lockdown and Covid-19 will not stop us getting ready for the new season, and we still had our award nights on Tuesday (April 28), but via Zoom.

"More than 100 players and parents came together to celebrate all the great achievement our players this season."

For more information about Allen’s programmes, email clive.allen@albionfoundation.co.uk