An absolute brute. Although he can now be seen bullishly pacing the touchlines of the Premier League, Big Sam was once a burly defender for a host of clubs, including 25 appearances for Sunderland in the early '80s. Fellow notorious hard man Mick Harford told of how Allardyce once put him in hospital. Speaking to the Daily Mail, he claimed 'I turned, ran for the ball, and the next thing I woke up in an ambulance [...] I had my kit on, including my boots, blood all over me. My lip had gone clean through - 120 stitches.' Allardyce has mellowed slightly during his years as a manager, but hasn't entirely gone soft. At a recent West Ham vs Swansea clash, he erupted with mocking laughter at a Chico Flores dive. The player tried to square up to Big Sam, but he stood steady as a rock and continued to chuckle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYgkR-yXDjo
