When a World Cup hero came to Pukekohe

Alan Ball passed away on April 27 (NZ time) and for those who attended a dinner hosted by Pukekohe AFC in February 2006, memories of a wonderful night spent with the 1966 World Cup winner came flooding back.

(Feel free to post a comment or two below on your memories of Ball's career or the gala dinner evening)

Below is want transpired when a World Cup winner came to Pukekohe:


Pukekohe AFC hosted a dinner with England's 1966 World Cup winner Alan Ball on Saturday 11 February 2006 - and for those that made it along to the Dorchester Lounge at the Pukekohe Cosmopolitan Club, it was night they will never forget.

Ball regaled an enthusiastic crowd with tales of his playing days with English club sides including Blackpool, Everton, Arsenal and Southampton as well as a riveting account of how England progressed through the 1966 World Cup to triumph on home soil.

The evening started, a little later than scheduled - with several players from the club first team returning from their first pre-season outing, with a buffet meal before emcee for the evening, 1982 All White Sam Malcolmson, introduced the star of the night.

Ball then launched into his tale, describing his childhood, and in particular his relationship with his father, that helped fuel his rise to the top of the English game.

The World Cup winner painted in vivid detail what it was like to first catch-on with an English club side (Blackpool) and then recounted how he progressed from there to lift the 1966 World Cup for England.

Among the many highlights of the evening was the behind-the-scenes look he gave of an England squad that included the likes of Bobby Charlton, Gordon Banks and Nobby Stiles.

Thanks in large part to fine efforts of Andy Finlayson there were also a number of prizes raffled off during the evening. The high point of which was the auction of a signed England 1966 replica jersey which fetched more than $600 for the club.

The autograph and photo sessions gave enthralled supporters the chance to mingle with a World Cup legend and two giddy Everton fans (stand up Andy Davey and Steve Upfold!) got their chance to grab a photo - wearing their newly signed Everton 1966 replica jerseys - with a Goodison Park legend.


The night ended with a question and answer session that Lee du Maurier took full advantage of with last year's first team coach quizzing the England star on a range of football topics - most of which included something about Manchester City!

A HUGE thank you must go to Andy Finlayson and co. who put in a great deal of effort to get the evening off the ground.

While Ball was in the country he also made stops at some of New Zealand's biggest football clubs including Waitakere City, Wellington, Canterbury United and Glenfield Rovers so to have Pukekohe AFC mentioned in the same sentence with those clubs proves how big a task it was for Andy (and his band of helpers!) to bring a World Cup winner to Pukekohe.

Those who made it along that night will never forget it.

Back: Peter Wild, Andy Hargreaves, Gene Herder (obscured), Lee du Maurier, Gwyn Hughes, Alan Ball, Tony Woulfe, Andy Davey, Andy Finlayson

Front: Anthony Cooke, Steve Upfold