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Video of Alan Ball at an after dinner event


Norm
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I had the pleasure of attending a Q&A session with Alan Ball about 20 years ago. He was a smashing bloke, afterwards he stood at the bar with me and my mate chatting over a pint of Guiness like old friends. My dad called me at that time and when I told him I was stood next to Alan Ball he didn't believe me, so Alan Ball took the phone off me and stood there talking to him for about 5 minutes about the old times. Was a great evening.

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I've said before that the greatest tribute that can be paid to Alan Ball is that he is equally loved by Saints and p****y fans.

 

Neither begrudges him his time at the other club because both Saints and p****y fans knew that he never undersold their respective club.

 

When he was at Saints, either as player or manager, he wore his heart on his sleeve and gave it everything he had. And he did the same at p****y and he earned respect from both camps for that.

 

Contrast and compare to Redknapp.

 

I got chewed out a few times by Ballie and it wasn't a pleasant experience for a young journalist. As you can imagine, he could be quite waspish, but although he would bollock you, he would never humiliate you.

 

He never held grudges and once he had said his piece he would put his arm around your shoulder and invite you for a drink.

 

He probably wouldn't be able to manage in the Premier League now as the domestic and foreign primadonnas would not respond to his emotive and emotional, Churchillian powers of motivation.

 

He took his World Cup winners medal to every club he went to, and the first time he met the players, he would pull it out of its blue velvet bag and say: "I bet there are none of you in this dressing room with one of these."

 

While most players were impressed by it, and the thought of being managed by a World Cup winner, it didn't work at Manchester City, and it wouldn't work at any current Premier League as most of them have a World Cup winner in their ranks.

 

I miss the little fellow.

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Neither begrudges him his time at the other club because both Saints and p****y fans knew that he never undersold their respective club

 

Although, while being interviewed on the Dell pitch on becoming Saints manager he did say he would have "walked over broken glass for this job, even when he was down the road". Happy days.

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Don't forget terry Paine ! He got his later but still got one ! Or is my old mind playing tricks on me ?

 

You're right.

Terry Paine played in the first game (v.France?) but was concussed in the game and Alf Ramsey, fearing for TP's health, left him out of the next game - and Ball came in.

 

The Winner's medals were only awarded to players in the Final, and it took more than 20 years for that wrong to be righted when all the squad who played were rewarded.

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You're right.

Terry Paine played in the first game (v.France?) but was concussed in the game and Alf Ramsey, fearing for TP's health, left him out of the next game - and Ball came in.

 

The Winner's medals were only awarded to players in the Final, and it took more than 20 years for that wrong to be righted when all the squad who played were rewarded.

 

Thanks for that , we have had some real quality at our little provincial club haven't we , great video by the way !

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Absolute quality watch ...

 

Incidentally, years ago when I lived in Marchwood I went jogging one morning and bumped into AB when our manager. I asked if I could join him on his run he said no problem - we chatted about football in general. The bit I remember particularly was his comments on Iain Dowie, along the lines of "if he wants more cash and a better contract he'd better start scoring".... plus a few expletives thrown in.

 

Thoroughly decent guy ... can you imagine a Premier League manager doing that today ? !

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Although, while being interviewed on the Dell pitch on becoming Saints manager he did say he would have "walked over broken glass for this job, even when he was down the road". Happy days.

 

Thought the quote was he would of walked over broken glass for the man city job when saints didn't try and keep him .. Great memories include a wonder goal away at Preston in the fa cup late 70's

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Thought the quote was he would of walked over broken glass for the man city job when saints didn't try and keep him .. Great memories include a wonder goal away at Preston in the fa cup late 70's

He said it then too I believe, but might have changed it to "hot coals" or similar.

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Absolutely magnificent.

 

He had more Passion for the game in his little finger than any of the jumped upped pansies have nowadays.

 

This video should be a must for every club to show to players starting in the academy ...... and even more so to the present squad who seemed to think we'ed made it with last season's performances and beating Chelsea this year.

 

Made it .... show me where you are at the end of the season chumps.

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Because he acted from the heart he got things wrong, and the Manchester City saga is one he screwed up spectacularly.

 

As is the way of the world, Ballie had already been approached by then Man City chairman Frannie Lee who offered to treble his wages at Saints.

 

Ballie wasn't going to turn that down and who of us would refuse an offer for somebody to treble our wages?

 

Had Saints refused Man City to talk to Ballie, he would have been pretty quick to complain that the club were denying him the right to talk to other clubs, and would have stumped off in a state of high dudgeon.

 

Guy Askham, knowing City had already offered to treble his wages, let Ballie talk to City in the hope that in doing the gentlemanly thing in allowing him to talk, Ballie would do the honourable thing in staying.

 

For Ballie to then say Askham's decision to let him talk to City was a sign he wasn't wanted was a bit disingenuous. He wanted his cake and to eat it.

 

He was going to City, no matter what.

 

He would have been better served with a streak of honesty in this instance, by saying he had been made an incredible offer which he could not turn down.

 

Working Joes who dream of somebody trebling their salary would have accepted that more readily.

 

He didn't get off on the right foot with City fans by making Martin Phillips from p****y one of his first signings.

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