James Alan Ball (26 September 1924 – 2 January 1982) was an English football player and manager.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Alan Ball | ||
| Date of birth | 26 September 1924[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Farnworth, Lancashire, England | ||
| Date of death | 2 January 1982 (aged 57)[2] | ||
| Place of death | Nicosia, Cyprus | ||
| Position(s) | Inside forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| – | Bolton B.F. | ||
| 1946–1947 | Southport | 2 | (0) |
| 1947–1948 | Birmingham City | 0 | (0) |
| 1948–1950 | Southport | 39 | (9) |
| 1950–1952 | Oldham Athletic | 7 | (1) |
| 1952 | Rochdale | 5 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1953-1955 | Oswestry Town | ||
| Borough United | |||
| 1959-1961 | Ashton United | ||
| 1962-1966 | Nantwich | ||
| 1967–1970 | Halifax Town | ||
| 1970–1973 | Preston North End | ||
| 1973–1975 | Southport | ||
| 1974 | IF Saab | ||
| 1975 | IK Sirius | ||
| 1976–1977 | Halifax Town | ||
| 1978 | Västerhaninge IF | ||
| 1979 | Djurgårdens IF | ||
| 1980–1981 | Västerhaninge IF | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Playing career
editBorn in Farnworth, Lancashire, Ball played as an inside forward for Bolton Boys Federation, Southport (in two spells), Birmingham City (although he did not play a Football League match for them), Oldham Athletic and Rochdale.[1]
Managerial career
editBall started his managerial career[3] as player-boss of Oswestry Town,[4] then managed Borough United, Ashton United and Nantwich, helping the Cheshire side to a treble of Mid-Cheshire League, League Cup and Cheshire Amateur Cup in 1963/64.[5] In the summer of 1966, he left the Dabbers to take up a coaching role with Stoke City. He managed Halifax Town in two separate spells (1967–1970) and (1976–1977), and in between these he managed Preston North End between 1970 and 1973 winning the Division 3 title,[6] and Southport, IF Saab and IK Sirius.[7] Ball managed Djurgårdens IF in 1979.[8]
Outside football
editBall also had stints as a publican. While at Oswestry Town he kept the King's Head in Church Street, Oswestry.[9]
Death
editHe was killed in a car accident in Nicosia, Cyprus, in January 1982 at the age of 57.[2][7] Ball had been engaged for what would have been his next managerial position, with the Cypriot team Evagoras Paphos and was being transported in a taxi from Larnaca Airport to start work when it crashed, reportedly killing him instantly.[9]
Family
editAt death Ball left his widow, his lifetime wife Vera.[9] His son Alan Jr. played in England's 1966 World Cup-winning team and later followed his father into management. In April 2021, Ball's grandson, Jimmy, became the third generation of the family to manage in the Football League after being appointed interim manager at Forest Green Rovers.[10]
Ball is the great-grandfather of professional footballers John McAtee and James McAtee.[11]
References
edit- ^ a b "Alan Ball". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ^ a b "Alan Ball Sr". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ^ "Project 1878".
- ^ "Oswestry Town Managers". tnsfc.co.uk. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- ^ CHATWIN, MICHAEL (2020). ULTIMATE BOOK OF NANTWICH TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB. [S.l.]: EMPIRE. ISBN 978-0-9563068-2-1. OCLC 1199329275.
- ^ "Alan Ball (Snr)". League Managers Association. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ^ a b "Alan Ball". Port Online. Daniel Hayes. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ^ "Historia: Tränare A-laget" [History: First-team managers] (in Swedish). Djugården Fotboll. Archived from the original on 1 February 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
- ^ a b c "Former Oswestry soccer boss dies". Shropshire Star (North Edition). 4 January 1982. p. 1.
- ^ "Jimmy Ball 'had to take' Forest Green chance after winning first game in charge". NewsChain. 17 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
- ^ John & James McAtee on FA Cup runs, sibling rivalry and Mother's Day, Kelly Somers / Ian Woodcock, BBC Sport, 17 March 2023
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