The BALL is in Kiernan's court as midfield man sets the goals

BOX-TO-BOX ENERGY HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING FOR BLUES

- By CHRIS BEESLEY

Alan Ball in action for Everton

ESS than 24 hours had passed since the final whistle blew on Everton's 1-0 win at Manchester United as David Moyes' men became the first visiting side to triumph in a Premier League game at Old Trafford and this correspondent was met by a poser of a question in front of an assembled audience in a public arena.

The setting was Waterstones at Liverpool One, where, joined by former Blues player and ECHO columnist Michael Ball; former ECHO colleague Sam Carroll, who was acting as master of ceremonies; and fellow Everton author with Pitch Publishing, Steve Zocek, we were holding a live event to coincide with the launch of my first book, Spirit of the Blues: Everton's Most Memorable Matches & Goodison Park's Greatest Games.

We had opened up the floor for a Q&A session and right off the bat were asked: "What do you think the real reason was for Harry Catterick selling Alan Ball to Arsenal?"

It wasn’t exactly the soft, easy question to start you off with like you often get on television game shows to settle you in.

I did my best to be diplomatic and said something having bought Ball for a record fee, Catterick was then able to sell him on for a record fee, with the then Everton manager reckoning that he'd already had the best years of the World Cup winner's career and that perhaps he felt that the tempestuous Lancastrian's powers were by this point on the wane.

Over half a century on, why was this still a hot potato though?

We're talking about a transfer that occurred on December 22, 1971, the year of decimalisation of UK currency.

Ball was leaving Goodison Park for Highbury in a £220,000 deal at a time when your average pint cost 16p.