Jack's Warm Words For Alan
FORMER Boro boss Jack Charlton has paid tribute to his close friend, the late Alan Ball.
Charlton, who was among the football greats and thousands of football fans attending the service, said his fellow World Cup winner was a unique character.
"I've got loads of memories of Alan," said Charlton when he visited the Riverside as guest of Middlesbrough Former Players Association for the Spurs game.
"I was with him just two weeks ago at an event in Bolton and I can't believe he's now dead.
"He was always aggressive to me during games but then he would come across and give me a hug at the end. He was a lovely lad and a great player.
"After the World Cup final in 1966 every one of us had an idea of who'd been our best player and Alan Ball came out way top."
Ball, 61, the youngest member of Sir Alf Ramsay's squad, died of a heart attack while putting out a small fire that had broken out in a compost heap in the garden of his Hampshire home.
He also won 72 caps for his country in a 10-year career and he made a total of 743 League appearances for Blackpool, Everton, Arsenal and Southampton.
He later managed seven clubs including Manchester City, Southampton and Portsmouth.
Mourners at the funeral will be led by Ball's son Jimmy, 31, and daughters Mandy Byrne, 39, and Keely Allan, 35. Their mother, Lesley, died three years ago from cancer.
A period of applause was held for Ball at the Riverside before the Spurs game, as well as at grounds throughout the country.
Our middle picture shows Big Jack with Alan Peacock at the Riverside while the bottom one shows the England squad in 1964, inlcuding Ball and Boro trainer Harold Shepherdson, as well as Charlton.
