REMEMBERING AN EVERTON GREAT

[bluelord49]

Mine too, i cried my eyes out on hearing the news.
Then even more so on his passing ..
God Bless Alan Ball..

 

[Woolly Blue]

Mine too, i cried my eyes out on hearing the news.

Same here. I couldn't believe it when I heard about it and it always hurt to see him playing for someone else.
Cracking player, and by all accounts, a true gent too.

 

[paultheblue]

Arsenal played Stoke at Goodison in a cup semi final replay in 1972 I and many others went just to see Bally playing at Goodison again it was heartbreaking watching him play for another team.

 

[trebilcock66]

When Shankly heard that he'd been sold, he apparently called the barber's where AB was having his hair cut to ask if was true. Alan asked him how he knew about it and Shankly replied "Because I feel that I've just had a thorn removed from my side"

Probably an urban myth but I like the story.

I saw him play for Blackpool at Goodison. My dad pointed him out and told me to watch him "He's a great player.....". Think we lost that game

I have a World Cup final ticket from 1966 signed by the great man. My most treasured possession.

Watched him in some great games but deeply regret not watching him dismantle Liverpool in his first season with us. We played them in September I think and had already lost the Charity Shield game to them. Wish I'd seen the one a few weeks later. Isn't there a picture of him jumping for joy after scoring one of his two goals?

He was just the best I ever saw in blue and gave me my happiest childhood memories.

Thank you to a Footballer, Gentleman, Evertonian

 

[wiggie]

hitching back to Liverpool from Man City in the sixties my mate and me had almost given up when out of nowhere up pulls a capri, people of my age will know what that was,and a squeeky voice shouts Get in Lads, yes Bally himself,we got beat that night 3-0 I think and Bally told the reason was everyone but him played awful,great memories, dopped us off in Bootle yards from my house.
BEST EVERTON PLAYER EVER

 

[Tramps_mate]

I only see him as Man City manager. Never saw him play for us...

 

[bluelord49]

Good as a taxi driver too, then...

 

[onlyme]

I was 10 yrs old when we sold him, like all blues it broke my heart. First book I ever read was his autobiography 'Ball of fire'. Anyway we may have sold his body but his heart remained at Goodison.

 

[bluelord49]

Blackpool away early January 1966.
Big Joe Royle made his debut for Everton,we lost 2 nil..
There were fans on the pitch at the final whistle ..I was one of them.
Pleading with Bally ..sign for us Alan ... Leeds were reputed to be in for him as well as us.
He duly did in August after being a member of the world cup winning team at Wembley .
On His debut at Craven Cottage he only goes and scores the only goal that was the winning goal.. and i,m on the pitch...Again... huggin him... Chucked out of the ground but got back in.
There started the Love we had for Alan Ball and eventually the Holy Trinity that gave us such wonderful memories in those halcyon days ........

 

[T LEAFE]

Blackpool away early January 1966.
Big Joe Royle made his debut for Everton,we lost 2 nil..
There were fans on the pitch at the final whistle ..I was one of them.
Pleading with Bally ..sign for us Alan ... Leeds were reputed to be in for him as well as us.
He duly did in August after being a member of the world cup winning team at Wembley .
On His debut at Craven Cottage he only goes and scores the only goal that was the winning goal.. and i,m on the pitch...Again... huggin him... Chucked out of the ground but got back in.
There started the Love we had for Alan Ball and eventually the Holy Trinity that gave us such wonderful memories in those halcyon days ........

My all time hero and favourite ever player

I met him at Villa Park with my son when he was commentating on our game there. My son had red hair and he joked that he hoped my lad didn't have the same temper as his. A true gent.

I wish he was still here

 

[bluelord49]

Mad like, we even went to Walkden trying to find where he lived ..

 

[rochdaleblue]

I was 10 yrs old when we sold him, like all blues it broke my heart. First book I ever read was his autobiography 'Ball of fire'. Anyway we may have sold his body but his heart remained at Goodison.

Like all of us I was gutted when Rooney was sold to the mancs. My late father said at the time "imagine how you feel now, well times it by 10 when we sold Alan ball, that is how we all felt at the time" summed it up really.

 

[GaryM]

Like everybody has said, what a great player and as a 9 year old it broke my heart when we sold him and it was terrible seeing him in an Arsenal shirt. He was my first football hero and I'm glad I got to see him play in the blue shirt just 3 weeks before he was sold.
Even today when me & my mates talk about him & how great he was I just wonder why did we sell him? He was our best player and he loved Everton. Should have been a blue until the end of his career.

 

[Jimmy Flangemoth]

Born in the same town as him. My bedroom window overlooked the yard he (supposedly) practiced his kick-ups.