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.jpg) Ball in 2004 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alan James Ball | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1945-05-12)12 May 1945 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Farnworth,Lancashire, England | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 25 April 2007(2007-04-25) (aged 61) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Warsash,Hampshire, England | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | 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 | 12 | (?) | ||||||||||||||
| 1983 | Bristol Rovers | 17 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 833 | (187+) | |||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1965–1975 | England | 72 | (8) | ||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
Alan James BallMBE (12 May 1945 – 25 April 2007) was an English professionalfootball player and manager. Often regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, he won the1966 World Cup withEngland and played for various clubs, scoring more than 180 league goals in a career spanning 22 years. After retiring as a player, he had a 15-year career as a manager which included spells in the top flight of English football withPortsmouth,Southampton andManchester City. He was inducted in theEnglish Football Hall of Fame in 2003.
Ball started his professional career atBlackpool at the age of 17 in 1962, following a brief non–league spell atAshton United, becoming the club's star player and ensuring Blackpool'sFirst Division status. He signed for Everton in 1966 for a record fee of £220,000. He became a fan favourite atGoodison Park, winning the First Division in1970 and theCharity Shield the same year. After five and a half years and over 250 appearances for the club, he signed withDouble winnersArsenal in December 1971, becoming a central player in the club's transitional period following the 1971 Double before being sold toSecond Division sideSouthampton in December 1976. Whilst with Southampton, hecaptained the side to promotion in 1978 and the1979 League Cup final. He spent time on loan managingPhiladelphia Fury in theNASL and was transferred to theVancouver Whitecaps for two seasons, before returning to Blackpool as player–manager and then Southampton for two years as a First Division outfit. Brief spells atFloreat Athena,Eastern andBristol Rovers concluded his career in 1983.
Ball played 72 games and scored 8 goals for England between 1965 and 1975. First called up at age 20 by managerAlf Ramsey, he established himself in the national team, becoming a starter at the1966 FIFA World Cup. England won the competition, with Ball playing in thefinal and being the team's youngest member at 21 years of age. He also was starter for England atUEFA Euro 1968 and the1970 FIFA World Cup. Ball briefly captained England in 1975 underDon Revie before retiring from international football the same year.
After retiring as a player, Ball became manager of Second Division sidePortsmouth in 1984. Following narrowly missing out on promotion in his first two seasons, he led Portsmouth to promotion in 1987 after a 28–year absence, but was relegated in the club's maiden year in the top flight before resigning in January 1989. Ten months later, he joinedStoke City. After failing to avert the club's relegation to theThird Division for the first time in its history, he was sacked in February 1991. In August of the same year, he joinedExeter City. He managed to retain the club's third tier status in 1992 and 1993, while also becomingGraham Taylor's assistant manager forUEFA Euro 1992, before leaving in January 1994 to join former club Southampton in thePremier League.
After having managed to avoid relegation in 1994 and having finished 10th in 1995, he left the club to controversially joinManchester City. He narrowly failed to save them from relegation and left the club in August 1996. In February 1998, he returned to Division One side Portsmouth, saving the club from relegation in 1998 and 1999 as they enteredadministration, before being sacked by new ownerMilan Mandaric in December 1999. It was his final employment in football before his death in April 2007, aged 61.
