Top facts about Alan Ball Jr., 40 years of dedication

Alan James Ball MBE was a professional footballer and manager in

. He was the youngest member of England's 1966 World Cup-winning team and spent 22 years as a midfielder for a variety of clubs, scoring more than 180 league goals.

In the final year of his playing career, he moved from Everton to Arsenal for a then-national record £220,000 fee. He had a 15-year managerial career after retiring as a player, which includes spells in England's topflight with Portsmouth, Southampton, and

.

A comprehensive and complete article of top facts about Alan Ball Jr., 40 years of dedication

In this article of top facts about Alan Ball Jr., we would cover all the facts there is to know about this legendary ex-

player.

There is no need to check any other article about Alan, because as we said this article will be all that you need to complete your knowledge about This amazing midfielder, and now let us hop into the article of

top facts about Alan Ball Jr.

Alan Ball information

For those who are new with Alan Ball Jr. or want to be prepared to read the top facts about him, let's start with the most crucial information about him.

Personal information

• Full name:

  Alan James Ball

• Date of birth:

  12 May 1945

• Date of death:

  25 April 2007

• Aged:

  61

• Nationality:

  English

• Place of birth:

  Warsash, Hampshire, England

• Marital status:

  Married

• Religion:

  Christianity

Football information

• Position:

  Midfielder

• Total appearances:

  1023

• Club appearances:

  951

• National appearances:

  72

Last team played for:

Physical stats and appearance

• Height:

  1.68 m

• Hair color:

  Blonde

• Skin color:

  White

• Facial hair:

  Clean

Now that you know everything there is to know about Alan Ball Jr., we can go on to the next section of top facts about Alan Ball Jr., which will feature more details and elaborations on the previous topics.

Alan Ball Jr. early life

This part of top facts about Alan Ball Jr. is where his story begins. Ball was born in Farnworth, Lancashire, to (James) Alan Ball and Violet, née Duckworth. His father was a former professional football player and manager who eventually became a publican.

Ball began his football career as a schoolboy, playing for Ashton United, the team his father coached, in the Lancashire Combination's hurly-burly.

Due to his joining and playing for

, he had a falling out with his headmaster over missing games for his Farnworth Grammar School team. He dropped out of Farnworth Grammar without a diploma.

Wolves opted not to sign Ball after he graduated from high school. The midfielder next began training with Bolton Wanderers, but they, too, decided not to sign him because he was too little, according to manager Bill Ridding.

Ball was signed by Blackpool when his father enlisted the help of the coach, an old acquaintance with whom he had previously played.

In September 1961, Ball was granted a tryout and was promptly hired as an apprentice. In May 1962, he turned professional, and on August 18, 1962, he made his Football League debut against Liverpool at Anfield, winning 2–1. He made his League debut for Blackpool at the age of 17 years and 98 days.

Ball scored his first hat-trick as a professional on November 21, 1964, in a 3–3 draw with

at Craven Cottage.

Ball's contributions to England's 1966 World Cup-winning team drew the attention of a number of teams larger than Blackpool. In August 1966, he was sold to Everton for £112,000, a record transfer fee paid to an English club at the time.

Alan Ball Jr. later career

After 14 transfers and having a successful career with every club that he had been in his playing came to an end in 1983. Ball was enticed back to Southampton in March 1981, where he would play with fellow veterans and former England teammates Mick Channon and

.

In October 1982, he left Southampton to play for Eastern Athletic in Hong Kong, before joining Bristol Rovers in January 1983 and remaining there until his retirement the following season. Ball had played 975 competitive games in 21 years when he ultimately retired from the game.

Ball's international career had come to an end abruptly and acrimoniously at the age of 30, following 72 appearances and eight goals.

He was, however, the final member of the 1966 World Cup-winning group to retire from international competition (although not the last in the squad, as Ian Callaghan was unexpectedly called up by Ron Greenwood in 1977).

Alan Ball Jr. personal life

The nest of rarest facts is the personal life of the player, and in this section of top facts about Alan ball Jr., we will review his personal life. Ball attended Farnworth Grammar School for his education. Alan Sr., Ball's father, was a professional footballer and manager who died in a car accident in Cyprus in January 1982.

Jimmy Ball, Ball's son, was appointed temporary manager of

in April 2021, making him the third generation of the Ball family to manage in the Football League.

Ball was always a standout due to his short stature, fiery red hair, and high-pitched voice. In 1967, he published "Ball of Fire," an autobiography that was modified in 1978 as It's All About a Ball. Playing Extra Time, his third book gained great acclaim and provided insight into his highs and lows in the football world.

Ball played for Testwood Baptist Church in the Roger Frapwell Testimonial Match at the BAT ground in Totton, near Southampton, in April 2004, wearing the number 7 shirt he wore during the 1966 World Cup victory. Former Saints manager Dave Merrington and ex-Saints defender Francis Benali were also on the team.

SCRATCH, a local charity, received the proceeds from the game.

