Uncle Wally One Ball
Well-Known Member
Brilliant analogy. So true.
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Alan Ball or Frank Clark era....
- Thread starter Mad Eyed Screamer
- Start date
Mad Eyed Screamer
Moderator
You are correct in had the season started from October we'd have been alright.Far too young to remember the Alan Ball era, but I do have a question.
We took 2 points from the first 11 games but then 36 from the remaining 27.
That means from the final 27 games we had a PPG of 1.33, which replicated over a full season would have got us 50/51 points to finish 10th/11th.
In other words, we were in upper-mid table form for more than two thirds of the season.
Our final points total (38) has proved enough to stay up on several occasions, and even this time it was simply goal difference that rendered it not enough.
Therefore, my question is...was Ball really that bad? Or is he remembered unfairly just because of a disastrous start?
To be 10 points away from safety after 10 games and being relegated on goal difference on the final day of the season shows the improvement made.
Ball was even manager of the month for October or November.
However during a 4 day period in December (I think) we lost 10-0 to Liverpool at Anfield!
4-0 in the League Cup and 6-0 on the Saturday! That spawned the Alan Ball is a football genius chant.
His cause wasnt helped by stating after the latter game that he enjoyed watching Liverpool's performance.....
bluefandk
Well-Known Member
Allan Ball is the worst manager in footballing history.
still get furious even thinking about the idiot, he makes Clark (as shit as he was) look like a footballing genius.
still get furious even thinking about the idiot, he makes Clark (as shit as he was) look like a footballing genius.
asahartford1
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Crabs or a dose
BringBackSwales
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It wasn’t just the one game that week, we lost 10 0 at anfield in the same week, I was there for both. Alan Ball was the most useless manager of the lot, Phil Neil was shite but only for a few weeksAlan Ball’s era, and especially that game on Merseyside, was one that’s hard to ever forget.
He truly was a football genius.
chesterbells
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It wasn’t just the one game that week, we lost 10 0 at anfield in the same week, I was there for both. Alan Ball was the most useless manager of the lot, Phil Neil was shite but only for a few weeks
Yeah, sorry, that was the game I meant, just try to avoid writing the name of the ground or the club’s name whenever I can - must be something about the colour of the kit ;-)
Mad Eyed Screamer
Moderator
He sent Stoke down too and they hated him. His final game for City was at Stoke (can't recall if Victoria Ground or the Britannia) and at the end of them game both sets of fans were screaming for his head!Allan Ball is the worst manager in footballing history.
still get furious even thinking about the idiot, he makes Clark (as shit as he was) look like a footballing genius.
Newman Noggs
Well-Known Member
Frank Clark's tenure was grimmer. At least we had a great song for Alan Ball. All together now....."and after all...you're my Alan Ball..."
nmc
Well-Known Member
Both were clueless. One bought Ged Brannan and Lee Bradbury the other Michael Fronzeck and Gerry Creaney... God they were tough days.
Edit. Just remembered Ball signed bloody Nigel Clough as well.
Edit. Just remembered Ball signed bloody Nigel Clough as well.
nmc
Well-Known Member
Frank Clark's tenure was grimmer. At least we had a great song for Alan Ball. All together now....."and after all...you're my Alan Ball..."
I did like the Frank Sidebottom‘s song for Frank Clark - the rendition of Flash Gordon... it was incredibly sardonic in a way that fitted the era.