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Soccer Legend Passes Away
World Football Exhibitions is saddened by death of Soccer Legend Alumni Alan Ball MBE
The football world was shocked with the news that one of English football’s most beloved characters has sadly passed away. Alan Ball died suddenly at home after suffering a heart attack on the evening of Tuesday 24th April, his death came as a shock to the whole football community.
Alan was an inaugural World Football Exhibitions Soccer Legend and was instated at the recent Audience with the Soccer Legends held in his hometown of Bolton. A great football ambassador, Ball is most famous for his contributions winning the World Cup with England in 1966. Alan was the youngest member of the World Cup winning team aged just 21.
Anthony Howarth, of World Football Exhibitions, said: “This has come as a complete shock. Alan was with us just three weeks ago at the Audience with the Soccer Legends and he was in good spirits and on top form . . . At this time our thoughts are with Alan’s children Jimmy, Mandy and Keeley, his partner Valerie and all other family and friends affected by his loss”.
Howarth continued: “World Football Exhibitions would like to pay tribute to Alan Ball’s personality, passion, humour and, of course, his life in football – the game he loved”.
Mark Bushell, Football Historian and World Football Exhibitions Managing Director, reflected, “Alan’s death is a great loss to English football. Sad events like this show how important it is that the Audience with the Soccer Legends programme not only recognises the greats of our game but, more so, records the Legends thoughts and feelings to form the world’s first football oral history archive. A real character, Alan will be truly missed”.
A full-page tribute to Alan Ball, including quotes from England 1966 teammate and fellow World Football Exhibitions Soccer Legends Alumni Jack Charlton, is included in the latest edition of the byline, World Football Exhibitions’ newsletter. The byline is available to download from our www.world-football-exhibitions.co.uk contacts page.