Ted Ballard
English footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Edgar Albert Ballard (16 June 1920 – 10 June 2008) was an English professional footballer who played as a full-back for Southampton in the late 1940s/early 1950s.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Edgar Albert Ballard[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 16 June 1920 | ||
| Place of birth | Brentford, England | ||
| Date of death | 10 June 2008 (aged 87)[1] | ||
| Place of death | St Leonards-on-Sea, England[2] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[3] | ||
| Position | Full-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Hayes | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1943–1946 | Brentford | 0 | (0) |
| 1946–1947 | Leyton Orient | 26 | (1) |
| 1947–1952 | Southampton | 46 | (0) |
| 1952–1953 | Leyton Orient | 0 | (0) |
| 1953–1956 | Snowdown Colliery Welfare | ||
| 1953–1956 | Hastings United | ||
| 1957–1958 | Ashford Town | 15 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1957–1962 | Ashford Town | ||
| 1962–1965 | Hastings United | ||
| 1967 | Hastings United (caretaker) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Playing career
Ballard was born in Brentford and spent the war years working in a munitions factory in Hayes, Middlesex. His birthplace was only 50 yards from Griffin Park and he made one wartime appearance before signing as a professional for Leyton Orient in April 1946.[1][4] He spent the 1946–47 season playing for Orient in the Third Division South before moving to The Dell in June 1947, with Bill Stroud moving in the opposite direction.[3][5]
He made his debut for Southampton at home to West Ham United on 31 January 1948, replacing the injured Joe Mallett at centre half. After a run of eight games, he lost his place and spent the next season in the reserves. In 1949–50 and 1950–51 he made occasional starts, covering for Bill Ellerington at right-back and either Bill Rochford or Norman Kirkman at left-back. Unable to make either position his own, he was given a free transfer in August 1952, returning to Leyton Orient.[5]
At Orient he failed to break into the first team and in 1953 joined Snowdown Colliery Welfare in the Kent League for three seasons.[5] He then had spells as a manager with Ashford Town and Hastings United.[6][7]
Personal life
Ballard was brother in law of former footballer John Moore.[8] He became manager of the Clarence public house in Hastings for a few years before becoming a franchising officer for Green Shield Stamps during the 1970s.[9] He spent his retirement in St Leonards-on-Sea and died in June 2008, one week short of his 88th birthday.[10]