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One of football's great mysteries finally revealed: How big is Sam Allardyce's head?

Video: The question has bugged Soccer AM for years

Kiran Moodley
Monday 26 January 2015 16:33 GMT
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Sam Allardyce, Manager of West Ham United.
Sam Allardyce, Manager of West Ham United. (Julian Finney | Getty Images)

The term "Big Sam" encapsulates many aspects about manager Sam Allardyce: his stubbornness, his physique, his reputation, his preference for a towering striker.

Yet for Helen Chamberlain and Max Rushden at Soccer AM the nickname was more about the size of Allardyce's noggin, frequently telling famous West Ham fans - such as Danny Dyer and Jaime Winstone - that their manager's head has been the source of constant fascination.

They finally got to ask Joint-Chairman David Sullivan about the circumference of Big Sam's head when he appeared on the show, challenging him to find an answer.

With Sullivan making a donation to Prostate Cancer UK as part of the project, defender James Collins was given a trusty tape measure and asked to size-up Big Sam's skull.

The result? Sam Allardyce's head measures 26 inches in height and 23 inches around.

"Is Soccer AM in wide screen now as well?" asked Collins, preferring not to enquire whether Big Sam was "HD ready" as well.

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