Alan Ball RIP

[Flashman]

As I get older, I believe more and more that we shall never see another England World Cup win. Which simply gives more sheen to the legend that is the 1966 squad.

RIP Alan Ball.

We were pretty lucky on the day tbh and it might have gone either way (ruddy good side though and Ball was motm) and it's given every squad that's qualified since (media led of course) a lot of pressure that they seemingly cannot deal with. At the highest level that's what it's all about; ask excellent Spanish sides and wonderful Dutch sides over the years, Brazil sides (notably '82) and Argie sides.

It's all about the manager, he has to be either a psychologist or a tyrant, and even then you have to be a better psychologist or tyrant than the oppo.

The Germans have been miles ahead of everyone on this issue for decades.

 

[JTG]

It's a thread on the internet, it is not the funeral or at his kids house and he didn't say anything bad about Alan Ball - I don't get what is wrong with noting that there will be a lot of mawkish stuff about the world cup cos there will be and has been and I'm English. In fact, this morning I was listening to local radio and the presenter said 'what a great day, we can remember 1966 all over again' and I thought 'Hang on, that's not very nice is it?' cos someone who did an awful lot in his life and meant a lot to a lot of people is being reduced to a chance to indulge in a load of pointless flag waving that's been done a thousand times before.

I think fundemantally the notion that you can identify someone as a 'horrible little prick' and then expect people to see them as rude or ignorant is slightly confusing to me.

I did however think this was a well written and interesting article http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A22059461

Very true. Alan Ball meant so much to fans of Blackpool, Arsenal, Southampton, Rovers and, most of all, Everton. This was because he was a great footballer for over two decades in the professional game. I think it's quite sad that his death is an opportunity for some to harp on about 1966 all over again and effectively ignore everything else he achieved in the game.

 

[Balbi]

He did everything for Pompey, but got fucked by the fucking board

Got us into the top flight and then had his team sold out from under him! His managerial career suffered some serious slices of bad luck, but he took us safely into Milans hands and the modern era

ALAN BALLS BLUE AND WHITE ARMY

 

[g force]

I did however think this was a well written and interesting article http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A22059461

I thought that was very good, aside from the pointless dig at Rooney.