Was browsing an article featuring a load of recently unearthed Football Photos from the 50s and 60s that the Guardian ran an article on - includes a couple of former Wanderers players amongst them in unusual situations 

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/gallery/2020/oct/03/graffiti-fishing-and-mr-whippy-unseen-photographs-from-footballs-yesteryear

 it included this picture of Alan Ball below - i know he was a Farnworth lad ,  just curious to know whereabouts in Farnworth he grew up ? Anyone know ? 

The caption with the picture reads -

Everton and England's Alan Ball has a cup of tea outside his childhood home with his mother, Violet and her dog less than a year after England's World Cup triumph

 

 

I think I heard years back that Paul Mariner is a Farnworth lad too.  

No idea from whereabouts though.

51 minutes ago, Thorpey said:

I think I heard years back that Paul Mariner is a Farnworth lad too.  

No idea from whereabouts though.

Horwich, off Longworth Road. Born 1953. Went to Rivington & Blackrod Grammar.

Bolton fan, begged for a trial.

Edited December 23, 20205 yr by Dr. Feelgood
.

1 hour ago, Dr. Feelgood said:

Horwich, off Longworth Road. Born 1953. Went to Rivington & Blackrod Grammar.

Bolton fan, begged for a trial.

True , I think his father was more of a Wanderers fan although when he was a teenager I used to see him on the Lever End .Late sixties/ early seventies. 

Alan Ball snr used to drink in Bolton town centre in the early seventies .He used to get wound up by every man & his dog having a pop at his son , he was usually pished. 

16 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

My other half is from Farnworth...she takes great pride in the fact that 2 of the leading personalities associated with World Cup 66 went to Farnworth Grammar - Bally and Ken Wolstenholme.

And one of the ball boys was from farnworth also .  Malcolm had a paper shop on market street . He had a program signed by all the players on both sides  at the meal after the game . He took it into the Victoria pub to show the landlord and some one nicked it . 
farnworth probably got a better claim than West Ham for 66 😂

31 minutes ago, Farnywhite said:

And one of the ball boys was from farnworth also .  Malcolm had a paper shop on market street . He had a program signed by all the players on both sides  at the meal after the game . He took it into the Victoria pub to show the landlord and some one nicked it . 
farnworth probably got a better claim than West Ham for 66 😂

Never knew that, good stuff.

Ball played 900 senior games including internationals which seems unbelievable especially on those heavy pitches.  Also managed 7 football league clubs.

2 hours ago, Thorpey said:

I think I heard years back that Paul Mariner is a Farnworth lad too.  

No idea from whereabouts though.

I thought he was Chorley lad, remember going to Plymouth on one of :lol: Catteralls coaches, midnight from the (Roundhouse) Wheatsheaf, Mariner scored both goals in a 1-1 draw, what a lively day that was

16 minutes ago, athywhite1958 said:

I thought he was Chorley lad, remember going to Plymouth on one of Catteralls coaches, midnight from the (Roundhouse) Wheatsheaf, Mariner scored both goals in a 1-1 draw, what a lively day that was

Horwich as posted earlier .

Product of Albert St. University

Great schoolboy player (midfielder & quite small)

Never in a million years would anyone in those days predicted England centre forward.

He is a time served engineer, & a late arrival in football terms .Spotted playing for Chorley & signed by Plymouth. 

So that's at least two England internationals we missed.

Edited December 23, 20205 yr by Take Hunt Off
More info

Just looking at Bolton’s England International stats. 40 years between Freddie Hill in 1962 and our next international player, Michael Ricketts in 2002. Proper wilderness years. Wonder how many years between our last (SKD) and the next.

 

https://www.englandstats.com/club.php?cid=16

I think it may be a few Micky

I’d even accept an ex-player

Edited December 23, 20205 yr by MickyD

Rob Holding?

25 minutes ago, Take Hunt Off said:

Horwich as posted earlier .

Product of Albert St. University

Great schoolboy player (midfielder & quite small)

Never in a million years would anyone in those days predicted England centre forward.

He is a time served engineer, & a late arrival in football terms .Spotted playing for Chorley & signed by Plymouth. 

So that's at least two England internationals we missed.

Martin Dobson was another.   Not born in Bolton (Blackburn i think ) but was on our books before being released without playing a 1st team game. 

