Lennie Lawrence acknowledges that former Bristol Rovers boss Malcolm Allison came up with two philosophies that he has tried to live by through his football career: "Live at risk" and "Never look back wishing…"

Rovers' director of football was just 30 and only a few months into his first job in professional football when he first encountered flamboyant "Big Mal" at Plymouth Argyle in March 1978.

Lawrence had arrived at Home Park the previous year to take up the job of reserve-team coach, but found himself in charge of the Pilgrims a few months later following the departure of boss Mike Kelly.

But he went without a win in his first five games and the Devon club's board recruited Allison, who by then was a major figure in the game after managerial spells at Manchester City, Crystal Palace and Turkish club Galatasaray.

Allison was rarely out of the news, not least because he was a character the media loved. The image they portrayed was of a champagne lifestyle – one that Allison lived up to by sporting his trademark fedora hat and big Cuban cigars.

Lawrence, however, saw the footballing side of the man during the days when Plymouth were initially struggling to stay up in the old Division Three.

"Looking back now, it was probably a good thing Malcolm came in because the manager's job at Plymouth came a bit too early for me," said Lawrence.

"Malcolm's presence and charisma helped to take the pressure off the players – he was a master at that.

"Sometimes we'd have team meetings and he'd send out for some of his big cigars and spend ages clipping the end off them. It was a rigmarole and the players would sit there fascinated by it.

"I was his assistant for the rest of that season and until the following Christmas, and it was a fascinating time watching him work every day. He was fantastic.

"He was portrayed as a Champagne Charlie and he was like that in some ways – but the reality was slightly different.

"He wasn't a manager in the traditional sense but he was a good coach and an innovator on the training ground.

"He asked players to try things and work in systems that they'd probably never come across before

"I still use some of the training routines he used and those two philosophies … well, I've tried to use them all my life. He was a fascinating person to work with.

"I remember once he arrived with his fedora hat, threw it across the room – and it landed straight on the hat peg. I'll never forget it.

"Eventually Manchester City came back in for him and it was a temptation too big for him to resist – although it all ended in tears less than two years later. Looking back now, I think he should have stayed at Plymouth."

Allison was 65 when he arrived at Rovers – initially as caretaker in 1992.

Gerry Francis had gone after leading the side to promotion, Martin Dobson had been through a brief and ill-fated spell at the helm and the board then turned to Allison, who was later to be joined by Dennis Rofe.

The Pirates were still exiled at Twerton Park – familiar territory for Allison, who had started his managerial career with Bath City in 1963.

His spell in charge was not exactly memorable in terms of results – eight wins and 20 defeats in 36 games – but he did oversee a memorable 4-0 win over Bristol City in December 1992.

More memorable still were some of the outlandish things he got up to – like predicting midfielder Marcus Browning would one day play for England.

There was also the night he took a taxi back to Keynsham, rather the worse for wear, and mistook the door of the local church for that of his hotel, where he had chalked up a bar bill of astronomical proportions. The locals were far from amused when he woke up the neighbourhood by hammering on it, demanding to be let in.

Now 82, Allison lives in a care home and cuts rather a sad figure. But Lawrence says he'll always owe one of football's most colourful characters a lot.

His days with Big Mal are touched on in his autobiography, published by Green Umbrella Books at £14.99.