Ball was born inFarnworth,Lancashire, the son of (James)Alan Ball, a former professional football player and manager and later apublican, and his wife, Violet, née Duckworth. Ball started his footballing career whilst still a schoolboy, playing forAshton United, the team his father managed, amongst the hurly burly of theLancashire Combination. He fell out with his headmaster over missing games for hisFarnworth Grammar School team due to him signing and playing forWolverhampton Wanderers. He left Farnworth Grammar with no qualifications.[citation needed]
After he left school, Wolves decided not to take Ball on. The midfielder then started training withBolton Wanderers but they too decided not to give him a professional deal, as managerBill Ridding said he was too small.[1]
Blackpool signed him after Ball's father called in a favour with the coach, an old friend with whom he used to play. Ball was given a trial in September 1961 and was immediately signed up as an apprentice. He turned professional in May 1962, making hisFootball League debut on 18 August 1962 againstLiverpool atAnfield in a 2–1 victory. At age 17 years and 98 days, he became Blackpool's youngest League debutant.[2] On 21 November 1964, Ball scored his first hat-trick as a professional, in a 3–3 draw withFulham atCraven Cottage.[2]
Ball's performances in the 1966 World Cup winning England team attracted the attention of a number of clubs bigger than Blackpool. He was eventually sold toEverton for a fee of £112,000 in August 1966, at the time a record transfer fee paid to an English club.[3] At Everton, Ball settled into what became regarded as his generation's best Everton midfield trio, alongsideColin Harvey andHoward Kendall (they are still affectionately referred to as "The Holy Trinity"). Everton reached the1968 FA Cup Final, but lost toWest Bromwich Albion and were knocked out byManchester City in the semi-finals the following year. Ball was as instrumental a player in the team as ever, as Everton took the1970Football League Championship title, seeing off a late challenge fromLeeds United.[4]
Back at club level, Everton again capitulated in the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1971, with Ball's opening goal overhauled by two strikes fromMerseyside rivalsLiverpool, who went on to lose the final to "double"-chasingArsenal. Ball played 259 times for the Toffees, in all scoring 79 goals.[4]
On 22 December 1971,Arsenal paid a record fee of £220,000 to take Ball toHighbury.[4] He was 26 years of age and at his peak for both form and fitness when he joined Arsenal; he made his debut againstNottingham Forest on 27 December 1971.[5]However, Arsenal could not defend their League title in1971–72 and also lost their grasp on the FA Cup whenLeeds United beat them 1–0 in thecentenary final at Wembley.
Ball had continued to play for Arsenal through all this time, as a near-constant member of the first team at first, including 50 appearances in1972–73. However, Arsenal's Double-winning side was soon dismantled and their replacements proved inadequate; Ball remained one of the few quality players in the Arsenal side, and he was made club captain in 1974.[5] In April 1974 Ball broke his leg, resulting in his missing the start of the1974–75 season, in which Arsenal finished 16th. Ball also missed the start of the 1975–76 season after an injury in the pre-season friendly at Crewe Alexandra, Arsenal subsequently finished in 17th place that season.Bertie Mee resigned as Arsenal manager in the summer of 1976 and it was clear new managerTerry Neill wanted to take the club in a new direction. Now aged 31, Ball continued to play for Arsenal until December 1976, when he was sold toSouthampton for a fee of £60,000. In total he made 217 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 52 goals.[6]
Ball's move toSouthampton wassymmetrical in that he had arrived at clubs, namely Everton, Arsenal and Southampton in 1966, 1971 and 1976, when each were holders of the FA Cup. He helped Southampton earn promotion back to theFirst Division in1978 and picked up aLeague Cup runners-up medal in 1979 after they were beaten 3–2 byNottingham Forest.[7]
Ball then went to play in the decade-oldNorth American Soccer League, joining thePhiladelphia Fury as a player in May 1978.[8] He was named player-coach after former Newcastle United coach Richard Dinnis was fired in June.[9] One season later, after he was no longer coaching, he was sold to theVancouver Whitecaps in June 1979. Almost instantly he made a huge impact with the Whitecaps and helped lead them to the NASLSoccer Bowl title that September. He also walked away with the1979 Playoff MVP award, scoring seven goals in nine games.[10]
He returned toBritain in February 1980 as player-manager of his first professional club, Blackpool, after honouring the remainder of his contract with Vancouver.[2] Blackpool's general manager Freddie Scott substituted in the meantime.[2] Ball's appointment was well received by the Blackpool supporters, and he returned with enthusiasm, a desire to bring back the good times to the club, and still had enough energy to take the field occasionally.
