Halifax Town football club will be down a player in pre-season camp as forward Jamie Allen has departed training to join the cast of Love Island UK. For the uninitiated, Love Island UK is a dating show where singles flock to a sun-soaked location, share a villa and attempt to make a love connection with other fit and toned singles.
Allen just signed an extension in June that would keep him with Halifax Town — a fifth-tier pro club nestled between Leeds and Manchester — through the 2022-23 season after joining the squad in 2019.
If this story feels slightly familiar, it might be because it’s a plot line in Apple TV’s Emmy-winning hit show, Ted Lasso. In the season 2 premiere, bad boy Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) abandoned Manchester City and was unceremoniously dumped from Lust Conquers All, a clear nod to ITV’s long-running reality show.
The club doesn’t seem particularly chuffed about losing their forward, releasing a statement on Twitter regarding his departure.
Jamie Allen has decided to join the cast of ❤️ Island 2022, making his intentions clear that the opportunity is very important to him.
The matter will be reviewed on his return.
— FC Halifax Town (@FCHTOnline) July 20, 2022
Not sure how good Allen is at football, but he better hope his banter is up to par if he wants to stick around in the Villa.
