Naz Ball

Welsh footballer

Naz Ball
Personal information
Full name	Naldra Ball^[1]
Date of birth	29 October 1974
Place of birth	Pwllheli, Wales
Position(s)	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
0000–1995	Arsenal
1995–1997	Wembley
International career
	Wales	5	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Naldra "Naz" Ball is a Welsh former football striker. She represented the Wales women's national football team and the English FA Women's Premier League clubs Arsenal and Wembley.

Club career

In 1991–92, the first season of England's national women's league structure, Ball scored 23 goals as Arsenal pipped Abbeydale to promotion into the National Division.^[2] She also headed the winner in the inaugural Premier League Cup final in May 1992, as Arsenal beat Millwall Lionesses 1–0.^[3]

The following season Arsenal won a domestic treble. Ball scored in every round of the WFA Cup,^[4] and her headed goal in the 3–0 final win over Doncaster Belles was the 38th of a prolific campaign.^[5]

In April 1995, Ball, by then reduced to bit-part status, came on for the final two minutes of Arsenal's 3–2 FA Women's Cup final win over Liverpool Ladies.^[6] In 1995–1996 Ball played for Wembley Ladies – and won a last minute penalty kick as Wembley ultimately beat Doncaster Belles in the Premier League Cup final on 10 March 1996.^[7]

Ball featured for Wembley in the following season's 1–0 FA Women's Cup final defeat to Millwall Lionesses. She emerged from retirement to do so, aged 35, while working as an RAF stewardess.^[8]

International career

Ball was capped at international level by Wales.^[9] In 1995 UEFA Women's Championship qualification Ball scored twice in her five appearances for Wales.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b "1993-95 EM für Frauen - Wales - Frauen" (in German). UEFA. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
^ "1991–1992". The Owl Football Historian. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
^ "Sport in Short: Football". The Independent. London. 25 May 1992.
^ Sam Elliott (25 April 1993). "Football / Women's FA Cup Final: Arsenal on trail of the treble: Shipp stands firm as the Belles rue lack of a finishing touch: Sam Elliott reports from Oxford". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
^ Henry Winter (26 April 1993). "Football: FA forging links to create a permanent partnership: Henry Winter reports on the interest created by the women's FA Cup final in which Arsenal defeated Doncaster Belles 3–0". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
^ Alyson Rudd (1 May 1995). "Highbury Ladies conjure up great cup final escape". The Times.
^ "Belles are beaten". The Times. 11 March 1996.
^ Mike Rowbottom (5 May 1997). "Football: Lionesses bring pride to Millwall". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
^ Barnet FC Ladies – A History Barnet FC