The year that followed saw Blackpool's recent ill-fortune slump even further. The club slid towards relegation, and only some determined performances (including four wins out of their final six games) ensured an 18th-placed finish and survival. During the close season, Ball brought in several new faces and was also prepared to gamble on youngsters. One of his most unpopular moves amongst the fans was the sale ofTony Kellow, a huge favourite atBloomfield Road.[11] The1980–81 season began in similar fashion, with Blackpool struggling near the foot of the table. The optimism that had been in place during pre-season turned to anger as the team's performances failed to match up to Ball's promises.[11]
After anFA Cup first-round win overFylde Coast neighboursFleetwood Town on 22 November, Ball publicly criticised the fans for allegedly not wanting the team to succeed as much as he did.[11] Eventually it all became too much for manager and club, and shortly after a defeat atBrentford on 28 February 1981, Ball's contract was terminated with immediate effect and the mutual love affair had ended in ruins.[11] Blackpool were relegated at the end of the season. In March 2005, Ball finally commented on his time as Blackpool manager. He said, "Jack Charlton, a good friend, had offered me a coaching role atSheffield Wednesday, and with hindsight I should have done that instead: got a bit of experience under my belt. Another thing I should have done was keptStan Ternent on. I replaced him as manager, but he was very good. I think I was a bit big-headed, a little headstrong, and I thought being a player-manager would be no problem for me. It was a lot more difficult than I thought, and not helped by dealing with the boardroom."[2]
In March 1981, Ball was tempted back to Southampton to play alongside fellow veterans and former England teammatesMick Channon andKevin Keegan. He left Southampton in October 1982 to play for Hong Kong sideEastern, before joiningBristol Rovers in January 1983, where he remained until his retirementthe following season. When Ball finally retired from playing, he had played 975 competitive games in 21 years.[7]
Despite being in a struggling Blackpool team, Ball's industry, stamina and distribution were noticed by England managerAlf Ramsey, who gave him his international debut on 9 May 1965 in a 1–1 draw withYugoslavia inBelgrade, three days before his twentieth birthday. Ramsey was preparing for the World Cup a year later, which England was to host, and was developing a system whereby England could deploy midfielders with a defensive and industrious bent, something which was not wholly guaranteed from conventional wide men. As a result, Ball became a useful tool for Ramsey to use – able to play conventionally wide or in the centre but still in possession of the energy to help out his defence when required.
Ball was the youngest member of the squad of 22 selected by Ramsey for the tournament, aged only 21. Though England as a team emerged collectively heroic from the tournament, Ball was one of many players regarded as an individual success, especially as he was one of the more inexperienced charges with no proven record at the very highest level. Indeed, he,Geoff Hurst andMartin Peters emerged with enormous credit and eternal acclaim from the competition – and all of them were still only in single figures for caps won by the time they were named in the team for the final againstWest Germany.
The 98,000 crowd atWembley witnessed a magnificent personal performance from Ball. Full of running, he continued to work and sprint and track back while teammates and opponents alike were out on their feet. With fewer than 15 minutes to go, he won a corner on the right which he promptly took. Hurst hit a shot from the edge of the area which deflected into the air and down on to the instep of Peters, who rifled England 2–1 ahead. The Germans equalised with seconds to go, meaning that the game went into extra time. Somehow, this instilled extra bounce into Ball's play and the image of his continuous running round the Wembley pitch, socks round his ankles, is one of the most enduring of the occasion. It was his chase and low cross which set up Hurst's massively controversial second goal, and England's third; he was also sprinting upfield, unmarked and screaming for a pass, as Hurst took the ball forward to smash his historichat-trick goal with the last kick of the game. Ball returned to a civic reception inWalkden, Lancashire following the World Cup success, where he lived with his parents and sister.[12] Ball's appearance in the final marked the last occasion on which a Blackpool player received a full England cap.
By now, Ball was one of the first names on Ramsey's England teamsheet and he was in the squad which travelled as defending champions to the altitude of Mexico for the1970 World Cup. Ball famously hit the crossbar with a shot as England lost one of their group games 1–0 toBrazil. England won their other group games and progressed to another showdown withWest Germany in the quarter finals, but the heat sapped Ball's natural industry. England lost a 2–0 lead and their reign as world champions ended with a 3–2 loss.
