Alan Ball the England hero buried under flag of St George

The 61-year-old member of the victorious 1966 squad died last week at his Hampshire home. He suffered a fatal heart attack while putting out a small fire which had broken out in a compost heap in his garden.

Scroll down for more

Members of the victorious 1966 squad joined hundreds of well-wishers at Winchester Cathedral for his funeral.

They included centre half Jack Charlton, midfielder Nobby Stiles, goalkeeper Gordon Banks, full-back George Cohen and striker Roger Hunt.

Ball's coffin was led into the hushed cathedral draped in the St George's Cross England flag and with his trademark grey flat cap on top.

Scroll down for more

Other stars of UK football included England coach Steve McClaren, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsenal prodigy Theo Walcott.

Ball was the youngest member of the 1966 World Cup squad and Arsenal striker Walcott was the youngest member of the England 2006 World Cup squad when he got the call aged 17.

Stiles was the first to pay tribute in the cathedral to his friend and former team-mate.

Scroll down for more

He said: "My most abiding memory of Alan is in the World Cup final. I think all the lads agree he was the best player on the pitch by far.

"He covered every blade of grass, he was unbelievable."

Leading the mourners was Ball's son Jimmy, 31, and daughters Mandy Byrne, 39, and Keely Allan, 35. Ball's wife Lesley died three years ago from cancer.

Scroll down for more

Among the early arrivals were former co-players with Ball at Manchester City, Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee.

Ball's best friend Mick Channon, with whom he played at Southampton, was also present.

Lawrie McMenemy, who signed Ball for Southampton, and Denis Law, the former Manchester United striker, were among the mourners.

Stiles added: "He adored Lesley, he was very proud of his family and he was very proud of his country."

Scroll down for more

The Reverend Canon Michael St John-Channell said in an address to the congregation that Ball would never be forgotten because of the famous victory over West Germany.

He said: "It was without exaggeration one of the finest days of this nation which all of us are proud, whether we were there or not, and Alan was very much of that great time. He will never ever be forgotten."

He said that Ball was a great role model to people today.

"It is a very different time to those days and to those people who have huge wealth and popularity in sports and other areas of life I would say that some of them would do well to learn from Alan's example of how to treat people and what is important in life and what is not important; family and friends come first.

"He tucked into his life many things we only dream of and the memories we have are precious, especially to those who have shared his life."

He added, recalling the commentary of the World Cup match: "Remember those famous words 'they think it's all over, it is now' but it is not for Alan, for him today is a new beginning."

Frank McLintock, former Arsenal captain, said in a tribute to Ball: "Dying is no big deal, even the least of us can manage it, living is the trick and I think Bally managed to do that."

And fighting back tears McLintock added: "Alan lived his life to the full and I would just like to say thanks for the memories and thanks for his contribution to our lives."

Ball's son, Jimmy, was applauded as he went to make his tribute and tapped his father's coffin.

He recited Kipling's famous poem "If" and said that it typified his father's spirit.

After the final line of the poem which reads "and you'll be a man, my son", Mr Ball said: "And he was a man, probably the best I ever met."

Mr Ball thanked the general public for their messages of support and added: "I know I speak for my sisters when I say we have been very fortunate to have a mother and a father as great as ours."

Mr Ball closed the service by asking everyone in the cathedral to sing along to "My Way" by Frank Sinatra.

As the coffin was carried down the aisle the congregation broke out in applause, whistles, cheers and chants of "Alan Ball, Alan Ball"