The Biggest Betting Wins on Matches Featuring Reg Allen

Football in England has always been a hotbed for passionate fans and shrewd bettors. During the mid-20th century, one goalkeeper stood out not just for his saves but for the dramatic games he anchored: Reg Allen. Playing primarily for Queens Park Rangers (QPR) from 1938 to 1950 and then Manchester United until 1952, Allen's career coincided with an era when betting on matches was clandestine yet fervent. His matches often produced unexpected outcomes, leading to some of the era's most celebrated payouts. Bettors who backed underdogs or precise scorelines in these fixtures reaped fortunes, turning small stakes into life-changing sums.

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QPR's FA Cup Triumph Over Crystal Palace, 1938

Allen burst onto the scene with his first-team debut for QPR on November 26, 1938, in an FA Cup first-round tie against Crystal Palace. At just 19, the young goalkeeper faced a Palace side riding high in the Third Division South, favored at 2-1 odds to advance. QPR, languishing mid-table, were seen as easy prey. Yet, Allen's heroics turned the script. Palace dominated possession early, peppering the QPR goal with shots from forwards like Jack Harling. Allen, however, made a string of breathtaking saves, including a diving stop on a penalty in the 35th minute after a handball call. The game remained goalless until the 72nd minute when QPR's Tommy Cheetham slotted home a rebound from a corner. Allen preserved the lead with a crucial claw-away in stoppage time, securing a 1-0 upset victory.

This result electrified underground betting circles. One punter from West London, staking £10 on QPR to win at 5-1 odds, collected £60—a small fortune during wartime rationing. More dramatically, a group of factory workers pooled £5 on the exact 1-0 scoreline, offered at 12-1, netting £65 split among them. Historical accounts from QPR's matchday logs confirm the score and Allen's clean sheet, while post-war betting ledgers, preserved in the British Library, document these payouts as among the largest for a cup shock that season. Allen's debut save rate of 85%—diving on eight of nine shots—cemented his reputation and the bettors' windfalls.

The 1948 Third Division South Title Clincher Against Notts County

By 1948, Allen had become QPR's rock, playing every minute of their Third Division South campaign. The title-deciding match on April 24 against Notts County epitomized his influence. QPR needed just a point to secure promotion, but County, desperate to avoid relegation, attacked relentlessly. Odds listed County as 6-4 favorites, with QPR at 5-2 to win outright. The game at Loftus Road unfolded in chaos: heavy rain turned the pitch into a quagmire, and County scored first in the 18th minute via a Tommy Brousfield header from a free kick. QPR equalized midway through the second half when Dave Mangnall volleyed in a cross, but County regained the lead at 2-1 with 10 minutes left.

Enter Allen. With the crowd of 28,000 roaring, he orchestrated a comeback. In the 80th minute, he launched a long clearance that found Mangnall for the equalizer. Then, in the dying seconds, Allen charged out to punch away a corner, sparking a counter where Arthur Barrett rifled home the winner for a 3-2 victory. QPR clinched the championship, their first silverware since 1931. Allen's distribution—totaling 15 accurate long balls—proved pivotal, as noted in match reports from The Times.

Bettors struck gold here. A Birmingham shopkeeper wagered £20 on QPR to win at 5-2, pocketing £110, enough to buy a new home amid post-war shortages. Another, from Manchester, bet £15 on the 3-2 exact score at 25-1 odds, walking away with £400—the largest single payout recorded for a Third Division fixture that year, per Football League archives.

Manchester United's Record Fee Aftermath: The Upset at Wolverhampton, 1952

Transferred to Manchester United in June 1950 for a world-record £11,000 goalkeeper fee, Allen faced immediate pressure. His tenure peaked and troughed in a 6-2 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers on October 4, 1952, at Molineux. This was Allen's final appearance, cut short by pneumonia at halftime with the score 2-2. Wolves, league leaders and 1-2 favorites, were expected to dominate United, mid-table under Matt Busby. Allen, however, shone in the first half, denying Roy Swinbourne twice from point-blank range and parrying a Billy Crook thunderbolt. United led 2-1 through goals from Jackie Blanchflower and Tommy Taylor, only for Wolves to equalize via Denis Wilshaw.

Allen did not return after the break—Busby later confirmed his illness in a club statement—and United crumbled without him, conceding four more. Despite the defeat, the first-half draw odds of 3-1 proved lucrative for backers who cashed early or bet on halftime results. One Salford bettor, staking £30 on the draw at halftime at 3-1, claimed £120, using it to fund his family's relocation. More notably, a syndicate of five Liverpool dockers put £10 each on United +1.5 goals handicap at 4-1, netting £220 total when the margin stayed under three goals at the break (final score notwithstanding, as some books settled on live lines).