38 minutes ago, MickyD said:

Just looking at Bolton’s England International stats. 40 years between Freddie Hill in 1962 and our next international player, Michael Ricketts in 2002. Proper wilderness years. Wonder how many years between our last (SKD) and the next.

 

https://www.englandstats.com/club.php?cid=16

Im 58, i wont be alive to see our next England International!

 

Well, if you want a list of our misses over the years it makes for sorry reading.

Every club misses some but jeez.

We had the nephew of Tommy Banks on out books, mid 50's. A schoolboy predicted to be a great player. He was ill with flu & so not signed when shitehawk Busbyturned up at his home & persuaded him to sign. One Duncan Edwards.  That didn't end well.

In that era we didn't give Bolton fan Roger Hunt a try when he asked 3 times. We declined to take up Alan Ball. We lost Frannie Lee as he was poached from us. At least we had actually signed him. We'd have had more players than West Ham in the 1966 final & it would have been Bolton who won the World Cup. 

Martin Dobson, as said, was in our Juniors but released. We were offered a look at Colin Bell ffs.

Later seasons saw Mariner, Paul Flitcroft & Jason Wilcox missed. Presumably many more.

17 hours ago, leigh white said:

He got to big for his white boots at the peoples club.

Never brave enough to buy a pair - you were asking for attention back in the day 

6 hours ago, Dr Faustus said:

was thinking the house should be recognised with a blue plaque

 

Ball-on th'wall as well

it is 

and town hall named after him

Martin Dobson played once for the first eleven as a centreforward!

At Man city in the League cup .We lost 3-1 & got chased all over the Kippax.

Tommy Lawton also from Farnworth

This time of year, always one of the older family members singing in this order usually,

- She's a lassie from Lancashire 

- Wild Rover

- A Bally for you, a bally for me...

20 hours ago, Not in Crawley said:

My Nana was his aunty, so my mum's side of the family grew up with them. Came to my mum and dad's wedding after a game. 

Also the reason Uncle Trevor and the rest of the Balls still support Everton.

My Nana and Grandpa lived on Eskdale close for a long time, lots of pics at the Flying Shuttle with them all, me in a pram. All the family lived near around the estate.

Went to visit him in Southampton once when we were on holiday down there as a kid, quite cool seeming his medals etc 

 

@Not in Crawley

 

Crawley, is your nana Lillian Collier? Bessie (Elizabeth) was father Alan's mum. Lillian had two daughters, one was called Hazel but I can't think of the other daughter Heather maybe?

Father Alan's wife was Violet but was known to all as Val.

All this from Mrs. Fogarty who used to take Bessie to Everton to watch Bally jun. She used to take her to Preston when Bally Sr. was manager there.

 

Edited December 23, 20205 yr by Casino

3 hours ago, woolli said:

Im 58, i wont be alive to see our next England International!

 

Don't be too hard on yourself, England play San Marino in March. 

My dad went same school has Alan all saints and harper green but not in the same year . His dad had the rose and crown pub for a while . Remember my Dad saying that there was some lad at the time wolves owner came up in id rolls Royce to the school to watch and they eventually signed can’t remember is name but will ask him 

Edited December 23, 20205 yr by Farnywhite

13 minutes ago, Farnywhite said:

My dad went same school has Alan all saints and harper green but not in the same year . His dad had the rose and crown pub for a while . Remember my Dad saying that there was some lad at the time wolves owner came up in id rolls Royce to the school to watch and they eventually signed can’t remember is name but will ask him 

I'd expect it was Terry Wharton.

My late father in law was best mates with Mariner's Uncle, Billy Carroll.  He lived up Markland Hill (the uncle, not Mariner).  

That's as tenuous a claim to fame as I can muster.

2 hours ago, Francis Fogarty said:

@Not in Crawley

 

Crawley, is your nana Lillian Collier? Bessie (Elizabeth) was father Alan's mum. Lillian had two daughters, one was called Hazel but I can't think of the other daughter Heather maybe?

Father Alan's wife was Violet but was known to all as Val.

All this from Mrs. Fogarty who used to take Bessie to Everton to watch Bally jun. She used to take her to Preston when Bally Sr. was manager there.

 

Yes she was Lilian. Hazel is my mum, Heather, obviously my aunty. My uncle is Hadrian.

Wow, who is Mrs. F?