Sam Allardyce

Allardyce was offered a contract by Norwich City manager John Bond . The offer was bettered by Colin Addison at Derby County , and he verbally agreed a three-year contract with Derby. [ 27 ] However, before signing the contract, he received a late offer from Ken Knighton to play for Sunderland on a £300 a week contract with a £20,000 signing on fee – which more than quadrupled his wage at Bolton. [ 27 ] Allardyce signed for Sunderland on 1 July 1980 for £150,000. [ 28 ] Knighton appointed him as club captain. [ 29 ] However, Allardyce soon wearied of the long-distance travel from Sunderland to his home in Bolton , and put in a transfer request when chairman Tom Cowie refused to help finance the purchase of a home in Sunderland. [ 30 ] Cowie dismissed Knighton late in the 1980–81 season, leaving caretaker manager Mick Docherty in charge to steer the club out of the First Division relegation zone. [ 31 ] New manager Alan Durban left Allardyce out of the team at the start of the 1981–82 campaign, leaving Allardyce's departure from Roker Park inevitable. [ 31 ] He was offered the chance to return to Bolton Wanderers, but manager George Mulhall was only able to offer 50% of Allardyce's wages at Sunderland. [ 31 ] Instead he made a surprise £95,000 move to Third Division side Millwall , who were able to match Sunderland's wages and also pay out a £30,000 signing on fee and a £10,000 loyalty bonus. [ 31 ] Millwall player-manager Peter Anderson had seen Allardyce as the successor to long-serving central defender Barry Kitchener , and as Anderson was also a property developer he allowed Allardyce to live rent free in a six-bedroom mansion. [ 31 ] The "Lions" ended the 1981–82 season in mid-table, and Anderson was dismissed in November 1982. [ 32 ] Chairman Alan Thorne offered Allardyce the vacant management position, but Allardyce rejected the offer as he felt that at aged 28 he was far too young to enter management. [ 33 ] Instead it was George Graham who took up his first — Wikipedia