Everton to launch new hummel Alan Ball trainer

Fab will get a pair

They look pretty good.

I’m sorry, but they’re fucking shocking.

Alan Ball was my hero when I was a kid and I got a brand spanking new pair of his white boots for my birthday (would have probably been my 12th birthday). I remember my dad saying to me I was getting a pair of boots a bit like those Dixie Dean would have worn, you know the type!!

I did everything possible to keep them in good nick but after about 4-6 years they eventually fell apart. I've got an old school photograph of my years football team with me proudly wearing my Alan Ball white Hummel boots!! Absolutely loved the fella.

All I see is standard issue trainers with "Alan Ball" written on the side

Come on John @ 4 not that bad mate.

I love them.

A lot of kids will like them too and there will be many asking for these for Christmas.

I think the club have been a bit commercial savvy with these.

And not even an Everton logo in sight

I’m afraid that Alan Ball’s white boots bring bad memories for this old Evertonian. I believe he first wore them in the season after the Mexico World Cup, when his form sank, possibly because he was knackered after the heat and altitude of Mexico, and given his style of play as the ‘midfield dynamo’ playing under those Mexico conditions (he was not alone from that England squad in being affected this way).

Everton sold him to Arsenal in 1971, one of the worst days in football for me as a 17-year-old.

So for me, my greatest memories of Ball are ones where he wears normal black boots until after our league title win in 69-70, not those ridiculous white things.

I get your point, Stan, and he was on the wane by the time he wore them but he was still head and shoulders above the likes of Henry Newton alongside him.

The original box-to-box player and the best I have seen as a warrior. Tim Cahill in the modern era is the closest who had no fear the opposition.

Not for me, Hummel should stick to shirts.

How can we be sure they're not just black trainers painted white?

No thanks from me. These must be aimed at 60-year-old fans who remember watching him play for the toffees. He's 15 years before me time sadly.

No self-respecting teenager would be seen dead in these as they won't know who Alan Ball was and the fact that Hummel are not Nike or Adidas.

Sizes from 6 -11 adult only, so no younger kids... and no 60-year-old big footers.

I bet at least some teenagers would wear them to the match - providing they don't have to pay for them of course.

Post 10 - Stan Schofield, as I live and breathe.

Will, good to see you posting on ToffeeWeb again.

Stan, you too. I guess we both took a break!

Bally eventually went on record describing the white Hummel boots he signed up to promote as absolutely crap. He went on to say that he adulterated other brands boots to resemble Hummel's in mere appearance, and his performances improved accordingly.

As a 16-year-old, I bought a pair and Bally was bob-on.

That was, this was 1970 folks, when the likes of the best midfielder in the country might aspire to buy a newsagents for the rest of his life after his glorious playing career had ended.

To give younger members an indication of Alan Ball's talent, he had everything Reidy had, and everything Paul Scholes had. "Brilliant" doesn't get close.

I guess I won’t be getting them with my size 13’s. I had a pair of Hummel boots as a kid in the late 80’s, as I thought they looked pretty snazzy. They literally lasted a month before falling apart. My mum was furious and refused to spend anything else on a new pair. The only thing I could afford with my own money was a pair of Gola’s, oh the shame.

Don@20: I know the money they got in the 1970s was very small by current player standards, but it was still very big by the standards of the average person. They all had big detached houses in the likes of Formby, fancy cars when most of us travelled by bus, and some (Bally included, I believe) owned race horses.

A point about pitches, some were like mud baths, but Goodison never was. There were the usual bare patches around the goals and centre circle, but it was a great playing surface, good drainage and underpitch heating.

Don@29

Ball is reported to have painted his old, favoured boots white to look like the Hummel boots to comply with his contract.

If I remember correctly, Gary Imlach, son of ex Everton trainer, Stuart Imlach, once wrote a book about his fathers career. In the book, Gary said in his fathers shed, there was a pair of adidas boots of Alan Ball's that his father doctored and painted white. He said said his father said, Alan Ball, hated the Hummel boots and preferred the fit of the adidas brand.

