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GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Goalkeeper

1879-80 🕒 2 | ⚽ 0 | 🔥 | 0 | #1 |

5724_edited.png

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Personal Profile

Full Name
Birth Date
Birthplace
Birth Country
Citizenship
Height
Foot
John Henry Ball
January 1857
Birmingham
England
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
England
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Personal
Transfer In

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Transfer In

Season
Date
Age
Fee
From
From
Signed Under
1879-80
1879
22
Free
Arcadians
Management Committee
Season
Date
Age
Fee
From
From
Returned Under
Season
Date
Age
Fee
From
From
Returned Under
Career

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Villa Career

Seasons Active | In Fee
Active in League
🕒 Games | Starts (Subs) | ⚽ Goals | 🔥 Assists | 🇺 Unused | Player Number |
🟩 Won | 🟨 Drew | 🟥 Lost |
Cards 🟨 Booking | 🟥 Sending Off |
Goalkeepers Only 🥅 Goals Conceded | ⛔ Clean Sheets |

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 |
Aston Villa 1879-80 | Free |
FA Cup |
🕒 2 | ⚽ 0 | 🔥 | 0 | #1 |

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Played Under

Management Committee 1879-80

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Career Summary

Seasons
Appearances 🕒
Starts 🕒
Substitute 🔁
Unused Sub 🇺
Points per Game (PPG)
1
2
2
0
0
🟩 Won
🟩 Win %
🟨 Drew
🟨 Drawn %
🟥 Lost
🟥 Loss %
Goals ⚽
Assists 🔥
Yellow Cards 🟨
Red Cards 🟥
0
0
-
-
Goal Involvements (GI)
Games per Goal (GPG)
Games per Goal Involvement (GiPG)
0
0.00
Seasons

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Season by Season Record

Season
Age
Lg
#
🕒
🕒
🔁
🔥
🇺
🟩
🟩
🟨
🟨
🟥
🟥
PPG
GPG
GiPG
1879-80
22
FAC
2
2
0
0
0
0
0.00
Season
Age
Lg
#
🕒
🕒
🔁
🔥
🇺
🟩
🟩
🟨
🟨
🟥
🟥
PPG
GPG
GiPG
Season
Age
Lg
#
🕒
🕒
🔁
🔥
🇺
🟩
🟩
🟨
🟨
🟥
🟥
PPG
GPG
GiPG
Season
Age
Lg
#
🕒
🕒
🔁
🔥
🇺
🟩
🟩
🟨
🟨
🟥
🟥
PPG
GPG
GiPG
Season
Age
Lg
#
🕒
🕒
🔁
🇺
🔥
🟩
🟩
🟨
🟨
🟥
🟥
PPG
GPG
GiPG
Season
Age
Lg
#
🕒
🕒
🔁
🔥
🇺
🟩
🟩
🟨
🟨
🟥
🟥
PPG
GPG
GiPG
Season
Age
Lg
#
🕒
🕒
🔁
🔥
🇺
🟩
🟩
🟨
🟨
🟥
🟥
PPG
GPG
GiPG
Season
Age
Lg
#
🕒
🕒
🔁
🔥
🇺
🟩
🟩
🟨
🟨
🟥
🟥
PPG
GPG
GiPG
Season
Age
Lg
#
🕒
🕒
🔁
🔥
🇺
🟩
🟩
🟨
🟨
🟥
🟥
PPG
GPG
GiPG
Season
Age
Lg
#
🕒
🕒
🔁
🔥
🇺
🟩
🟩
🟨
🟨
🟥
🟥
PPG
GPG
GiPG
Season
Age
Lg
#
🕒
🕒
🔁
🔥
🇺
🟩
🟩
🟨
🟨
🟥
🟥
PPG
GPG
GiPG
Season
Age
Lg
#
🕒
🕒
🔁
🔥
🇺
🟩
🟩
🟨
🟨
🟥
🟥
PPG
GPG
GiPG
Season
Age
Lg
#
🕒
🕒
🔁
🔥
🇺
🟩
🟩
🟨
🟨
🟥
🟥
PPG
GPG
GiPG
Season
Age
Lg
#
🕒
🕒
🔁
🔥
🇺
🟩
🟩
🟨
🟨
🟥
🟥
PPG
GPG
GiPG
Season
Age
Lg
#
🕒
🕒
🔁
🔥
🇺
🟩
🟩
🟨
🟨
🟥
🟥
PPG
GPG
GiPG
Season
Age
Lg
#
🕒
🕒
🔁
🔥
🇺
🟩
🟩
🟨
🟨
🟥
🟥
PPG
GPG
GiPG
Season
Age
Lg
#
🕒
🕒
🔁
🔥
🇺
🟩
🟩
🟨
🟨
🟥
🟥
PPG
GPG
GiPG

