World Cup Winner Dies Aged 61

One of England’s World Cup winners from 1966, Alan Ball MBE, has died of a heart attack at just 61.

Ball was the youngest of the World Cup winning team. He won a total of 72 England caps. He was awarded an MBE in 2000 and is only the second member of the side that won at Wembley beating West Germany 4-2, to die. The first was captain Bobby Moore, who died of cancer in 1993.

The scorer of the famous hat-trick in the World Cup Final, Geoff Hurst paid this tribute to Ball, “He was the youngest member of the team and man of the match in the 1966 World Cup final.

“Socially he was always a good laugh and the 1966 team mixed a lot after then. We are all totally devastated.”

Another member of the team, Sir Bobby Charlton has said, “He was probably the best player that day and if it had not been for his impact the result could have been totally different.

He did not appear to have a nerve in his body, and he was an inspiration to us all.

“Alan was always bright and bubbly in everything he did as a player. He went about his work with great enthusiasm and gusto and he always had a smile on his face.

“He was a sensational little player with great touch and great vision. He had great close control and although he wasn’t a fast player he didn’t need to be. He could see things clearly and always made the right decisions.

“He was the youngest member of our squad and we were all looking forward to our latest reunion in two weeks. I am very sad and shocked by the news. Alan will be badly missed.”

Ball, was one of those small, yet very industrious midfield players. The type you hate to play against but always want in your team. He started his career at Blackpool and went on to play for Everton, Arsenal and Southampton before enjoying a spell in the United States. He later managed seven clubs including Portsmouth, Southampton and Manchester City.

Alan Ball died of a heart attack after collapsing outside his home tackling a bonfire.

The Soccer Blogger