World Cup 1966 legend Alan Ball's shirt, cap and medal sell for £445,000 at auction

The collection, which is regarded as an important part of England’s sporting history, went under the hammer at Tennants Auctioneers in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, on Friday, December 9.

Ball’s 1966 FIFA World Cup winner’s medal sold for £200,000, his number 7 final shirt fetched £130,000 while his 1966 World Cup cap raised £115,000.

The footballing hero was a highly regarded midfielder with Blackpool and, aged just 21, he was the youngest member of England's 1966 World Cup winning team.

He, who was born in Farnworth, Lancashire, received widespread acclaim for his energetic and passionate performance that was fundamental to the team’s victory. In addition to playing as a midfielder for Blackpool and later Everton and winning 72 caps for England, Ball went on to manage several clubs including Manchester City and Southampton.

He sold his medal and cap at auction in 2005, when they were purchased by the owner of Bolton Wanderer’s, businessman and philanthropist Edwin ‘Eddie’ Davies.

Kegan Harrison, Tennants Auctioneers’ sporting specialist, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have achieved such fantastic results for the vendor, who has had a long-standing relationship with Tennants. The 1966 World Cup victory will always be a golden moment in English sporting history, and we have been honoured to have handled the sale of these extraordinary items. It has been 56 years since that incredible match, but it is still very close to the hearts of all football fans.”

Friday’s auction also featured the sale of a shirt worn by Pele during the first half of the famous Brazil v England 1970 World Cup match, which sold for £33,000.

Ball made his Blackpool debut aged 17 and was a regular in the side by the 1963-64 season when still a teenager. His performances caught the eye of Alf Ramsey, who gave Ball his England debut in a 1-1 draw away to Yugoslavia in Belgrade in May 1965. A year later, Ball was the youngest member of England’s squad for the 1966 World Cup on home soil. Ball died at the age of 61 after suffering a heart attack on April 25, 2007.