Scott Allan reveals Peter Houston hell at United

FORMER Dundee United midfielder Scott Allan has revealed he decided to quit Tannadice after Peter Houston had threatened to make him “disappear from the face of the earth”.
Scott Allan in Dundee United colours in 2011. Picture: SNSScott Allan in Dundee United colours in 2011. Picture: SNS
Scott Allan in Dundee United colours in 2011. Picture: SNS

Scott Allan says former Dundee United manager Peter Houston threatened to make him “disappear from face of the earth”

• Allan opens up about dispute over contract extension before midfielder left for West Brom in 2011

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Allan, who signed for West Bromwich Albion in 2011, was accused of greed by Houston over his switch to the Premiership side, but he insists he left after being threatened by the then-United manager over protracted contract negotiations.

Peter Houston, right, and Stephen Thompson. Picture: SNSPeter Houston, right, and Stephen Thompson. Picture: SNS
Peter Houston, right, and Stephen Thompson. Picture: SNS

“I wanted to stay at Dundee United. I always thought I was going to sign there,” Allan told The Sun.

“But because of circumstances with Peter Houston that wasn’t the case. He tried to belittle me in front of the other boys. He publicly criticised me for for being greedy when he knew I wasn’t.

“He wanted to put me under massive pressure. I did’t want this money or that money, I just wanted a decent contract and to get playing again for Dunee United.

“The way I was treated made up my mind. If there had been a middle ground with United none of this would have happened.

“I didn’t appreciate what he did to me and that’s why I decided not to sign. I remember going into a meetin g with my agents at the start telling them I wanted to stay. Then I went to training and was treated like an idiot.”

Allan claims that after he was offered a contract at the start of the 2011/12 season, Houston said he would make the 21-year-old “disappear off the face of the earth”.

Adding that club chairman Stephen Thompson had apologised to him over the affair, Allan added: “I’d spoken to the chairman and told him I’d wanted to re-sign. My agents had called Peter Houston at the start of the season to ask about arranging a new contract.

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“But how could I agree to stay there when, after not signing my deal within a week, I was dropped and threatened the way I was.”

The 21-year-old said he decided to speak out after comments made by Houston that his move to the Hawthorns had not worked out.

Asked about Serie A side Catania’s pursuit of Dundee United’s Johnny Russell, Houston said: “I look back to when we had Scott Allan who was a Scotland under-21 international and had played a few games for Dundee United.

“I saw him as a future talent for Dundee United. Where is he now? His agent moved him on and thought West Brom was the right club. If he’d stayed in the SPL he’d have become a better player at that standard because no-one can convince me it’s not as good as the level he’s playing at now.”