Little Fella who knocked politicians and royalty off the front pages

A big debate started about whether Prince Harry would resign from the Army if he was not allowed to lead his men into battle in Iraq.

Our footballing neighbours down the road held a staged-managed presentation in London with flashing lights and personality presenters with first team internationals present in their Sunday best to announce a £600m - I must admit I wondered if somebody had added a nought in error - development in Portsmouth harbour that will include a brand new stadium.

But all of these developments and many others were pushed off the front page and the back page and most of the middle pages by the tragic fact that a certain footballer passed away.

So it is a credit to that man, Alan Ball, that so many people spread so far apart would mourn his loss.

Representing Saints once the news broke I was constantly manning two telephones from 8am until lunchtime at home, then I attended TV and radio media at the football ground and on returning home fielded calls from radio stations as small as Radio Cambridge, Northampton, one in Northumberland and would you believe, my last one of the day at 9.30pm, from BBC Radio Glasgow.

Surely no more praise than a Scottish radio station wanting to eulogise over an English player. That says it all.

In between there were calls from many of the great and good of our game.

In quick succession I had Jack Charlton, Gordon Strachan and Kevin Keegan and also people like Jimmy Tarbuck from the entertainment world sharing their sorrow at the parting of one of the greatest entertainers of all time.

Much has been said about Alan's ability on the field. There is no need to go back into that much more.

Ability, enthusiasm, passion have all been words mentioned more than once but - entertainment is also one that can be added to that.

Alan was never going to fall into that category of excellence in a machine-like manner.

How often nowadays do we see sombre faced performers - ultra-fit, highly-skilled, technically first-class but not much personality or entertainment seems to come from them.

They tend to try to justify their huge wages and seem to be more often seen in magazines showing off large houses and expensive cars.

The Ball family have chosen Winchester Cathedral for everyone to pay tribute to Alan.

He would have approved. Let's remember at one time Winchester was the capital of England and you could not get a more proud Englishman than the little fella.

He was given an MBE which made him just as proud as when he accepted his World Cup winner's medal.

I don't necessarily always agree with certain feature writers, in particular in newspapers, but I must say I did when this particular chap pointed out that if that was the medal Alan deserved what a mockery it would be if the rumours are true and David Beckham, in addition to the medal he already has, was to get a knighthood.

I thought the way Jimmy, Mandy and Keely handled the vast intrusion into their lives so early in the morning after only learning of their father's death hours before was excellent.

While Jimmy manfully gave a statement to the assembled press, his beautiful sisters could not hold back the tears.

Alan would have been proud.

He was never one himself to be afraid to show his emotions. He would often embrace a colleague or even me as his manager after a great win.

o From page 19 His sense of humour was legend. When we were leaving one of the big grounds up north having got a good win he famously got on the bus after signing loads of autographs, went to pass me in the front seat, put his head close to mine and whispered, I would give you a big kiss but they're all watching at the back'!

He had been known in moments like that to tell players and colleagues that he loved them.

If anything it sounded more manly coming from him.

We all knew it was his way to share the wonderful feeling he had inside, particularly after a job had been well done on the field.

He had a long memory as well. One game we went to Preston North End in a Cup tie.

He was outstanding. He scored a goal and then set off running along the touchline until he got to the half way line and stopped and pointed at the director's box.

There were no rude gestures or anything like that, just pointing. He then resumed his position in the midfield.

Not many knew why he did it but I did and the Preston North End directors certainly did.

It was his way of saying many many years on Thanks for sacking my father' who had been manager of Preston.

He was always up for a laugh. He and his two fellow musketeers, Keegan and Channon, had a wonderful time when I took the team to play in a tournament in America.

It was not exactly pre-season, it was more in the holiday time but we had tough opponents. As well as New York Cosmos, the biggest team in America, there was also Seattle, but probably more important for us Glasgow Celtic were in the same hotel.

I said one day I wanted them all to wear collar and tie in the evening. I knew it wasn't a popular request but they also knew they had to agree.

It was big, olde worlde hotel with creaking lifts we were staying in. I got in on the top floor and many stops later with lots of Americans in front of me the gates opened and the three of them were there.

I looked at them, they looked at me and not a word was said but each of them had on a T-shirt with a collar and tie painted on!

Unlucky for them because I had killed the grand entrance they had obviously planned into the team room.

Happy days, happy memories, great players but even Mick and Kevin, along with Jack and Bobby Charlton, Sir Geoff Hurst and all the others have all been quoted this week as saying he was the best.

Away from the household names around the world a call came to the ground from little Steve Moran who apparently said Let me know when I can come down and wherever I am or whatever time it is I will be there'.

He remembers the days when he cut his teeth in the first team and he pulled on the No 9 shirt with Kevin Keegan on one side, Mick Channon on the other and the great Alan Ball behind him.

Others like Steve Williams will have the same memories.

Not often can it be said that so many footballers and people around the game and on the terraces, and even those who just watch on television or read the newspapers, can have had so much affection and admiration for this proud, humble, family orientated man who knew how good he was but probably never understood how many millions of other people also knew how great he was.

I don't think we will see his like again and it was so cruel for him to be taken away at such a young age.

Knowing Alan he probably would have been devastated to leave behind his lovely children and the grandchildren he adored.

But he knows that the Ball family strength will carry them through in years to come.

In the meantime he will undoubtedly have already found where Lesley is and after a while he will probably round up those other immortals, Ossie, George Best, Bobby Moore and the managers he admired such as Harry Catterick, Bertie Mee and Sir Alf Ramsey.

He might even be able to get Don Revie in a corner to explain why after taking over as England manager he sent him a letter which he had framed and put on his wall telling him his England career was over.

That was bad enough but it was signed by some anonymous secretary pp Don Revie.

He didn't deserve that but I think the acres of coverage his death has received might possibly make up for that disappointment.

God bless Alan.