Who's the greatest of them all? Little curly Alan Ball

[RoyalBlueStuey]

Alan Ball has died aged 61. Absolutely gutted. Legend is an overused word but it fitted in his case. Fantastic player and one of the nicest people you'd meet.

 

[getofmeland]

Sad Loss, even though I am a Red... my family had links with him, My Granddad's Cousin was very close friends with Alan Ball and his family... And several occasions I have met him and he was such a great bloke to get on with, a Gent of this era...

 

[RoyalBlueStuey]

Sad Loss, even though I am a Red... my family has links with him, My Granddad's Cousin was very close friends with Alan Ball and his family... And several occasions I have met him and he was such a great bloke to get on with, a Gent of this era...
[/b]

He's still one of the ones my Dad talks about. Perhaps even more than his immense talent & drive on the field he was just such a great, great bloke.

When someone is held in that much affection by so many different footy fans you've got to take that as a measure of the man.

 

[getofmeland]

There are very few footballers of his type around these days, if any at all...

Football was never about the money, it was about the passion of playing...

 

[RoyalBlueStuey]

Football was never about the money, it was about the passion of playing...
[/b]

It was enough for them...He loved going back to his clubs. I remember him on the pitch at Goodison a few years back he was getting inducted into the EFC Hall of Fame. He just seemed really honoured to still be held in that much affection by people. When he told us how much the fan's support has always meant to the players it was just such a great moment. He wasn't talking down to us...it was almost like he was talking up to us. You wonder how someone that great can be so humble and affable and have such a touching insight...but by all accounts that was just him.

It's a cliche but players like him just seemed to think of themselves as one of the fans.

 

[Wellycane]

That is shocking news but also very sad too. I've only heard of his name only once in my life when the New Zealand Knights soccer team were searching for a new coach. I don't know what happened then but later on I learnt that a different coach was selected. But now I wish that he was coach because of the way all you guys describe him as a person which is very open and emotional to me. He certainly would have done something special for NZ too. Huge loss.

RIP

God Bless

 

[St Helens RLFC]

Very sad news. Revered as well liked man and a great footballer.

 

[Rugby_Cymru]

A very sad loss and i wouldn't even regard him as old.

 

[RoyalBlueStuey]

Alan Ball's Everton :

The Golden Vision

Dated now but still a nice period piece.