He was born as Graham Ball in Bristol where he attended Kingswood Primary School on the eastern edge of the city. Later in his childhood the family moved to Bolton, Lancashire, where he attended Bolton County Grammar School. He left formal education with two 'O' Levels, one in Mathematics and one in Geography. He then signed on for three years in the Royal Air Force, worked as a Butlin's Redcoat, and was an entertainer in northern clubs and cabaret.
Television and radio career
He was a regular fixture on children's television in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, presenting several series of popular science and technology programmes intended for children (including Think of a Number; Think Again; Think Backwards; Think...This Way and Johnny Ball Reveals All). He was also one of the hosts of infant education programme Play School beginning in 1967 and continuing throughout the 1970s and beyond. As well as appearing on screen Ball wrote jokes for some shows including Crackerjack. All of these shows (except the ITV programme ...Reveals All) appeared on the BBC. Ball's shows were renowned for presenting scientific and technological principles in an entertaining and accessible way for young people.
Born in Ince-in-Makerfield, Lancashire, Ball began his football career with Wigan Athletic during the Second World War. During the war, since many players were in the armed forces, those who remained with their clubs would often make guest appearances for other clubs to make up the numbers. As well as playing for Wigan, Ball made guest appearances for Gravesend.
In February 1948, Ball was signed by Manchester United for a fee of £2,000. He made his debut two months later, a 2–0 defeat away to Everton on 10 April 1948. In just over two years with United, Ball was never a regular starter in the first team, serving as understudy to Johnny Carey at right back, and he made just 23 appearances in total for the club before being sold to Bolton Wanderers in September 1950.
Ball flourished at Bolton, playing in 200 league games for the Trotters. His Bolton career spanned eight seasons, from 1950 until his retirement from playing in 1958. He played in the 'Matthews Final' in 1953. In 1960, Ball was appointed as manager of his first club, Wigan Athletic. He remained in the position for three years, before retiring from football altogether and set up a painting and decorating business. Later he emigrated to live in Australia.
"The greatest invention of all time is the grid system created by Frenchman Rene Descartes. For a fellow who stayed in bed until lunchtime all his life, Rene didn't do too badly."
"That difficult start drove me on to inspire children and let them know that it is never to late to repair a bad experience at school, and once you get your head down and start to read books, you can really achieve."
"There isn't a single windmill owner in Holland who doesn't have a second job, for when there is no wind."
"Discrimination due to age is one of the great tragedies of modern life. The desire to work and be useful is what makes life worth living, and to be told your efforts are not needed because you are the wrong age is a crime."
"There are not the same factual shows anymore - children's TV has become much more trivial."
"Go Figure! A Totally Cool Book About Numbers"
"The public impression is that the government, industry or the highest bidder can buy a scientist to add credibility to any message. That crucial quality of impartiality is being lost."
"When children's minds are open to new ideas and concepts at the age of six, they could be taught the basics of molecular structure, how Oxygen and Hydrogen and Carbon join up to make ever-day substances. By the age of 14, their minds are already doubtful of new ideas which suggest something fundamentally different to what they know, and they can no longer be inspired into exploring science."
"Women make such excellent scientists and engineers - because of their passion for learning and will-power to succeed. They out-perform the lads in science all the way through school, but somehow are put off engineering and science at a higher level, and that is so very sad."
"If mathematics is to be understood widely, we need to emphasise its elegance and its applications. Sometimes it seems that universities want to emphasise how difficult it is!"
Baby girl When you look at me There’s just two words Ooh Wee Your lips Taste like candy They make may heart say Ooh Wee Oh, Me and you will be Forever in love You’ll see So please Don’t be afraid If you hear me say Ooh Wee Oh girl, When you smile at me You make me smile and say Ooh Wee Ooh Wee Oh, can’t you see That you belong To Me (Break) Oh, Me And you will be Forever in love You’ll see So please Don’t be afraid If you hear me say Ooh Wee Oh Girl It’s when you smile at me You make me smile and say Ooh Wee Ooh and those lips They taste just like candy And they make my heart say Ooh Wee (x3) Lyrics and Music by:
Brendan Rodgers will assess striker JohnnyKenny over the coming days and weeks before making a decision on his short-term Celtic future, with the striker impressing his manager with his performance off the bench against Ross County on Saturday.
The ball made its way ...SubstituteJohnnyKenny, back from his successful loan at Shamrock Rovers, then put the ball straight at Amissah from point-blank range on his club debut before Furuhashi pounced.
John’s to a football team that runs the ball, plays terrific defense and hits a big pass once in a while. The Johnnies are still waiting to hit more of the deep ball — in basketball vernacular, the 3-point shot.
In the second quarter, Dotson also caught a 19-yard pass near the right sideline on third-and-15, advancing the ball to Philadelphia’s 49-yard line ... “Jahan has been even-keeled all year,” Eagles rookie wide receiver JohnnyWilson said.
On third-and-11 from the Bears 49-yard line with 15 seconds to play, Williams went to Moore for an 18-yard pass up the middle, then rushed his team to the line to spike the ball with two seconds to play.
(BBC Radio 4) . BBC Sounds. (BBC Radio 4) . BBC Sounds. Substack ... The show ended with archive recording of Benjamin’s first Play School appearance, racing leaves with JohnnyBall – a soul-tingling delight for anyone who grew up watching her, as I did ... .
John’s guard Deivon Smith (5) and Butler Bulldogs guard Finley Bizjack (13) fight for a loose ball in the first half at Carnesecca Arena on Jan ... The Johnnies were again stagnant, didn’t move the ball and were ice-cold from the field.
Kellen Moore is rolling out A.J.Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jahan Dotson and JohnnyWilson on game days, but only Brown and Smith are getting the ball. Dotson and Wilson have seen a combined 32 targets on the season ... The guess here is probably not ... .
Also paying tribute on Tuesday was fellow radio presenter Ken Bruce and singer MichaelBall. So very sad to hear dear Johnnie has lost his brave battle and gone to the other side ... — Michael Ball OBE💙 (@mrmichaelball) December 31, 2024.
But Johnny ‘Unaarrim’ Mullagh, Australia’s first Indigenous sporting hero was ramping 150 summers ago ... “The ball would touch the blade, and shoot high over the wicket-keeper’s head to the boundary.”.
Despite getting outscored by 21 points from beyond the arc, the Johnnies are 2-0 in league play ... The Johnnies are making 6.9 per game, which is tied for 262nd nationally, and are attempting 21.8 (235th) ... The Johnnies know it.
And when he stole the ball in the centre circle, cleverly nodded it forward and then accelerated away from two Portsmouth defenders, it looked like he would give Watford the early lead they craved and boost his own confidence at the same time.
He abandons the first ball and winds up making a 5 with the second ball. What is his score for the hole? —JohnnyWilliams, Tampa Bay, Fla ... ball into the hole, plus two more for the 4.1b penalty.
The Pantagraph
30 Dec 2024
The Pantagraph
30 Dec 2024