Alan Ball has died

[Dave Tudor]

Very sad news from the world of football today:

World Cup winner Alan Ball has died of a heart attack at the age of 61.
Ball was the youngest member of the England side that won the World Cup in 1966 and went on to win 72 caps.

The industrious midfielder started his career at Blackpool and went on to play for Everton, Arsenal and Southampton before a spell in the United States.

Ball, who collapsed outside his home after tackling a bonfire, also managed seven clubs, including Portsmouth, Southampton and Manchester City.
(From BBC Sport)

A legendary, iconic figure, thanks to his distinctive ginger hair and trademark white boots, a stylish and hard-working player who was a driving force behind that historic win at Wembley in July '66. He may have been remembered in recent years as a rather hapless and unsuccessful club manager, but his role in England's victory that year could never be taken away from him, and will never be forgotten.

His passing has devastated football fans everywhere, but it is at Everton where his death will hit fans the hardest. One of the club's greatest ever players, Bally gave his all for the Blue cause from 1966 (signing from Blackpool immediately after the World Cup triumph) to 1971, and, along with Howard Kendall and Colin Harvey, formed the 'Holy Trinity', an incomparable midfield trio which formed the backbone of surely one of the very best Everton teams, and who were instrumental in the club's league title in 1970. Alan Ball loved the club with his very soul, and never wanted to leave Goodison, the player being sold, against his wishes, to Arsenal in December 1971.

But Everton never left Alan Ball, and he was forever a proud Evertonian, and always delighted to meet fellow supporters. I met Alan myself, only briefly, at a signing by most of the World Cup winning team a couple of years ago, and of all the players there, being an Evertonian, it was Bally's signature I most wanted, and I told him so. "Oh, good lad!" he said. OK, so it wasn't the most insightful of conversations, but it meant a lot to me. To hear of his death, at no age at all, really, is deeply saddening.

The Holy Trinity has now lost it's biggest star for a second time, and England has lost a legend. Rest in peace, Alan - you will be missed.

[Jonno]

I was shocked to hear about this at lunchtime today - so young and not the best of ways to go either - fighting a bonfire in your back garden.

If only our current crop of players had half his enthusiasm on the pitch.

[Dave Tudor]

Just got back from watching the Everton-Man. Utd. game at the pub (least said about the score, the better...) and it was so emotional, so moving and yet so wonderful and fitting to see Alan Ball remembered so well, with a minute's silence, and a minute's applause, celebrating a true legend. Alan's son and daughters were obviously holding back the tears, yet were so evidently proud of their father and the esteem in which he is held at Everton. But the most touching sight of all was to see Colin Harvey and Howard Kendall carrying Bally's famous white boots on to the Goodison pitch for one last time.

As a tribute to Alan's legacy, the scoreline may have only fitted the occasion for less than an hour, but otherwise, this was a good send-off for an Everton great.