Alan Ball son

Let us walk a few steps away from the main topic of top facts about Alan Ball and talk about his son. Jimmy Ball is an English football coach who is now the first-team coach at Stevenage in the

.

Ball moved into coaching after his playing career, coaching at Christchurch and Winchester City. Ball moved to the United States to coach the Puget Sound Gunners in 2014, after coaching stints at Portsmouth and Shelbourne in Ireland. Ball later returned to England to coach in the Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City academies.

Ball was appointed temporary manager of Forest Green Rovers until the conclusion of the 2020–21 season on 11 April 2021, following the sacking of Mark Cooper and while working as the club's under-18 manager.

Rob Edwards was named head coach when the squad failed to achieve promotion, and Ball returned to coaching the under-18s. In September 2021, he left the club by mutual consent.

On January 4, 2022, Ball was named first-team coach of League Two club Stevenage.

Alan Ball father

As said before Alan came from a family with a football background and in this section of top facts about Alan Ball jr. we will talk about his after who was also a player.

James Alan Ball was a footballer and manager from England. Ball, who was born in Farnworth, Lancashire, played as an inside forward for Bolton Boys Federation, Southport (twice), Birmingham City (though he never played in the Football League), Oldham Athletic, and Rochdale.

He began his management career as a player-boss for Oswestry Town, then went on to manage Borough United, Ashton United, and Nantwich Town before joining Stoke City as a coach.

He was the manager of Halifax Town for two periods (1967–1970 and 1976–1977), as well as

when he won the Division 3 title in 1970, and Southport, IF Saab, and IK Sirius. In 1979, Ball was the manager of Djurgardens IF.

At the age of 57, he was killed in an automobile accident in Nicosia, Cyprus, in January 1982.

Alan Ball Jr. family

As marvelous as his career is, Ball’s life was not as glorious as one may think, but quite the opposite as he had to do everything, he could just to save his family from the disease that held his family captive. Let us uncover this sad story in this section of top facts about Alan Ball Jr. 

Ball battled in private as a family man after his wife and then his youngest daughter were both afflicted with serious illnesses. Lesley, whom he married on May 21, 1967, in St Stephen's parish church in Kearsley,

Lancashire, died on May 16, 2004, at the age of 57, after a three-year struggle with ovarian cancer. Alan and Lesley had three children together, Mandy, Keely, and Jimmy, who had been together for five years before their marriage. They had three grandchildren as well.

Ball had stayed at the family home in Warsash since mid-2005, and he had been dating childhood friend Valerie Beech, the ex-wife of former Bolton player Harry Beech.

Ball auctioned off his World Cup winner's medal and commemorative tournament cap to generate money for his family in May 2005 "They're simply knickknacks that take up room; I haven't looked at them in years. My World Cup memories are more significant to me than those items, and my family is even more essential." £140,000 was paid for the things.

Alan Ball Jr. death

We have reached the last stage of his life but not the last section of

top facts about Alan Ball Jr.

as there are still more parts to come.

Ball, 61, died at his home in Hook, Fareham, Hampshire, in the early hours of April 25, 2007, after having a heart attack while attempting to put out a wildfire in his garden that had begun when a bonfire – on which he had been burning garden trash – re-ignited and spread to a neighboring fence.

On May 3, 2007, he was laid to rest in Winchester Cathedral. Many of Ball's former football teammates were present, and his flat cap, for which he had become famous, was placed on top of his coffin.

On July 29, 2007, the Alan Ball Memorial Cup, a charity competition between two squads of former international players in the guise of "England vs. the World," was played, with earnings going to the

Cancer Research Fund and the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance Service.

Alan Ball death tax

Ball sold his medal and

cap for £208,000 in 2005 to help his children.

However, the revenues, which are part of Ball's estate, would now be liable to a hefty 40% inheritance tax charge.

Ball, a member of the 1966 World Cup-winning squad, sold his medal and cap to help his three children, Mandy, 39, Keely, 35, and Jimmy, 31, when their mother, Lesley, died in 2004.

Jimmy claimed at the family home in Hook, Hants, that his father had already paid capital gains tax and that the family would now be required to pay inheritance tax.

Ball's estate, which includes the family house, is likely to be valued more than £1 million — a pittance in comparison to the fortunes of today's footballers.

The Daily Express has been pushing for the repeal of the dreaded death tax, and nearly 130,000 individuals emailed Downing Street in support of our cause earlier this year.

Gordon Brown did not repeal death duties in this year's Budget, despite the overwhelming public support.

Inheritance tax is levied at 40% on estates worth more than £300,000, bringing in billions of pounds for the Treasury each year. As house prices rise, millions of hardworking Britons who have worked hard to provide for their families risk having their legacy taken away by the state.

the Taxpayers' Alliance said the system was terribly unfair and that it needed to be fixed as quickly as possible.

"It's a scandal that just because Alan Ball opted to sell what he earned in 1966 to support for his family, the state feels it has a claim on it," campaign director Blair Gibbs said. Everyone's morals are offended by inheritance tax."

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