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Plaque in memory of legend Ball
3:38pm Friday 29th February 2008
Comments (5)A MEMORIAL plaque at the former home of football legend Alan Ball will be unveiled at a special ceremony next month.
Relatives of the late star will join members of the public as the tribute is revealed at the house in Farnworth where he was born.
It has been funded by Ball's former clubs and arranged by the Bolton and District Civic Trust.
Chairman, Brian Tetlow, said: "A plaque of this kind is not normally in the Trust's domain but because of the reverence in which Alan Ball was held in Bolton, and the considerable local sadness at his death, we felt it was a very worthy cause."
Ball commanded the midfield in his playing days for Blackpool, Everton and Arsenal and helped England to success in the 1966 World Cup.
He was latterly well known for his love of horse racing and occasional appearances as a pundit on football programmes.
He died at his Hampshire home on April 27, 2007, aged 61, after suffering a heart attack while trying to put out a fire in his garden.
The 1930s semi-detached house where the plaque will be erected belonged to his grandparents, Eva and Norman Duckworth.
The 14-inch circular blue memorial will be unveiled at 2pm on March 27 and will be maintained by the home's current owners, Charles Carter, a retired plumber and keen football fan, and his wife, Lynn.
Ball's daughter, Keeley Allan, said: "It is almost a year since dad died and we have been overwhelmed by everything that has happened.
"When we were first approached about the plaque, I wondered if he was watching down and laughing at all the fuss being made.
"He was very proud of and true to his roots in Bolton. He had a real affection for the place and would be so pleased about this plaque, especially because it will be at the home of his grandparents, who he dearly loved.
"There will definitely be members of the family at the event."
Your Say YourThe Bolton News
erichyland, says...
7:52pm Fri 29 Feb 08
I played against him for the school team and our teacher told us to watch out for the boy with the red hair. I remember this all those years ago because on that day there was only one parent watching, Alan Ball senior. He kicked every ball ran round the pitch, never stopped shouting, when his son was on the floor, shouted at him to get up and get on with it.It was his father I remembered at the time and only knew who Bally was when he was signed by Blackpool (He failed a trial at Bolton, too small,)
I meet him 3yrs ago, he was guest speaker at a sportsmans dinner at the 'Last Drop'. Most of his speech was about how his father had influenced him and his love for his father. It brought back to me that game all thoughs years ago and now, when I hear his name mentioned, it will not be football I think of but the love for father and son.
Bye the way we won 2-0 (I think)
chas, suffolk says...
8:30pm Fri 29 Feb 08
Sun Tzu, says...
9:40am Sat 1 Mar 08
chas wrote:Not to mention too British.
Pity more parents don't take more interest in their kids. Many footballers make it later in life and how many get rejected early on, because they are 'too small'.
Alan Ball belongs to an era when football was a sport.
yonmons, Portsmouth says...
3:04pm Tue 4 Mar 08
MUCH LOVED: Alan Ball, pictured playing for England
NEW OWNER: Charles Carter, pictured outside the house in Farnworth where Alan Ball was born and brought up
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chas, suffolk says...
4:56pm Fri 29 Feb 08