In a qualifier for the1974 World Cup againstPoland inChorzów on 6 June 1973, Ball became the second England player to besent off in a full international, after grabbingLesław Ćmikiewicz by the throat and kneeing him in the groin during a player scuffle. As a result, he missed the return game atWembley Stadium, which became one of the most notorious in English football history, ending in a 1–1 draw. England failed to qualify for the World Cup as a result of not winning.
Ramsey was sacked andJoe Mercer took over at a caretaker level, for whom Ball never appeared due to injury. However, Ball's relationship with his national side was enhanced and then soured beyond repair whenDon Revie was appointed as Ramsey's permanent replacement. Ball was given the captaincy after the dropping ofEmlyn Hughes and held it for six consecutive games, none of which England lost. They included a 2–0 victory over reigning World champions,West Germany in March 1975 and a 5–1 defeat ofScotland in May 1975.
After sustaining an injury in a pre-season friendly for Arsenal at Crewe Alexandra, Ball was not called up at all for England, let alone retained as captain, when Revie announced his squad for a game againstSwitzerland. Ball only found out when his wife took a call from a journalist asking for her reaction.[citation needed] Aged 30, Ball's international career had ended suddenly and acrimoniously after 72 appearances and eight goals. He was, however, the last of the 1966 World Cup winning team to leave the international stage (although not the last in the squad, asIan Callaghan was unexpectedly called up byRon Greenwood in 1977).
Considered one of the greatest players to have played for Everton, Ball was a complete and combative midfielder with good technique who possessed high levels of stamina, accurate passing abilities, and was capable of providing scoring chances for his teammates as well as scoring some spectacular goals himself. Primarily an attacking box-to-box midfielder who drove forward towards the opponents' goal, Ball would also help out the defenders of his team when they were in a pinch.[13] Ken Rogers noted that Ball's fiery mentality was the key to his success as a footballer. Ball also stood out for being a motivator, withJohn Morrissey noting that whenever Ball played one-twos with any of his teammates, they would be motivated to play.[14][15]
Ball resumed his managerial career in May 1984 withPortsmouth and was a huge success. They just missed out on promotion to the First Division in his first two seasons as manager, and he finally guided them to the top flight in 1987. However, they were relegated after just one season back among the elite, and Ball was sacked in January 1989 for failing to mount a serious promotion challenge and because of a serious personality clash with Portsmouth's then chairmanJim Gregory.[4]
The following month he joinedColchester United as assistant toJock Wallace and in October 1989 took up a similar post underMick Mills atStoke City.[16] However, Mills was sacked two weeks later and Ball was promoted to the manager's seat. He came to the conclusion that the squad he had inherited was simply not good enough and out wentChris Kamara,Dave Bamber,Leigh Palin,Carl Saunders,Gary Hackett andNicky Morgan.[16] Into the side cameTony Ellis,Lee Sandford,Tony Kelly,Dave Kevan,Paul Barnes andNoel Blake.[16] It was a big gamble by Ball to change so much of the squad so quickly, and it did not pay off. Stoke stayed rooted to the bottom of the table and was relegated to the Third Division for the first time in 63 years.[16]
Ball's next objective was to gain an instant return to the Second Division, which looked an achievable goal as after 12 matches in1990–91 they were one of the favourites for promotion.[16] But Stoke's form fell off and with some embarrassing results the side dropped down the table, until after a 4–0 defeat away atWigan Athletic Ball was sacked. Stoke went on to finish 14th, their lowest league position.[16]
In July 1991 he was appointed as manager of Third DivisionExeter City. Although Exeter struggled (their form hardly helped by a tight budget), Ball managed to keep them in the Third Division (the new Division Two from the creation of thePremier League in 1992) in 1993, though by the time he moved on they were on their way to relegation to the bottom tier. Between February and August 1992 he also worked as a coach for the England team underGraham Taylor, including the1992 European Championships, which were not a success for England, as they failed to progress beyond the group stages of the tournament inSweden.[17]
In January 1994, Ball left Exeter to take over the reins at Southampton, replacing the unpopularIan Branfoot. At the time of his appointment, Southampton seemed doomed to relegation, having spent virtually the whole season to that point in the drop zone. Ball's first task as manager was to re-establishMatthew Le Tissier's role in the team and to ensure that the other players recognised that he was the club's greatest asset. Le Tissier responded by scoring six goals in Ball's first four games in charge, including ahat-trick on 14 February 1994 in a 4–2 victory overLiverpool. In the second half of the 1993–94 season, Le Tissier played 16 games under Ball's management, scoring 15 times.
