Alan Ball Jr. facts for kids
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Ball in 2004
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Alan James Ball | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 12 May 1945 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Farnworth, Lancashire, England | |||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 25 April 2007 (aged 61) | |||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Warsash, Hampshire, England | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1960–1961 | Bolton Wanderers | |||||||||||||||
| 1961–1962 | Blackpool | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 1960–1961 | Ashton United | 7 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 1962–1966 | Blackpool | 116 | (40) | |||||||||||||
| 1966–1971 | Everton | 208 | (66) | |||||||||||||
| 1971–1976 | Arsenal | 177 | (45) | |||||||||||||
| 1976 | → Hellenic (loan) | 4 | (?) | |||||||||||||
| 1976–1979 | Southampton | 132 | (9) | |||||||||||||
| 1978 | → Philadelphia Fury (loan) | 33 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 1979 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 31 | (10) | |||||||||||||
| 1980–1981 | Blackpool | 30 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 1981–1982 | Southampton | 63 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 1982 | → Floreat Athena (loan) | 3 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 1982–1983 | Eastern AA | 12 | (?) | |||||||||||||
| 1983 | Bristol Rovers | 17 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 833 | (187+) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 1965–1975 | England | 72 | (8) | |||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||
| 1978 | Philadelphia Fury | |||||||||||||||
| 1980–1981 | Blackpool | |||||||||||||||
| 1984–1989 | Portsmouth | |||||||||||||||
| 1989–1991 | Stoke City | |||||||||||||||
| 1991–1994 | Exeter City | |||||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Southampton | |||||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Manchester City | |||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Portsmouth | |||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Alan James Ball (born May 12, 1945 – died April 25, 2007) was a famous English football player and manager. He was the youngest player on the England team that won the 1966 World Cup. Alan Ball played as a midfielder for many different clubs. He scored over 180 goals during his 22-year playing career.
One of his biggest moves was a record-breaking transfer from Everton to Arsenal in 1971. After he stopped playing, he became a manager for 15 years. He managed top English football clubs like Portsmouth, Southampton, and Manchester City.
Contents
Alan Ball's Football Journey
Starting Out at Blackpool
Alan Ball was born in Farnworth, England. His father, also named Alan Ball, was a professional football player and manager. Alan started playing football as a schoolboy for Ashton United. His father was the manager of this team.
He trained with Bolton Wanderers but they didn't sign him. The manager thought he was too small. Then, Blackpool signed him in 1961. He became a professional player in May 1962. Alan made his first Football League appearance on August 18, 1962. He was only 17 years old. On November 21, 1964, he scored his first three goals in one game (a hat-trick). This was during a 3-3 draw against Fulham.
Joining Everton
Alan Ball's great performances in the 1966 World Cup caught the eye of bigger clubs. He joined Everton in August 1966 for £112,000. This was a record transfer fee for an English club at the time. At Everton, Ball became part of a famous midfield trio. He played alongside Colin Harvey and Howard Kendall. Fans still call them "The Holy Trinity."
Everton reached the 1968 FA Cup Final but lost to West Bromwich Albion. The team won the First Division title in 1970. Ball was a very important player for the team. In 1971, Everton lost in the FA Cup semi-finals to Liverpool. Alan Ball played 259 games for Everton and scored 79 goals.
Moving to Arsenal
On December 22, 1971, Arsenal paid a record £220,000 to sign Ball. He was 26 years old and at his best. He made his first appearance for Arsenal on December 27, 1971. Arsenal could not win the League title in 1971–72. They also lost the FA Cup final to Leeds United.
Alan Ball was a regular player for Arsenal. He played 50 games in 1972–73. He became the club captain in 1974. In April 1974, Ball broke his leg. This made him miss the start of the 1974–75 season. He also missed the start of the 1975–76 season due to another injury.
In December 1976, Ball was sold to Southampton for £60,000. He was 31 years old. He played 217 games for Arsenal and scored 52 goals.
Playing for Southampton
Alan Ball joined Southampton in 1976. He helped Southampton get promoted back to the First Division in 1978. He also earned a League Cup runner-up medal in 1979. Southampton lost 3-2 to Nottingham Forest in that final.