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Goalkeeping Record

Goalkeeper #
Goals Conceded 🥅
Goals Conceded per Game (CPG)
Clean Sheets ⛔
% Clean Sheets ⛔ %
1
2
1.00
0
0%

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Season by Season Goalkeeping Record

Season
Age
Lg
🕒
🥅
CPG
1879-80
22
FAC
2
2
1
0
0%
Season
Age
Lg
🕒
🥅
CPG
Season
Age
Lg
🕒
🥅
CPG
Season
Age
Lg
🕒
🥅
CPG
Season
Age
Lg
🕒
🥅
CPG
Season
Age
Lg
🕒
🥅
CPG
Season
Age
Lg
🕒
🥅
CPG
Season
Age
Lg
🕒
🥅
CPG
Season
Age
Lg
🕒
🥅
CPG
Season
Age
Lg
🕒
🥅
CPG
Season
Age
Lg
🕒
🥅
CPG
Season
Age
Lg
🕒
🥅
CPG
Season
Age
Lg
🕒
🥅
CPG
Season
Age
Lg
🕒
🥅
CPG
Season
Age
Lg
🕒
🥅
CPG
Season
Age
Lg
🕒
🥅
CPG
Season
Age
Lg
🕒
🥅
CPG

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Honours

Played for the Villa

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Villa Youth Record

n/a

Previous Clubs

Arcadians

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Debut

Squad From Season
First Squad Match
First Squad Under
1879-80
13 December 1879
Management Committee
Promoted to First Team Under
Promoted to First Team Date
Management Committee
13 December 1879
5724_edited.png
Debut Season
Debut Date
Debut Age
Debut Under
1879-80
13 December 1879
22
Management Committee
Debut

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

First Goal Date

Game #
Match
Scorer(s)

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Loans Out

None

Final

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Final Appearance

Final Season
Final Game
Final Age
Final Game Under
1879-80
24 January 1880
23
Management Committee
Squad To Season
Final Squad
Final Squad Under
1879-80
24 January 1880
Management Committee
5724_edited.png

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Transfer Out

Out Season
Transfer Out Date
Age
Fee
To
To
Left Under
1879-80
1880
23
Free
Walsall Town Swifts
Management Committee
Out Season
Transfer Out Date
Age
Fee
To
To
Left Under
Out Season
Transfer Out Date
Age
Fee
To
To
Left Under
Transfer Out

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Subsequent Clubs

Walsall Town Swifts
Retired

Quotes

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Quotes

Biography

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Biography

Player #1 for Aston Villa, John Henry Ball, known as John Ball was Villa’s first goalkeeper as a professional club. Making his debut in the 1879-80 FA Cup campaign - Villa’s first entry into the competition - he was to concede 2 goals without keeping a clean sheet.

John was born in Birmingham, just 3 miles from the current Villa ground, in 1857 and made his debut as a 22 year old.

Villa had signed him from Arcadians but he was only to appear on two occasions, both in the 1879-80 season.

John played in the era when team selection was made by a Management Committee rather than the latter day more typical Manager role.

John’s final game came on 24 January 1880 just over a month after his debut on 13th December 1879 after which Villa voluntarily withdrew from the competition.

