Alan Ball M.B.E. One of the most memorable sights of England's 1966 World Cup Final victory was the sight of Alan Ball, the youngest member of the team, running West Germany into the ground, socks down around his ankles. Ankles at the end of legs that pumped with seemingly boundless energy throughout a hot afternoon on Wembley's strength sapping turf. A World Cup winner at 21 that tireless work-rate was typical Alan Ball, whichever shirt he pulled on for a game of football, throughout his 20 year career.  What Alan lacked in inches he more than made up for in his tenacious midfield play and ferocious tackles, the latter often getting him into trouble with referees. He was no slouch in the scoring stakes either, as his 78 goals in 249 appearances for Everton would testify, for a scoring ratio of a goal every three games, a rate of which many a striker would be proud.

Alan began his career with Blackpool, in 1962-63 as an 18 year old but after three seasons, in which he netted 41 goals in 116 league appearances, he joined Everton for a British record fee of £110,000, but by that time he was a World Cup winner, in only his 13 th England appearance. 

In just five years at Goodison Alan made more than 230 appearances and was at the hub of arguably the best midfield trio in post-war football, alongside Colin Harvey and Howard Kendall. With that midfield Everton stormed to the League Championship in 1969-70, two years after losing the FA Cup Final, 1-0 to West Bromwich Albion. 

Alan set another transfer record, £220,000, when he joined Arsenal in December 1971 and spent five years at Highbury where he won a further 19 England caps to take his total to 72 with his final appearance, against Scotland. Domestically success was limited for Alan although he did gain his second FA Cup runners-up medal after Arsenal lost the Centenary Cup Final 1-0 to Leeds United, in 1972. He also helped Arsenal to runners-up in the First Division, behind Liverpool, a year later. 

At 31 Alan moved on to Southampton when Lawrie McMenemy took him to The Dell and more than any other player Alan Ball was the driving force behind Saints` return to the First Division where he helped the club establish itself in the top flight. Even though he was approaching the tail end of his career Alan still had the boundless energy that had been the firm foundation on which he built his game and during the close season, while at Southampton, he took himself off to Canada to play for Vancouver Whitecaps in the North American Soccer league. In 1980 Alan swapped the South coast for the Lancashire coast when he became player-manager of his first club, Blackpool, but a year later he resigned and headed back to Southampton where Lawrie McMenemy teamed him up with two other 'Golden Oldies', Kevin Keegan and Mick Channon. With those three former England players in the side Southampton finished seventh in the First Division, in 1982, and even though he was 37 Alan Ball missed just ONE league game out of 42! The following season time caught up with Alan and he played just 12 games before deciding to quit and his last top-flight game was, fittingly, at home to Everton, with Southampton winning 3-2. 

Alan Ball finally brought down the curtain on his playing career in 1983 when he played 17 league games for Bristol Rovers. 

Following another spell abroad, this time in Hong Kong, he again returned to England and embarked on a managerial career that saw him take charge of Portsmouth (twice), Stoke, Exeter, Southampton and Manchester City.

Alan was awarded the MBE in 2000.