Alan Ball
Central Midfielder / Attacking Midfielder · Bristol Rovers · England
About Alan Ball
Alan Ball was England's most dynamic player in the 1966 World Cup final, running himself to exhaustion at just 21 to help defeat West Germany — the youngest member of Alf Ramsey's squad and the engine of the side. He went on to win the First Division title with a brilliant Everton side in 1970, and remained one of English football's most relentless, best-loved midfielders for two more decades.
Alan Ball's story
The Engine of '66
Ball was the youngest of England's 1966 World Cup winners at 21, and among the most influential — his tireless running down the right in the final against West Germany, extending deep into extra time, was widely credited as a decisive factor in the 4-2 win. He never walked during a match; managers at every club he played for described an energy level unlike anything else in English football.
Everton's Holy Trinity and a Nomadic Late Career
At Everton from 1966, Ball formed the celebrated midfield "Holy Trinity" with Howard Kendall and Colin Harvey, winning the 1969-70 First Division title in a side many still consider one of the best English club teams never to add a European trophy. A club-record £220,000 move took him to Arsenal in 1971, where he reached an FA Cup final, before spells at Southampton, a sentimental return to Blackpool, brief stints in the NASL and Hong Kong, and a final chapter as player-manager at Bristol Rovers.
Off the Pitch
Ball married Lesley Harrison in 1967; they had three children, Mandy, Jimmy and Keely. Lesley died of cancer in 2004, and Ball — by all accounts devoted to her — died of a heart attack in April 2007, aged 61, while fighting a garden fire at his home in Hampshire. He later managed several clubs including Portsmouth, Stoke City and Manchester City, and was awarded the MBE for services to football.
Did you know?
- ⚡ Ball never walked during a game — managers from every club he played for described his insatiable energy as unlike anything they had encountered in English football.
- 🏆 At just 21, Ball was the youngest member of England's 1966 World Cup winning squad — his tireless running down the right flank in the final against West Germany was considered one of the key factors in the 4-2 victory.
- 👨👩👧👦 Married Lesley Harrison in 1967; they had three children, Mandy, Jimmy and Keely. Lesley died of cancer in 2004, and Alan died of a heart attack in April 2007, just three years later.
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