Adventure in North America
Ball then went to play in the North American Soccer League (NASL). He joined the Philadelphia Fury as a player in May 1978. He became player-coach there for a short time. In June 1979, he was sold to the Vancouver Whitecaps. He quickly made a big impact. He helped the Whitecaps win the NASL Soccer Bowl title that September. He was also named the Playoff MVP for 1979.
Back at Blackpool
In February 1980, Alan Ball returned to Britain. He became the player-manager for his first professional club, Blackpool. Fans were happy to see him back. He was full of energy and wanted to bring good times back to the club. He still played on the field sometimes.
However, Blackpool's luck got worse. The club was close to being relegated. Ball made some changes to the team. He sold Tony Kellow, a popular player. The 1980–81 season started with Blackpool struggling. Ball publicly criticized the fans after an FA Cup win. His contract was ended in February 1981. Blackpool was relegated at the end of the season.
Final Years as a Player
In March 1981, Ball returned to Southampton as a player. He played alongside former England teammates Mick Channon and Kevin Keegan. He left Southampton in October 1982 to play for Eastern Athletic in Hong Kong. Then, he joined Bristol Rovers in January 1983. He stayed there until he retired in 1984. Alan Ball played 975 competitive games in 21 years.
Playing for England
The 1966 World Cup Win
Even though he played for a struggling Blackpool team, England manager Alf Ramsey noticed Alan Ball. Ramsey liked his hard work, energy, and passing skills. Ball made his international debut on May 9, 1965, against Yugoslavia. This was three days before his 20th birthday. Ramsey was getting ready for the World Cup in England a year later.
Ball was the youngest player in the England squad for the tournament. He was only 21. England won the tournament, and Ball was praised for his individual performance. He, Geoff Hurst, and Martin Peters became famous. They were all fairly new to the England team when they played in the final.
The final was against West Germany at Wembley. Ball played an amazing game. He kept running and working hard even when others were tired. With less than 15 minutes left, he won a corner kick. His cross led to England's second goal. The game went into extra time. Ball's constant running was unforgettable. He helped set up Hurst's controversial second goal. He was also running forward when Hurst scored his historic third goal. Ball returned home a hero after the World Cup win.
The 1970 World Cup
By 1970, Alan Ball was one of the first players chosen for England. He was part of the squad that went to Mexico for the 1970 World Cup. England was the defending champion. Ball famously hit the crossbar with a shot when England lost 1-0 to Brazil. England reached the quarter-finals and played West Germany again. However, the heat affected Ball's energy. England lost a 2-0 lead and were defeated 3-2. This ended their time as world champions.
The 1974 World Cup Qualifiers
In a qualifying game for the 1974 World Cup against Poland in 1973, Ball was sent off. This meant he had to miss the next game at Wembley. England drew that game 1-1 and failed to qualify for the World Cup.
England Captain and Retirement
After Alf Ramsey was no longer manager, Don Revie took over. Ball was made captain of the England team. He was captain for six games, and England did not lose any of them. This included a 2-0 win over West Germany in 1975.
However, Ball's time with the national team ended suddenly. He was not called up for England after an injury. He found out from a journalist. At 30 years old, his international career was over. He had played 72 games for England and scored 8 goals. He was the last player from the 1966 World Cup winning team to stop playing for England.
Becoming a Manager
Managing Portsmouth
Alan Ball started his managing career again in May 1984 with Portsmouth. He was very successful. They almost got promoted to the First Division in his first two seasons. He finally led them to the top league in 1987. However, they were relegated after only one season. Ball was fired in January 1989.
Leading Stoke City
The next month, he became assistant manager at Colchester United. In October 1989, he joined Stoke City as assistant manager. Two weeks later, he became the main manager. Ball felt the team was not good enough. He made many changes to the squad. This was a big risk, and it did not work out. Stoke stayed at the bottom of the table and was relegated to the Third Division.
Ball wanted to get promoted back quickly. But Stoke's form dropped, and they had some embarrassing results. After a 4-0 defeat, Ball was fired in February 1991. Stoke finished 14th, their lowest league position ever.
At Exeter City and England Coach
In July 1991, he became manager of Exeter City. Exeter struggled with a small budget. But Ball managed to keep them in the Third Division. Between February and August 1992, he also worked as a coach for the England team. This included the 1992 European Championships, where England did not do well.