After three defeats over the Easter period, the Saints remained in the relegation zone. In the final six games Saints scored 15 goals (eight from Le Tissier) and gained 10 points which were sufficient to confirm safety on the final day of the season.
At the start of the following season, 1994–95, Ball signed goalkeeperBruce Grobbelaar but more significantly signed Le Tissier on a new three-year deal. Despite not winning any of their first four games (including a 5–1 defeat atNewcastle), the Saints, assisted by three goals from loanee signingRonnie Ekelund, then won four out of five games in September lifting them to seventh in the table. After this, they drifted away and only won two more games until mid-March, dropping into the relegation zone. On 22 March 1995, the Saints were at home to Newcastle and were trailing 1–0 with four minutes left; however, the team scored three goals, including two in injury time, to snatch an amazing and priceless victory.
This result inspired the Saints, who won five of their remaining 10 games and finished the season in 10th place.
Despite this success, Ball was tempted away in July 1995 to becomeManchester City's manager under the ownership of former England teammateFrancis Lee. His departure from The Dell was rather acrimonious and for some years afterwards, Ball's return visits tothe Dell were greeted by abuse from some sections of the Saints' fans.
Ball's tenure atMaine Road was controversial, in that many observers and supporters felt he was appointed for his name and friendship with the chairman rather than for any credentials as a coach (and they argued that previous managerBrian Horton, appointed by Lee's predecessorPeter Swales, had done no wrong). This is debatable, as City had finished 16th and 17th under Horton, after finishing fifth, fifth and then ninth under Horton's predecessorPeter Reid.
Ball gavePaul Walsh, who had scored 15 league and cup goals for City in 1994–95, and cash, toPortsmouth in exchange forGerry Creaney, who scored four goals for City in 1995–96. But a terrible start to the1995–96 season saw City endure eight defeats and not win one of their opening 11 games.[18] November saw a turnaround in fortunes when City finally managed to win a league game at the 12th attempt and follow this up with a draw and two wins[19] which saw them end the month outside the relegation zone and Ball chosenPremier League Manager of the Month for November 1995.[20]
City's form declined after that, and the team drew 2–2 with Liverpool on the final day of the season. The other relegation-threatened teams fared better, and City were relegated on goal difference, after seven successive seasons of top-flight football. The board kept faith with Ball, but he resigned three games into the next season's Division One campaign. He felt that he had been forced to sell their best players due to City's financial plight.[4]
In January 1998, Ball was contacted by Brian Howe, who informed him he was to make a takeover bid for the club and that he would like Ball to manage the club. This led to Ball returning toPortsmouth as manager in February 1998, however the take-over never came about. When he was appointed Pompey were several points adrift at the bottom of the table and enduring a near-fatal financial crisis, going into administration for over a year.[4] In 1998, he masterminded a miraculous escape that saw two of his former sides (Stoke City and Manchester City) relegated after Pompey won 3–1 atBradford City on the final day of the season. He also kept them up in the 1998–99 season, but his contract was terminated on 9 December 1999 with the club in the lower half of Division One, having amassed 20 points in 21 games. His departure came six months after the club was rescued from financial oblivion by new ownerMilan Mandaric. On his retirement, 54-year-old Ball was the last remaining England World Cup winner in management.
