On the morning of 28 February 1974, it was announced that Swindon Town had parted company with its third manager in as many years, Les Allen.

A former Tottenham striker, he was that club’s second top scorer in the Double-winning season of 1960/61.

He had played his last league game five years prior to his appointment as chief scout at the County Ground in May 1972.

Promotion to the top job came within just six months, when Dave Mackay and his assistant Des Anderson both quit to join Nottingham Forest.

When Allen took over, Town sat in 16th place in the table and that was where they finished at the end of his first season in charge.

But a hefty mortgage on the then-new North Stand was crippling the club and, in April 1973, the board made the decision to operate with just 17 professionals for the following campaign.

Allen was given a budget of just £20,000 for new recruits, representing an altogether sterner challenge for his second season.

A contractual dispute with the long-serving Peter Downsborough did not help either. His refusal to play and departure on loan resulted in £8,000 being spent to bring in reserve keeper Alan Spratley from Allen’s previous club Queens Park Rangers.

Two other top earners – Roger Smart and Peter Noble – also left in the close season with two more, Rod Thomas and Ray Treacy, following before the end of the calendar year.

Five points out of six at the start of 1973/74 disguised the weaknesses that would soon become prevalent.

After just two further points had been gained from the next 16, Town found themselves in the drop zone.

There was brief hope in November when Peter Eastoe arrived on loan and netted twice on his debut.

But defensive deficiencies continued to abound and only one game of the six he scored in during that loan ended in victory.

By the final week of February, Town were six points adrift of safety and a fourth successive defeat – at home to Luton – signalled the end of Allen’s reign.

The day before that Tuesday afternoon fixture (a power crisis prohibited the use of floodlights) Allen had dismissed club physio Kevin Morris.

The day after it, chairman Cecil Green reinstated him and, following a third board meeting on successive evenings, dismissed the manager.