Geraint Roberts - Ramblings of a would-be published novelist

Alan Ball

Strange I should feel more about Alan Ball departure than most others. He was one of THE stars when i was a boy in sleepy Aberystwyth. Many of the footballers of his time have also passed on, which is sad, as it reminds me how old I am and how long ago it was. But Alan Ball...

1970 and we were visiting my mother's family in Liverpool. I had never seen a professional football match and my dad elected to take me to Everton. Even then, i thought it was strange, although they never said, i always got the impression the family were reds. And me supporting Nottingham Forest at the time and all...

I was 8 and I'm afraid I remember little of the journey, we got a bus to Goodison. It was big and busy and blue. Newcastle were in town the names brought to life from my football cards - Nattrass and McFaul for the Geordies. Everton had Harvey, Royle, Morrissey, Kendall and Ball. Brian Labone had just retired. I was disappointed, I'd always liked his name.

We threaded our way through the blue stanchions. I'd never seen so much metal in a building outside of a meccano set. I got a programme from a girl I immediately took a fancy to, it cost me 7p.

The game started and I watched in awe, surprised at how the grown men shouted angrily as their heroes were denied time and again. I became interested in the programme, it smelt all inky and fresh. I'd never seen a mag so glossy. I was fascinated by it all and my Dad kept on telling me I'd miss the game.

Suddenly I looked up on impulse. A blue shirt was in the middle of the penalty area, he banged the ball midway in the goal, to the left. Past a despairing Iam McFaul, spreadeagled in midair. Before the world erupted in noise and my view was shattered by hundreds of adult backs and arms punched up in joy, I noted the tell-tale close cropped red hair, the slight form. Alan Ball had won the game for Everton.

It's a snippet of a memory from a milestone day for me. I went to Goodison again 2 years later, but the legend had gone South and it wasn't the same.

Thanks for the memory.

posted by Geraint @ 10:34 pm