Gubby Under Pressure

Chapter Three Managing the show Going it alone From the moment Orion sailed from Southampton on 12 September, Allen was determined to take control of everything that involved the squad of players under his command, and adopted an extremely paternal approach. He toured their cabins on a regular basis to check on their personal comfort and welfare. He arranged for all meals to be taken as a group and worked hard at building up team morale. William Pollock of the Daily Express , in his book So this is Australia , was impressed that Allen ‘obviously likes the job and is flat out to make a success of it.’ Nothing was allowed to escape Allen’s attention and when writing home during the voyage he was clearly apprehensive about the players’ behaviour: ‘The more I see of all of the side, the more I like them. They are all absolutely charming and I am sure will be no trouble at all.’ Later he commented: ‘I am lucky to have this lot and not last time’s lot: even Voce is quiet and not drinking much.’ Nevertheless, Allen still kept a watchful eye on them. After the fancy dress dance he ‘stayed up very late in order to see nothing terrible happened.’ Perhaps the novel idea of Les Ames to go dressed up as Adolf Hitler had made him a little nervous. Nothing untoward happened and he remained confident: ‘The team’s behaviour so far has been perfect and I am sure there will be no trouble’, although the ‘so far’ suggests that he still had misgivings. Allen’s early efforts to earn the team’s respect were not entirely successful. According to Anthony Meredith’s book Summers in Winter , published in 1990, some of the professionals were resentful that ‘he tended to be overbearing in manner. He was always looking down, telling you.’ Allen certainly wanted everyone to know that he was in charge and initially cultivated the impression of his absolute authority, by apparently declining to appoint a vice-captain or a selection committee for the tour. It was a decision Allen would learn to regret. In the case of Robins, some early responsibility might have been good for him. From the start of the voyage, finding himself free of any expectations to set an example of sensible behaviour as vice-captain or even as official ‘deputy’, Robins chose the role of the joker in the pack. According to Allen, ‘Robbie is in great form and spends his time pulling people’s legs and talking to dull old ladies as a joke.’ This larky attitude continued almost to the end of the tour. It would cost England the use of an important bowler as soon as they arrived in Australia, as well as convincing a disappointed Allen that there was a big question mark over Robins’ potential as a future England captain. Unfortunately the weight of responsibility lay heavily on Allen’s shoulders, and by failing from the start to create a small group of confidantes with whom 15