These trainies look they were designed to be sold to pensioners on the back of the Mail on Sunday supplement to set off their draw string pants and commemorative plates. It's a pseudo Lonsdale tennis/basketball shoe that is an embarrassment to anyone who had a decent pair of Adidas in the early to mid 80s. Will disappear without trace.

Mike@25: Totally agree, I had a pair of Adidas Rom in the 70s, and these Hummel things look complete shite by comparison.

MIke, if the draw string matched the trainer laces, I think that could fly.

Jay(9) according to the article the Everton Logo is on the tongue (not shown in the picture).

Oooh, that's not a tattoo I'd fancy getting, Hugh!

No, no, absolutely not. Never, ever.

I remember when the shite won their blag treble in 2000 and 1 of the magazine’s that you used to get with a Sunday paper had a similarly snappy pair of soles for sale.

If memory serves they were white Reebok with 3 embossed gold stars on the side. 1 for each of their trophies. See what they did there ?

We are not them - thankfully and we never will be.

Nice sentiment blues but let us celebrate ‘the greatest of them all’ on a t-shirt please.

Trainers are sacred, particularly in Liverpool and we are still being crucified for the Lonsdale/Bournemouth incident.

Well if Sidibe had of signed for us he would only have need one of them, but for me they are a No Dad's as in No Dad please don't make me wear them please No Dad

Mike #25, I resemble that remark! And as LCAB was my favourite ever player, I'll be looking at getting a pair shipped to me here in Thailand. I'll proudly show them off to my RS mates who have no idea who Shankly is.

Rob #14, I pity you not having seen Bally in his prime, and the rest of the Holy Trinity

Ha ha brilliant. What else will they think of next.

Completely understandable being 50 year's commemorating a legend like Ball and I hope to have something to celebrate in the near future.

I actually like the look of them and they will look fantastic walking around Wembley celebrating some silverware.

The more Hummel sold, the bigger the next contract. In 50 years who's name will we be celebrating?

They went on sale at 8am. I thought I would try to get some, just tried at 8.48am, no stock left ffs!

Yeah, sold out 8:40 ish... I wonder, did they allow resellers to stock up on them? Every size gone? Bullshit if you ask me. See them on eBay in December maybe.

Hummel and EFC obviously underestimated the demand. Next time, let a pro like Bill oversee the marketing! Yes? Okay, maybe not...

I logged on at 8.05am and no sign of them!

Picture on Twitter of Zaha wearing these, must be a sign!

They've sold out already

ebay UK currently (12:43 Thurs 17 Sept) has 4 listings for these trainers: prices range from £285 to £350!!

Now for sale on eBay for £349.99. Can I ask you guys to please report anyone trying to rip our fans off like this? I would have loved a pair of these for my dad. I refuse to buy them unscrupulously on eBay though...

Effing disgusting. Anyone know how much they were for sale for officially? There should have been a limit as to how many could be purchased.

The eBay game. Surprise, surprise.

As long as they're not fake or stolen, Danny, then nothing can or will be done.

While businesses wish to sell online for maximum speed and volume with minimum cost, to all comers (as opposed to say, reserving at least some for the club shop, people with a ticket stub, season ticket holders, members etc), this is exactly what goes down.

Totally shits on the historical link with Alan Ball, Everton and the anniversary; their very selling point. And the fans. Shame.

https://www.hummel.co.uk/hb-team-leather-white-navy/207773-9101.html

These are on the hummel website. A bit of modification and you could get your Alan Ball on the side. Personally I'm not a fan of white trainers.

We should all just bid on them up to thousands and then pull out of the purchase... people do this a lot on eBay when someone is being a greedy shit...!

They're either not on the EvertonDirect website, or they're doing a good job of hiding them from buyers

Just read the posts about them being sold out.

Good way not to make extra money!

Sad them trainees. Stick to adidas samba or better still Everton trim trab version.