John then moved on to Walsall Town Swifts.

John passed away in Birmingham in 1940 aged 83.

Died

1940, Aged 83

Appearances

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Appearances

2

Game
Matchday Summary
Match Squad
Game #1
🟨 13 Dec 1879, Villa 1-1 Stafford Road
Villa XI: GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | B Ted Lee | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | B Harry Simmonds | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | HB Tommy Pank | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | HB Sammy Law | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | HB Charlie Johnstone | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | IL Eli Davis | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | IR Andy Hunter | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | IF Billy Mason | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | CF Archie Hunter | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | CF William Crossland | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 |
Game #2
🟩 24 Jan 1880, Villa 3-1 Stafford Road, Wellington Road
Villa XI: GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | B Harry Simmonds | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | B Ted Lee | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | HB Tommy Pank | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | HB Sammy Law | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | IL Eli Davis | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | IF Billy Mason | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | IF George Ramsay | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | IR Andy Hunter | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | CF Archie Hunter | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | CF William Crossland | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 |

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Starts

2

Game
Matchday Summary
Line Up
Game #1
🟨 13 Dec 1879, Villa 1-1 Stafford Road
GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟢 | B Ted Lee | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟢 | B Harry Simmonds | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟢 | HB Tommy Pank | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟢 | HB Sammy Law | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟢 | HB Charlie Johnstone | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟢 | IL Eli Davis | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟢 | IR Andy Hunter | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | 🟢 | ⚽ | IF Billy Mason | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟢 | CF Archie Hunter | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | 🟢 | CF William Crossland | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟢 |
Game #2
🟩 24 Jan 1880, Villa 3-1 Stafford Road, Wellington Road
GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🔴 | B Harry Simmonds | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | B Ted Lee | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | HB Tommy Pank | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | HB Sammy Law | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | ⚽ | IL Eli Davis | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🔥 | IF Billy Mason | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | ⚽ | ⚽ | 🔴 | IF George Ramsay | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | 🟢 | 🔴 | IR Andy Hunter | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | 🔥 | CF Archie Hunter | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | CF William Crossland | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 |
Starts
Subs

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Substitute Appearances

0

Game
Matchday Summary
Sub Sub
Unused

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Unused Substitute Appearances

0

Game
Matchday Summary
Unused Substitutes

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Goals Scored

0

Game
Matchday Summary
Scorer(s)
Goals
Assists

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Assists Made

0

Game
Matchday Summary
Assist(s)
Cards

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Cards Received

🟨

-

🟥

-

Game
Matchday Summary
Villa Cards
International

International Career

England

FA
National Team
Caps with Villa
England
FA
National Team
Full International Record
England
FA
🕒 Caps
🕒 Starts
🔁 Sub
⚽ Goals
FA
First Cap with Villa
FA
First International Goal with Villa
FA
Last Cap with Villa

International Record

England

Starter

Match

Substitute

Match

Goals

Match
Matches

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

Matches

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

🟨 13 Dec 1879, Villa 1-1 Stafford Road

AVFC.jpg
Fulham.gif

Game #1

Manager: Management Committee 1879-86
Referee: Unknown
HT Score: Unknown
FT Score: 🟨 1-1
FT Result: 🟨 Drew
Last 5 Games: 🟨

Season | 1879-80 |
Matchday | #1 |
Manager Game | #1 |
Saturday, 13 December 1879

Scorer(s) | Andy Hunter | 1-1 |

Assists(s) | Not recorded

Teams

AVFC.jpg

Starting XI

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟢 |
B Ted Lee | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟢 |
B Harry Simmonds | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟢 |
HB Tommy Pank | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟢 |
HB Sammy Law | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟢 |
HB Charlie Johnstone | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟢 |
IL Eli Davis | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟢 |
IR Andy Hunter | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | 🟢 | ⚽ |
IF Billy Mason | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟢 |
CF Archie Hunter | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | 🟢 |
CF William Crossland | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟢 |

