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Kevin Ball

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Kevin Ball
Personal information
Full name Kevin Anthony Ball
Date of birth (1964-11-12) 12 November 1964 (age 61)
Place of birth Hastings, England
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[1]
Positions
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1981–1982 Coventry City 0 (0)
1982–1990 Portsmouth 105 (4)
1990–1999 Sunderland 340 (21)
1999–2000 Fulham 18 (0)
2000–2002 Burnley 82 (2)
Total 545 (27)
Managerial career
2006 Sunderland (caretaker)
2013 Sunderland (caretaker)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Kevin Ball (born 12 November 1964) is an English former professional footballer who played for Portsmouth, Sunderland, Fulham and Burnley. Since his retirement, he has held a number of positions at Sunderland, including twice being caretaker manager, and was most recently a club ambassador.

Playing career

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Born in Hastings, Ball began his career at Coventry City but he did not make a first team appearance. He joined Portsmouth in 1982, making his first team debut at 17 years old, playing at right back in a 2-0 defeat at Shrewsbury. He cemented his place in the first team, becoming a mainstay in defence for Portsmouth and making over 100 appearances for the club. [2]

In 1990, he was signed by Sunderland. He played 389 games for Sunderland in all competitions, scoring 27 goals.[3] Sunderland were relegated during Ball's first season at the club, however, he was named Sunderland Player of the Year for the 1990-91 season, and moved from defence to midfield. He was named player of the year again for the 1996-97 season. He played in the 1992 FA Cup Final where Sunderland lost 2-0 to Liverpool.[4] Ball captained the club to First Division titles and promotion to the Premier League twice, in 1996 and 1999. He left Sunderland in 1999 for Burnley, spending two seasons at the club before retiring. Ball was known for his tough tackling and combative playing style. [2]

Managerial career

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Between 6 March and 8 May 2006 Ball acted as Sunderland caretaker manager for the last ten games of the 2005–06 season following the sacking of Mick McCarthy, taking five points from these games.[5] Although Ball expressed his interest in the manager's job on a full-time basis, incoming chairman Niall Quinn was keen for the club to appoint a 'world-class manager' following the club's takeover by the Drumaville Consortium, ruling Ball out of the running. Ball remained at Sunderland under the new regime, returning to his former post of assistant academy manager.

Manager Martin O'Neill promoted Ball to become the club's senior professional development coach in July 2012, which included being responsible for the club's reserve team and the club's under-21 players. In 2013, he again became caretaker manager following the sacking of Paolo Di Canio.[6] Ball's first game in charge resulted in a 2–0 home win over Peterborough in the League Cup. He oversaw a further two games,[7] before Gus Poyet was appointed to the role.[8]

Club ambassador

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As well as coaching at Sunderland after his retirement as a player, Ball has served as club ambassador. He left this role, and the club as a whole, in 2022.[9][10][11] Ball has described former longtime Sunderland A.F.C. Women captain Stephanie Bannon as his "female equivalent".[12]

Honours

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As a player

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Sunderland

Individual

  • Sunderland Player of the Year: 1996–97
  • Sunderland Solid Gold XI[14]

References

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  1. ↑ Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 290. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
  2. 1 2 THORNTON, BY THOMAS (12 November 2025). "BORN ON THIS DAY: KEVIN BALL". alovesupreme. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  3. ↑ "Kevin Ball". Sunderland A.F.C. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  4. ↑ "Liverpool 2 - 0 Sunderland". www.lfchistory.net. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  5. ↑ Newhouse, Sam (26 March 2013). "Does sacking a manager late in the season work?". The Independent. London. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  6. ↑ "Kevin Ball steps into breach as Sunderland wait to name new boss". Sky Sports. 23 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  7. ↑ "The Managers: Kevin Ball". Sunderland A.F.C. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  8. ↑ "Gus Poyet: Sunderland name Uruguayan as new head coach". BBC Sport. 8 October 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  9. ↑ "News: Kevin Ball leaves Sunderland AFC". Sunderland A.F.C. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  10. ↑ "Sunderland AFC announce Kevin Ball has left the club after three decades on Wearside". ITV News. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  11. ↑ Wilson, Scott (17 February 2022). "Sunderland legend Kevin Ball leaves club after 32 years". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 12 August 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  12. ↑ Mennear, Richard (6 November 2023). "Sunderland AFC Hall of Fame evening: How to get tickets". Sunderland Echo. Retrieved 12 August 2025. both will be in attendance, as will 2009 Women's FA Cup final skipper Steph Bannon who Kevin Ball describes as, "The female equivalent of me."{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  13. ↑ "Liverpool v Sunderland, 09 May 1992". 11v11. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "Solid Gold XI". Sunderland A.F.C. 5 March 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
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