Managing Southampton Again
In January 1994, Ball left Exeter to manage Southampton. Southampton seemed likely to be relegated. Ball's first job was to help Matthew Le Tissier play his best. Le Tissier scored 6 goals in Ball's first 4 games. This included a hat-trick against Liverpool. In the second half of the season, Le Tissier scored 15 goals in 16 games under Ball.
Southampton stayed in the relegation zone after some losses. But in the final 6 games, they scored 15 goals and earned 10 points. This was enough to stay safe on the last day of the season. At the start of the 1994–95 season, Ball signed Bruce Grobbelaar. He also signed Le Tissier to a new contract. Southampton finished the season in 10th place.
Taking Charge at Manchester City
Despite his success, Ball left Southampton in July 1995. He became Manchester City's manager. His departure was not very friendly. Many fans felt he was hired because of his friendship with the chairman.
Manchester City had a terrible start to the 1995–96 season. They lost eight games and did not win any of their first 11. In November, their luck changed. City finally won a league game and then two more. They moved out of the relegation zone. Ball was named Premier League Manager of the Month for November 1995.
However, City's form declined again. They drew 2-2 with Liverpool on the final day of the season. Other teams did better, and City was relegated. Ball resigned three games into the next season. He felt he had to sell their best players because of the club's money problems.
Final Managerial Role at Portsmouth
In January 1998, Ball returned to Portsmouth as manager. Portsmouth was at the bottom of the table and had serious money problems. In 1998, he helped the team avoid relegation in a surprising way. Portsmouth won 3-1 on the final day of the season. This meant two of his former teams, Stoke City and Manchester City, were relegated instead. He also kept them up in the 1998–99 season. But his contract was ended in December 1999. Alan Ball was 54 years old. He was the last England World Cup winner still working as a manager.
Alan Ball's Life Off the Pitch
Alan Ball went to Farnworth Grammar School. His father, Alan Sr., who was also a professional footballer and manager, died in a car crash in 1982. In 2021, Ball's son, Jimmy, became a football manager. This made him the third generation of the family to manage in the Football League.
Ball was known for his small size, red hair, and high-pitched voice. He wrote several autobiographies. His last book, Playing Extra Time (2004), shared his experiences in football.
Alan Ball was a family man. He faced challenges when his wife and youngest daughter became ill. His wife, Lesley, passed away in May 2004 at age 57 after a long illness. They had three children: Mandy, Keely, and Jimmy. They also had three grandchildren.
In May 2005, Ball decided to sell his World Cup winner's medal and cap. He said he wanted to raise money for his family. He felt his memories were more important than the items themselves. The items sold for £140,000.
Remembering Alan Ball
Alan Ball passed away on April 25, 2007, at his home in Hampshire. He was 61 years old. He had a heart attack while trying to put out a fire in his garden. The fire started from a bonfire he had been burning. His funeral was held in Winchester Cathedral. Many of his former football friends attended. His famous flat cap was placed on his coffin.
A charity football match, the Alan Ball Memorial Cup, was played in July 2007. The money raised went to the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research and the Air Ambulance Service.
Honours
As a player
Everton
- Football League First Division: 1969–70
- FA Charity Shield: 1970
- FA Cup runner-up: 1967–68
Arsenal
- FA Cup runner-up: 1971–72
Southampton
- Football League Second Division runner-up: 1977–78
- Football League Cup runner-up: 1978–79
Vancouver Whitecaps
- North American Soccer League Soccer Bowl: 1979
England
Individual
- Southampton Player of the Season: 1977–78
As a manager
Individual
- Premier League Manager of the Month: November 1995
Awards and Recognitions
In 2000, Alan Ball and four other members of the 1966 World Cup winning team were given the MBE award. This was for their great contributions to football. They had to wait over 30 years for this official recognition.
In 2003, Ball was added to the English Football Hall of Fame. In 2011, the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame honored the 1979 NASL champion Vancouver Whitecaps team. Ball was a very important player for that team. He was also named the MVP of the 1979 NASL playoffs.
Ball was also added to the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road in 2006. Fans voted for their all-time heroes. He was inducted into Everton's "Everton Giants" hall of fame in 2001. Fans also voted him into Everton's greatest ever team in 2003.
See Also
In Spanish: Alan Ball para niños
- List of men's footballers with the most official appearances
Images for kids
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Ball and manager Bertie Mee in March 1972