Ball was educated atFarnworth Grammar School. Ball's fatherAlan Sr., also a professional footballer and manager, died in a car crash inCyprus in January 1982. In April 2021, Ball's son,Jimmy, became the third generation of the family to manage in the Football League after being appointed interim manager atForest Green Rovers.[21]
Ball was always a distinctive figure thanks to his diminutive stature, red hair, and his high-pitchedvoice. He wrote an autobiography, "Ball of Fire" in 1967, updated asIt's All About a Ball, in 1978. His third autobiography,Playing Extra Time (2004) received critical acclaim giving insight into his highs and lows in the footballing world.[citation needed]
In April 2004, Ball appeared for Testwood Baptist Church in the Roger Frapwell Testimonial Match at the BAT ground,Totton, nearSouthampton, wearing the number 7 shirt as he did in the 1966 World Cup triumph. Also in that team were former Saints managerDave Merrington and ex-Saints defenderFrancis Benali. The proceeds from the game were donated to local charity SCRATCH.[22]
As a family man, Ball struggled privately after his wife and later his youngest daughter were both diagnosed with major illnesses. Lesley, whom he married on 21 May 1967 at the parish church of St Stephen,Kearsley, Lancashire, died on 16 May 2004, aged 57, after a three-year battle againstovarian cancer. Alan and Lesley, who had been together for five years prior to their marriage, had three children together; Mandy, Keely and Jimmy.[citation needed] They also had three grandchildren.[23]
He had remained in the family home inWarsash, and from mid-2005, Ball had an ongoing relationship with childhood friend Valerie Beech, ex-wife of former Bolton player Harry Beech. In May 2005, Ball put his World Cup winner's medal and commemorative tournament cap up for auction to raise money for his family, saying "They are just trinkets that take up space, I don't think I've even looked at them for years. My memories of the World Cup are more important than those things to me, and my family are even more important." The items were sold for £140,000.[24]
Ball is the great uncle of professional footballersJohn McAtee andJames McAtee.[25]
Ball, aged 61, died in the early hours of 25 April 2007 at his home inHook, Fareham, Hampshire,[26] after suffering a heart attack while attempting to put out a blaze in his garden that had started when abonfire – on which he had been burning garden waste – re-ignited and spread to a nearby fence.[27][28] His funeral was held inWinchester Cathedral on 3 May 2007. Many of Ball's former football colleagues were in attendance, and the flat cap that he had become well known for wearing was placed on top of his coffin.[29]
The Alan Ball Memorial Cup, a charity match between two squads of former international players, in the shape of "England vs the World", was played on 29 July 2007, with proceeds going towardsthe Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research and theWarwickshire andNorthamptonshireAir Ambulance Service.[30]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other[a] | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ashton United | 1960–61 | Lancashire Combination | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Blackpool | 1962–63 | First Division | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 1963–64 | First Division | 31 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 14 | |
| 1964–65 | First Division | 39 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 13 | |
| 1965–66 | First Division | 41 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 17 | |
| Total | 116 | 40 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 126 | 44 | ||
| Everton | 1966–67 | First Division | 41 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 18 |
| 1967–68 | First Division | 34 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 20 | |
| 1968–69 | First Division | 40 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 18 | |
| 1969–70 | First Division | 37 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 12 | |
| 1970–71 | First Division | 39 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 55 | 9 | |
| 1971–72 | First Division | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 3 | |
| Total | 208 | 66 | 22 | 6 | 13 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 254 | 80 | ||
| Arsenal | 1971–72 | First Division | 18 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 5 |
| 1972–73 | First Division | 40 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 14 | |
| 1973–74 | First Division | 36 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 13 | |
| 1974–75 | First Division | 30 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 10 | |
| 1975–76 | First Division | 39 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 9 | |
| 1976–77 | First Division | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
| Total | 177 | 45 | 29 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 218 | 52 | ||
