Alan Ball 1945-2007

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Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 8:21 am

Alan Ball died yesterday aged only 61.

Career:
62-66 Blackpool
66-71 Everton
71-76 Arsenal
76-80 Southampton
80 Vancouver W.
80-81 Blackpool
81-82 Southampton
82 Eastern Athletic
83-84 Bristol Rovers

Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 8:40 am

Very sad. Another one of the 1966 World Cup winners gone. Watched the final on holiday in a guest house in Guernsey. Nine years old at the time. Happy days.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11856 Location: UK

Just seen that on the SportingLife website, says he had a hsuspected heart attack whilst battling a bonfire in his garden just after midnight:

http://www.sportinglife.com/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/07/04/25/SOCCER_Ball.html

** ACCOUNT CLOSED ** Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 763

Did he win a Super Bowl?

What?

--J.D.

Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 1:15 pm

If I remember right (reading he papers on my paper run as a kid) he was the first to get a GBP100,000 transfer. How times have changed.
Another of my childhood heroes gone..

Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 1:15 pm

@DoctorX

No he didn't. He won something far more important.. a football World Cup winner's medal which he had to sell a few years ago, along with his other football honours, in order to support his family. His wife sadly died of cancer about 3 years ago.

Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 1:19 pm

Alan Ball is like making love to a beautiful woman?
Superb ball skills, a bit of dribbling, scoring and then running around waving your hands in the air (okay maybe that last bit is just me)

Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 2:10 pm

He was a childhood hero, I used to go and watch Blackpool with my grandfather in the 1960's, before we became Man United fans.

RIP

Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 2:59 pm

Too young to die (same age as me).. Crying or Very sad

Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 7:39 pm

Alan Ball was even better than Luther Blissett Confused

RIP

** ACCOUNT CLOSED ** Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 763

Tommo Shanter wrote:

No he didn't. He won something far more important.. a football World Cup winner's medal. . . .

All jokes aside, RIP.

--J.D.

Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 9:55 pm

^^^^No offence taken.

Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:56 am

Quote:

which he had to sell a few years ago,

That's what I always thought, too, but he recently denied it, said he and his wife agreed to share everything among the 3 kids and you "can't share a medal" so they decided to sell it and parcel out the cash.

While we're on the subject, a 2006 interview with all the surviving players (guess who refused and who asked for money) is published here, great reading for those of us who were too young at the time to understand the match's place in history.

Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 9:11 am

1966 World Cup......kicking the ball around the park....... Geoff Hurst.......jumpers for goal posts..........muddy knees........orange slices at half time......... they think it's all over, it is now........marvellous

RIP Alan Ball. I remember it too (just). I still have my little World Cup Willy mascot/toy on a ball bearing.

OT 1966 is the last time my AFL footy team won the championship too. But we live in hope.

Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 1:09 pm

Apparently David Beckham it going to speak at Alan's funeral. He will be doing so on the basis that he is a dead ball specialist.

Leaving now.

Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 1:24 pm

^^^^

I tried hard not to laugh, honest!

At least they have something in common...their balls haven't dropped yet. I'll get my coat.