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.

Ted Ballard
Personal information
Full name Edgar Albert Ballard[1]
Date of birth (1920-06-16)16 June 1920
Place of birth Brentford, England
Date of death 10 June 2008(2008-06-10) (aged 87)[1]
Place of death St Leonards-on-Sea, England[2]
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[3]
Position(s) 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

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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

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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]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Ted Ballard". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  2. ^ Kaufman, Neilson. "VE Day WW2 players as at May 2020" (PDF). p. 7. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  3. ^ a b Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (1992). The Alphabet of the Saints. ACL & Polar Publishing. p. 21. ISBN 0-9514862-3-3.
  4. ^ White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 378. ISBN 0951526200.
  5. ^ a b c Kaufman, Neilson N; Ravenhill, Alan E (2002). The Men Who Made Leyton Orient Football Club. Tempus Publishing. p. 27. ISBN 0752424122.
  6. ^ "Charter House saved historic street, but the pub had to go". Kentish Express. 8 October 2009. Archived from the original on 10 February 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2023 – via PressReader.
  7. ^ "Ted Ballard". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  8. ^ Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. p. 110. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  9. ^ Duncan Holley & Gary Chalk (2003). In That Number – A post-war chronicle of Southampton FC. Hagiology Publishing. p. 477. ISBN 0-9534474-3-X.
  10. ^ "Saints mourn duo". www.saintsfc.co.uk. 22 June 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2008.