A talented player who was clever in his all-round play, midfielder Allan Charles Cockram was born in Kensington, London, in October of 1963. Playing for Camden Schools during his youth, Allan was invited to Spurs by a scout called Fred Ricketts during the 1970’s. Allan’s association with Spurs was quite a long one, and he played for the second Spurs youth team in the South-East Counties League Division Two, before later progressing to the senior youth team, a team which he made good progress in. The Londoner was also a member of Spurs’ South-East Counties League Senior Division One that won the league in 1980/81. The Spurs man did sustain a bad injury as a youth player at the club, which could have ended his footballing career. However, Allan bounced back and he went on to later help Spurs’  very talented youth side reach the final of the 1980/81 FA Youth Cup against West Ham. He also went on to play for the very competitive Spurs reserve side in the Football Combination League in the 1980’s, before achieving what every Spurs youth player dreams of doing, and that is playing for the first team.

A central midfielder with a real eye for a forward pass, but also someone who liked to get on the ball and keep it moving in the central areas of the pitch. Allan Cockram could also play on the right of midfield, and the player who signed professional forms with Spurs in 1981, would make his debut for the Spurs first team in a league game against Watford in 1984, at White Hart Lane. He did make an additional appearance for Spurs’ first team (also in a league game), in a match against Southampton shortly before the 1984 UEFA Cup final. Allan Cockram left Spurs after the following 1984/85 season. He would go on to achieve some really good things in the game, post Spurs. At Brentford he was a part of a good Brentford side who went on a memorable FA cup run during the 1980’s, eventually setting-up a glamour tie with Liverpool. A game in which Allan also played in, and which he recalled to me in our interview in 2019, just how special a memory that was to him. In no particular order, Allan also played for San Francisco Flyers, Bristol Rovers, St Albans City and Reading, post Spurs.

During his career Allan was player-manager of St Albans City and also Chertsey Town, as well as later becoming assistant manager of Leatherhead, and then in more recent years manager of the Cambridge University side. However, the former professional footballer and at one time firefighter, has since 2017, been dedicating his time to volunteer and run the Brentford Penguins FC, which he played a big part in setting-up. They are a football programme for footballers with Down’s syndrome. Allan is helping to do absolutely wonderful work for the Brentford Penguins FC, and just recently he deservedly won (after being nominated) the Royal Voluntary Champions Award, for the recent coronation. Also, the Brentford Penguins now have charity status (Planet Penguin football foundation), and they also have an over 55 men’s mental health walking football team, and also recently an over 40’s women’s walking football team. There have also been two films made on the charity. I have had the pleasure of meeting Allan, and he is probably the nicest ex-footballer that I have ever met. He still loves Spurs, as well as his old club Brentford. And he has so much to be proud of, and he has given so much to the community of Brentford/West London in recent years. He is an absolute gentleman, and a legend!