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Oliver James Allen (born 27 May 1982 in Norwich, Norfolk) is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England. He earned two international caps for the Great Britain national speedway team. From 2019, he has been joint manager of the Great Britain team with Simon Stead.

Family

His brother Tommy Allen was also a speedway rider.

Career

Allen began his speedway career riding at Peterborough Panthers, initially winning the 1997 Speedway Conference League with the junior side called the Thundercats before being promoted to the main side during the 1998 Premier League speedway season, where he contributed towards a league winning season again.

He joined the Swindon Robins in 1999 and stayed with the club for seven years. He was part of the Swindon team that won the Knockout Cup in 2000 and part of the four that won the Premier League Four-Team Championship, held on 27 July 2003, at the Abbey Stadium.

The success continued, winning a second Knockout Cup title with King's Lynn Stars in 2005, before joining Coventry Bees in 2006, where he won the Elite League Knockout Cup and Elite Shield in 2006 and was part of the Bees team that won the league and cup double in 2007. After leaving Coventry in 2009, Allen had spells at Ipswich and King's Lynn.

His finest individual success came in 2013, when he won the Premier League Riders' Championship. The final was held on 22 September at Owlerton Stadium.

He joined the Somerset Rebels in 2014 and was part of the Somerset team that won the Premier League Four-Team Championship, which was held on 3 August 2014, at the East of England Arena.

Allen retired after the 2015 season, a decision brought on after he broke his ankle in a crash.

Management

In September 2019, he was appointed as joint team manager (with Simon Stead) of the Great Britain speedway team. In 2021, he helped the British team win their first World team competition in 32 years, when they won the 2021 Speedway of Nations.

References

1. Oakes, P.(2004). British Speedway Who's Who. ISBN 0-948882-81-6
2. "2008 Rider index" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
3. "Allen, Oliver". Polish Speedway Database. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
4. "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
5. "2003 season fixtures and results" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
6. "Coventry results 2007" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
7. "Olly Allen wants King's Lynn extension". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
8. "RESULTS: SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 22", speedwaygb.co, 22 September 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013
9. "ALLEN WINS PLRC". Sheffield Speedway. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
10. "Fixtures and results" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
11. "Olly Allen hoping to keep British speedway on the right track". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
12. "GB Team Managers Revealed", gbspeedwayteam.com, 21 September 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019
13. "Monster Energy SON final line-up revealed". FIM. Retrieved 26 October 2023.

• British speedway riders
• English motorcycle racers
• 1982 births
• Living people
• Coventry Bees riders
• Ipswich Witches riders
• King's Lynn Stars riders
• Lakeside Hammers riders
• Peterborough Panthers riders
• Rye House Rockets riders
• Somerset Rebels riders
• Swindon Robins riders
• Individual Speedway Long Track World Championship riders