Alan Ball appreciation thread

[wilfjacko]

My one and only HERO...Alan James Ball...R.I.P.

 

[larbert toffee]

My hero along with Joe Royle, wore the white Hummels in homage to him.

 

[rochdaleblue]

My dad died in March 2007 and his favourite Everton player he ever saw, died a month later. Two great evertonians sadly taken from us far too early. My dad used to say, they talk about the likes of Roy Keane, viera, scholes bring world class players, none where on par with ball he said. The most complete footballer he had ever seen.

 

[Bluebonic]

I remember running back home from school when the news broke that we had sold him, my head was spinning! A rs schoolmate had heard and told me, he was laughing his head off! I burst into the living room and my dad was sitting on the couch, "dad"? Was all i said, he looked up at me and shook his head then turned away, that was all that needed to be said. I spent months upset over that and never, ever forgave Catterick! I hated him far more than I hated Shankly for a long, long time.

My dad said ages ago, that it was that day that the RS took over as the top team in the city as far as he was concerned, "we sold our greatest post war player and we never recovered"!

For those who never saw him, all you need to know is that as a lad, not much older than Davies is now, and he was the undisputed man of the match in the world cup final!

 

[tonyhorne]

I only ever saw Alan Ball play for Southampton, alas...

 

[garyw]

I cried when he left us.Everton have made me cry on many occasions only one player ever has

 

[Joey66]

A total thorn in the side of the red lot his goal scoring record v them was very good shanks must have sighs of relief when we stupidly sold him - Labby on HC great at buying players, but in Bobby Collins and Bally two major blunders to sell them to early - Bally was Mr Perpetual motion a born winner on the pitch !

 

[summerisle]

 

[1966efc]

Stunned when he was sold. Haven't trusted the Board since.

 

[Titus Bramble]

My dads all time favourite and hero.

I'm too young to have seen anything of him other than dated videos, but I'll take dads word for it: little curly Alan ball, the greatest player of them all

 

[Canuck Darryl]

The NASL, circa 1979. The New York Comos had Beckenbauer..The LA Aztecs had Cruyff...But the Vancouver Whitecaps had a little red headed fella by the name of Allan Ball. He led the Caps to their only major title, before or since. In the final game vs the Tampa Bay Rowdies, he was named MVP. Before I even knew Everton existed, he was my favourite player.

He's not the reason I'm an Evertonian, but discovering that Alan Ball was such a huge blue, has made me an even bigger Everton fanatic!

I still follow the White Caps closely, but the Toffees are my club.

 

[TimmyOTool]

Bally was my dads hero and always put the fear of god into the redshite as he still loves to tell me.

 

[welshtoffee]

My hero, used to love my little white football boots even though I was only 2 years old. Was gutted when he left us in 1971 and thought my love of Everton would come to an end at 7 years old.

 

[msb]

Bally, wow - what a player. Absolute joy to have watched him, one of my saddest days when he left. (I was also very sad to see the 80s super-team break up - Kendall, Steven, Stephens etc.)

Bally was consistently the best player I have ever seen play for us, Rooney could have been better (sorry) but he went elsewhere.

 

[irishtony1878]

My absolute hero, there will never be another.
For you younger blues who watch us capitulate to the RS every year, this man liked nothing better than putting one over on them.
We have had very few genuine legends but Bally is up there with Dixie every time.