Ball, Alan James

▪ 2008

      British association football (soccer) player and manager

born May 12, 1945 , Farnworth, Lancashire, Eng.

died April 25, 2007 , Warsash, Hampshire, Eng.

represented his country in 72 matches over a 10-year period (1965–75) and was, at age 21, the youngest player on the team that won the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup for England in 1966. The dynamic red-headed midfielder stood only 1.68-m (5-ft 6-in) tall and was initially thought to be too small to be a successful footballer. Ball signed his first professional contract at age 17, however, and during his 21-year playing career (1962–83), he appeared in more than 800 games with Blackpool, Everton, Arsenal, Southampton, Hong Kong, Bristol, and two teams in the fledgling North American Soccer League and scored almost 200 goals (including 8 for England). He also managed several teams between 1980 and 1999. Ball was appointed MBE in 2000.

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