Alan Ball and 1966

This is the only photograph of Alan Ball that I could find from the newspaper clippings I kept from the 1966 World Cup. This is from the Sunday Mirror of 31st July 1966, the day after the final. He didn't play in all the group matches. He played on the right of midfield in the opening 0 - 0 draw with Uruguay with John Connelly on the left. For the next game against Mexico, they were replaced with Terry Paine and Martin Peters. Ian Callaghan came in for Terry Paine against France, only to be replaced by Alan Ball for the quarter final. The rest is history.

When my friend Ray (see blog 25th January 2007) showed me the advert in the Evening Standard for world cup tickets, we were amazed that we could buy a season ticket for all the games at Wembley (where England played all their group matches) including the the quarter final, semi final AND FINAL. So we sent off our applications, and back came all the tickets in a nice little sellophane holder. Although I kept all mine, unfortunately they have been lost over the years. But I still have the programmes as the photograph above.

I missed one game. A friend at work (Rowena - her father had given me the second half of a Chelsea season ticket in 1964 when his work ar Reuters took him abroad) held a party to celebrate her 21st birthday on the same day England played Mexico. So I watched most of the game on their tv with her father. So Ray and I exchanged tickets, so I had his for the France v Uruguay game at White City, a most unusual venue, and took my friend Trevor.

Of course the final was fantastic. We were in our normal position behind the goal opposite the players entrance, the one where Geoff Hurst scored our third goal. The celebrations after the match were tinged with a little sadness. We had followed England through all their games and now it was all over.

From someone who went to nearly all the games England played, the most emotional was the match against Argentina in the quater final. For the eight minutes that play was halted when their captain Antonio Rattin was sent off, the chanting and singing was unremitting. England were by far the superior team until that moment. But then, as is so often playing against ten men, their play faltered. Only a wonderful header thirteen minutes from the end by Geoff Hurst ( only playing as Jimmy Greaves was injured) from a cross by Martin Peters won the game.

I was twenty one when we won the world cup, the same age as Alan Ball. I hope someone says the same words at my funeral as they did for Alan. They think its all over. It is now. But only for us.