| Hellenic (loan) | 1976 | National Football League (South Africa) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Southampton | 1976–77 | Second Division | 23 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 2 |
| 1977–78 | Second Division | 41 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 5 | |
| 1978–79 | First Division | 42 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 3 | |
| 1979–80 | First Division | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | |
| Total | 132 | 9 | 17 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 161 | 11 | ||
| Philadelphia Fury (loan) | 1978 | NASL | 25 | 5 | – | – | – | – | 25 | 5 | ||||
| 1979 | NASL | 8 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 8 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 33 | 5 | – | – | – | – | 33 | 5 | ||||||
| Vancouver Whitecaps | 1979 | NASL | 15 | 8 | – | – | – | – | 15 | 8 | ||||
| 1980 | NASL | 16 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 16 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 31 | 10 | – | – | – | – | 31 | 10 | ||||||
| Blackpool | 1980–81 | Third Division | 30 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 38 | 5 |
| Southampton | 1980–81 | First Division | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 1981–82 | First Division | 41 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 1 | |
| 1982–83 | First Division | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | |
| Total | 63 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 73 | 2 | ||
| Floreat Athena (loan) | 1982 | West Australian Football League | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Eastern | 1982–83 | Hong Kong First Division League | 12+ | 0+ | ||||||||||
| Bristol Rovers | 1983–84 | Third Division | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 2 |
| Career total | 821+ | 187+ | 76+ | 16+ | 48+ | 7+ | 16+ | 4+ | 4+ | 0+ | 977+ | 214+ | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 1965 | 4 | 1 |
| 1966 | 13 | 0 | |
| 1967 | 5 | 3 | |
| 1968 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1969 | 8 | 0 | |
| 1970 | 10 | 3 | |
| 1971 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1972 | 5 | 1 | |
| 1973 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1974 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1975 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 72 | 8 | |
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| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 16 May 1965 | Stockholm, Sweden |  Sweden | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly | |
| 2. | 27 May 1967 | Vienna, Austria |  Austria | 1–0 | 1–0 | ||
| 3. | 21 October 1967 | Cardiff, Wales |  Wales | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1967–68 British Home Championship | |
| 4. | 6 December 1967 | London, England |  Soviet Union | 1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly | |
| 5. | 25 February 1970 | Brussels, Belgium |  Belgium | 1–0 | 3–1 | ||
| 6. | 3–1 | ||||||
| 7. | 21 May 1970 | Bogotá, Colombia |  Colombia | 4–0 | 4–0 | ||
| 8. | 27 May 1972 | Glasgow, Scotland |  Scotland | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1971–72 British Home Championship |
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Blackpool | 1 July 1980 | 28 February 1981 | 34 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 20.6 |
| Portsmouth | 11 May 1984 | 17 January 1989 | 222 | 94 | 58 | 70 | 42.3 |
| Stoke City | 7 November 1989 | 23 February 1991 | 62 | 17 | 21 | 24 | 27.4 |
| Exeter City | 6 August 1991 | 20 January 1994 | 135 | 36 | 43 | 56 | 26.7 |
| Southampton | 21 January 1994 | 2 July 1995 | 67 | 22 | 24 | 21 | 32.8 |
| Manchester City | 3 July 1995 | 27 August 1996 | 49 | 13 | 14 | 22 | 26.5 |
| Portsmouth | 26 January 1998 | 9 December 1999 | 97 | 28 | 26 | 43 | 28.9 |
| Total[36] | 666 | 217 | 196 | 253 | 32.6 | ||
Southampton[7]
Vancouver Whitecaps
England
Individual
Individual
In 2000, Ball and four other members of the World Cup winning team were appointed MBE for their services to football. Ball, along withRoger Hunt,Nobby Stiles,Ray Wilson andGeorge Cohen, had to wait more than three decades for official recognition of their achievements.
In 2003 Ball was inducted into theEnglish Football Hall of Fame.[citation needed]
In 2011, theCanadian Soccer Hall of Fame inducted the1979 NASL championVancouver Whitecaps team. Ball was a vital member of this squad. He was also named a2nd Team NASL All-Star(Best XI) for that season, and the MVP of the1979 NASL playoffs.
Ball was inducted into theHall of Fame at Bloomfield Road, when it was officially opened by former Blackpool playerJimmy Armfield in April 2006.[41] Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; Ball is in the 1960s.[42]
Ball was inducted into Everton'shall of fame "Everton Giants" in 2001,[43] and at the start of the 2003–04 season, as part of the club's official celebration of their 125th anniversary, was elected by fans as a member of the greatest ever team.[44]
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