Clive was always head and shoulders above the rest
Dudley lad who overcame the bullies and went on to become a basketball star in Birmingham
TO be the tallest lad and the only black lad in his class meant that the schooldays of Clive Allen were far from easy.
Clive’s parents had settled in Dudley in the late 1950s from their native Jamaica. Born in 1961, Clive was educated at Sledmere Junior School and later at Hillcrest Secondary Modern.
The combination of his size and colour made him an obvious target for the bully boys. He hated being the only black kid in his class in a 95% white school, so he would try to find a place in the playground to hide – and if that failed he would retreat to the cloakroom where he would take refuge amongst the coats.
Depression set in and he wished that he could have been either white in Dudley or black in Jamaica. Jibes were plentiful and hurtful.
Clive played very little sport at school as he tried to remain in the background, flirting briefly with athletics and as a goalkeeper at football, the latter meaning that he didn’t need to run too much because his feet hurt – he was unable to get boots to fit his size twelve feet at the age of thirteen.
On leaving school Clive joined his father at F.W. Grazebrook’s where he trained to be a welder, attending Dudley Technical College on a parttime day release course.
He had his first introduction to basketball when his friend Mike Landell arranged for him to play as a guest for Old Claughtonians, and then he joined Holyhead Basketball Club.
Mike also took Clive for a try-out with the National League club, Birmingham Bullets, although Clive received a setback when he was told by their coach, Dave Fisher, that he was too old for the junior side and not good enough for the seniors. As a result, he did not play for the next five years.
Clive later joined Sandwell Basketball Club, where he was
As the furthest he’d travelled was to Blackpool, Clive was at first reluctant to go the the USA
spotted by Bullets owner at the time, Bernard Gallagher, and given a second opportunity to play for the club.
Clive’s first season saw the Bullets supporters help fund him to get on a basketball camp in the USA, and he obtained a four-year college scholarship at North West Nazarene, Idaho. As the furthest Clive had travelled previously was to Blackpool he was very reluctant to take up the offer.
But accept it he eventually did, although his initial misgivings were added to when he was interrogated by US customs officials as to his motives for entering their country, their suspicions compounded by his having been incorrectly issued with a Visitor’s Visa instead of a Student Visa.
The strict college rules required Clive to sign an agreement that forbade him to smoke, drink alcohol or go to night clubs. In addition daily attendance at church was obligatory, which Clive felt benefited him with its emphasis on life experience. It also had the advantage that free breakfasts were provided.
His planned fouryear stay was cut to two years when his girlfriend, Jayne, became pregnant and the couple returned to England to be married, ensuring that Jayne could be near her family.
A condition of his scholarship was a commitment to a two-year contract with Birmingham Bullets. This necessitated a daily three-bus journey from Dudley to their training base at Aston Villa Leisure Centre.
Sitting on the bench for the whole of his first season and enjoying a mere five minutes’ court time over the entire campaign, Clive was to give outstanding service to the club for the next sixteen years. He became a valuable member of the side and earned five England caps. Retiring in 2001 he was described as a club legend and awarded a testimonial. A couple of years followed with Dudley Bears before Clive became assistant coach at Milton Keynes Lions. He was then general manager for Birmingham Panthers, although attempts to re-launch the club as Birmingham Bullets were thwarted by the original owner refusing to release ownership of the name. Life then really took on a new perspective and his work load and achievements over the last ten years have been more than most people manage in a lifetime. Although Clive had undertaken some social worker studies whilst in the USA this was not recognised in England. So he enrolled on a Social Work course at Dudley College before studying at Staffordshire University, from where he graduated with a degree in Social Studies. Clive then obtained a job as a lecturer at Bilston College and would combine his duties with basketball coaching, often driving his students in a minibus to Milton Keynes to watch a game, arriving home after midnight after dropping off his students at their home addresses.
Alongside Gavin Haynes, Clive helped to set up Sportslink, providing coaching in cricket, basketball and football for girls throughout schools in the Dudley Borough.
In 2009 Clive became basketball co-ordinator at Sporting Club Albion, now known as WBA FC Basketball, supervising basketball teams at nine age levels, playing at Sandwell Academy.
To say that Clive tackles every task with enthusiasm could well be the understatement of the century. He still lives in Dudley and is justifiably proud of his daughters, Dominique and Whitney, both of whom have represented England at, what else, basketball.
It was a privilege for me to meet a man who had risen above the mindless bullies of his schooldays to become an inspiration to so many young people.
Clive Allen, big bloke, Top Man.