Whether encountered via a crunching tackle on the pitch, or whether you were the recipient of a bone-crushing handshake off it, Kevin Ball left his mark.
The word 'legend' has long since become overused and devalued in football terms, but 'Bally' is one man who merits the label in its old-fashioned sense.
And that is why the ending of his three-decade-long association with Sunderland today is big news.
