Southport Central

Alan Ball

Real Name: James Alan Ball
Normal Position: Inside Forward
Height: 5' 8
Weight: 10st 8lbs
Born: 23/09/1924 (Farnworth, Bolton)
Died: 02/01/1982 (Nicosia, Cyprus)

Alan BallAn outstanding performer in the Bolton Boys Federation where he scored 64 goals in one season, he was recommended by former Southport Central stalwart Tom Williamson and duly played in a trial match in August 1942. He then heard nothing until, working as an apprentice carpenter, he got a telegram calling him to play at Bolton Wanderers on 12 September 1942 when he was not yet 18. This copper-haired inside-forward, who was with the B.A.O.R., came in for a lot of criticism from supporters but was always a livewire worker and a full 90 minutes player. He was transferred to Birmingham for a big fee shortly after being demobbed from the Army but returned to Haig Avenue, without making the grade at St Andrews, at the same time as Arthur Turner. He was transferred to Oldham Athletic for a fee but had only 7 games for the `Latics and another 5 for Rochdale. He managed a number of non-League clubs and later went into League management getting Halifax Town promoted from the Fourth Division as runners-up. Then at Preston he won the Third Division Championship in his first season (197o-71) and managed Southport as well as several Swedish clubs. Father and mentor to Alan Ball the England International, he scouted for Blackpool but was killed in a car crash in Cyprus a few hours after arriving on the island to discuss a coaching appointment.

Player Profile reproduced with Permission from:
The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F. C., by Michael Braham and Geoff Wilde (Palatine Books, 1995). ISBN 978-1-874181-14-9

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Transfers

Season Date From To Value
1946/1947 20/05/1947 Southport BIRMINGHAM CITY Large Fee


Player Match Stats


Statistics include the following competitions
Cambrian Cup, Conference League Cup, English Jubilee Fund, FA Cup , FA Trophy , Football League Cup, Lancashire Floodlit Trophy, Lancashire Junior Cup, Lancashire League Medal Competition, Lancashire Senior Cup, League, Liverpool Senior Cup, Northern Premier League Cup, Northern Premier League Shield, PLAY OFFS , President's Cup, President's Inter League, Third Division (North) Cup, Welsh Cup,

Season Apps Subs Goals
1942/1943 201
1945/1946 000
1946/1947 300
1947/1948 1201
1948/1949 1705
1949/1950 1804
Total 52 0 11

Appearances & Goals

Games where player was named on the team sheet

Date Competition Venue Opponents Score
29/04/1950 League / D3NH CARLISLE UNITED 1 - 2
10/04/1950 League / D3NA BRADFORD CITY 0 - 6
18/03/1950 League / D3NH YORK CITY 1 - 1
18/02/1950 League / D3NA NEW BRIGHTON 0 - 1
11/02/1950 League / D3NA CARLISLE UNITED 3 - 3
04/02/1950 League / D3NH DARLINGTON 1 - 1
17/01/1950 Lancashire Senior Cup / 2H MANCHESTER UNITED 1 - 0
12/01/1950 FA Cup / 3RA HULL CITY 0 - 5
07/01/1950 FA Cup / 3H HULL CITY 0 - 0
31/12/1949 League / D3NA DONCASTER ROVERS 1 - 5
27/12/1949 League / D3NH ROCHDALE 3 - 2
26/12/1949 League / D3NA ROCHDALE 0 - 2
24/12/1949 League / D3NH STOCKPORT COUNTY 1 - 0
17/12/1949 League / D3NA MANSFIELD TOWN 2 - 1
10/12/1949 FA Cup / 2H BRADFORD CITY 2 - 1
03/12/1949 League / D3NH ROTHERHAM UNITED 4 - 0
01/12/1949 FA Cup / 1RA BARROW 1 - 0
19/10/1949 Lancashire Senior Cup / 1A EVERTON 3 - 1
30/04/1949 League / D3NA HALIFAX TOWN 1 - 0
26/04/1949 League / D3NH HALIFAX TOWN 2 - 3
23/04/1949 League / D3NH BRADFORD CITY 2 - 1
18/04/1949 League / D3NH CHESTER (1885) 2 - 1
16/04/1949 League / D3NA DONCASTER ROVERS 2 - 1
16/03/1949 Liverpool Senior CupA NEW BRIGHTON 0 - 1
12/03/1949 League / D3NH TRANMERE ROVERS 2 - 3
05/03/1949 League / D3NA MANSFIELD TOWN 1 - 1
05/02/1949 League / D3NH DARLINGTON 1 - 3
27/12/1948 League / D3NA BARROW 1 - 2
13/11/1948 League / D3NA HULL CITY 1 - 5
28/09/1948 Lancashire Senior Cup / 1A BURNLEY 0 - 3
14/09/1948 League / D3NH CREWE ALEXANDRA 0 - 0
11/09/1948 League / D3NH HARTLEPOOL 1 - 2
06/09/1948 League / D3NA CREWE ALEXANDRA 0 - 1
04/09/1948 League / D3NA GATESHEAD (1930) 2 - 2
30/08/1948 League / D3NA YORK CITY 3 - 1
17/04/1948 League / D3NH ROTHERHAM UNITED 1 - 2
10/04/1948 League / D3NA CARLISLE UNITED 3 - 2
27/03/1948 League / D3NA CHESTER (1885) 0 - 0
26/03/1948 League / D3NH ACCRINGTON STANLEY 1 - 1
20/03/1948 League / D3NH MANSFIELD TOWN 1 - 1
13/03/1948 League / D3NA YORK CITY 3 - 3
06/03/1948 League / D3NH OLDHAM ATHLETIC 4 - 0
28/02/1948 League / D3NA TRANMERE ROVERS 2 - 2
21/02/1948 League / D3NA NEW BRIGHTON 2 - 2
14/02/1948 League / D3NH ROCHDALE 2 - 2
07/02/1948 League / D3NA HALIFAX TOWN 0 - 0
31/01/1948 League / D3NH WREXHAM 1 - 0
19/10/1946 League / D3NH OLDHAM ATHLETIC 2 - 4
15/10/1946 Lancashire Senior Cup / 1 2LA BURY 0 - 3
12/10/1946 League / D3NA STOCKPORT COUNTY 0 - 2
27/03/1943 Lancashire Senior Cup / 1 2LA EVERTON 1 - 2
20/03/1943 Lancashire Senior Cup / 1 1LH EVERTON 4 - 1

Games where player has scored

Date Competition Venue Opponents Score
04/02/1950League / D3NH DARLINGTON 1 - 1
24/12/1949League / D3NH STOCKPORT COUNTY 1 - 0
17/12/1949League / D3NA MANSFIELD TOWN 2 - 1
03/12/1949League / D3NH ROTHERHAM UNITED 4 - 0
26/04/1949League / D3NH HALIFAX TOWN 2 - 3
27/12/1948League / D3NA BARROW 1 - 2
13/11/1948League / D3NA HULL CITY 1 - 5
04/09/1948League / D3NA GATESHEAD (1930) 2 - 2
30/08/1948League / D3NA YORK CITY 3 - 1
06/03/1948League / D3NH OLDHAM ATHLETIC 4 - 0
20/03/1943Lancashire Senior Cup / 1 1LH EVERTON 4 - 1

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