England World Cup winner Alan Ball has died at the age of 61 after suffering a suspected heart attack on Tuesday evening.
Ball won 72 caps in total for his country and was a key member of the side that won the World Cup on home soil in 1966, having only made his senior England bow in May 1965 against Yugoslavia, while still in his teens.
He enjoyed an illustrious club career with Blackpool, Everton, Arsenal and Southampton, also playing in US football with Philadelphia Fury and the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Ball also went on to make his mark in management after ending his playing days, having spells in charge of Blackpool, Portsmouth, Stoke City, Exeter City, Southampton and Manchester City.
He was awarded an MBE in 2000, alongside fellow World Cup winners George Cohen, Roger Hunt, Nobby Stiles and Ray Wilson.
Former Southampton manager, Lawrie McMenemy, said of Ball: "He was a fantastic man. This is very sad news. The fact is he was bubbly and never lost that infectious attitude to everything. He was a scrapper and he developed into an all-round performer. He was an inspiration to everyone around him. He was brilliant for any manager to have."
23 April 2007
Bolton have signed former Exeter City youth product Mark Ellis on a one-year professional contract.
Central defender Ellis, 18, spent three years with Exeter′s academy but moved north after a successful trial.
Ellis told the Exeter Echo: "Hopefully next season I will carry on playing for Bolton′s reserves and go out on loan for a taste of first-team football. I haven′t any regrets about leaving Exeter, I moved on to develop my career but they helped me get where I am now."