Substitutes

No Substitutions permitted in period

Unused Substitutes

No Substitutions permitted in period

Fulham.gif

Starting XI

GK E. Ray
B G. Selman
HB A. Mayor
HB H. Vaughan
HB A. Nicholls
F J. W. Whitehead
F C. Davies
F W. Arthur
F W. Tisdell
F H. Crane
F Charles Crump ⚽

Substitutes

No Substitutions permitted in period

Unused Substitutes

No Substitutions permitted in period

Match Timeline

🟢 | 1’ Debut, John Ball, Harry Simmonds, Tommy Pank, Sammy Law, Ted Lee, Eli Davis, Billy Mason, Archie Hunter, Charlie Johnstone, William Crossland and Andy Hunter
🥅 | Goal, 0-1, (Stafford Road), Charles Crump
⚽ | Goal, 1-1, Andy Hunter
🕒 | FT Stafford Road 1-1 Aston Villa

On This Day

  • Villa embark on their first ever FA Cup tie and are held to a draw on the Wolverhampton ground of Stafford Road Railway Works Football Club despite Andy Hunter's strike.

  • Villa face Stafford Road for the first time in competitive football, Stafford Road become the 1st team that the Villa first team has played in League or Cup football.

  • Villa received a Bye in the first round of the FA Cup and therefore made their Cup debut in the Second Round on the Wolverhampton ground of Stafford Road Railway Works Football Club needing an equaliser from Andy Hunter to force a replay at Wellington Road. 

  • John Ball, Harry Simmonds, Tommy Pank, Sammy Law, Ted Lee, Eli Davis, Billy Mason, Archie Hunter, Charlie Johnstone, William Crossland and Andy Hunter made their FA Cup debuts for the club.

  • Andy Hunter scores Villa's first ever goal in the competition.

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | #1 |

🟩 24 Jan 1880, Villa 3-1 Stafford Road, Wellington Road

AVFC.jpg
Fulham.gif

Game #2

Manager: Management Committee 1879-86
Referee: L. H. Cofield | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 1880-
HT Score: 🟩 1-0
FT Result: 🟩 Won
FT Score: 🟩 3-1
Last 5: 🟨 🟩

Season | 1879-80 |
Matchday | #2 |
Manager Game | #2 |
Saturday, 24 January 1880

Scorer(s) | Billy Mason | 1-0 | 2-0 | Sammy Law | 3-0 |

Assists(s) | Eli Davis | 1-0 | Andy Hunter | 2-0 |

Teams

AVFC.jpg

Starting XI

GK John Ball | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🔴 |
B Harry Simmonds | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 |
B Ted Lee | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 |
HB Tommy Pank | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 |
HB Sammy Law | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | ⚽ |
IL Eli Davis | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🔥 |
IF Billy Mason | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | ⚽ | ⚽ | 🔴 |
IF George Ramsay | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | 🟢 | 🔴 |
IR Andy Hunter | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | 🔥 |
CF Archie Hunter | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 |
CF William Crossland | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 |

Substitutes

No Substitutions permitted in period

Unused Substitutes

No Substitutions permitted in period

Fulham.gif

Starting XI

GK E. Ray
B G. Selman
HB Muir
HB Grant
HB A. Nicholls
F C. Davies
F Reeves
F Holden
F H. Crane
F J. W. Whitehead
F Charles Crump ⚽

Substitutes

No Substitutions permitted in period

Unused Substitutes

No Substitutions permitted in period

Match Timeline

🟢 | 1’ Debut, George Ramsay
⚽ | Goal, 1-0, Billy Mason, Assist by Eli Davis
🕒 | HT Aston Villa 1-0 Stafford Road
⚽ | Goal, 2-0, Billy Mason, Assist by Andy Hunter
⚽ | Goal, 3-0, Sammy Law
🥅 | Goal, 3-1, (Stafford Road), Charles Crump
🕒 | FT Aston Villa 3-1 Stafford Road

On This Day

Having secured a draw in the original tie at the Wolverhampton ground of the Stafford Road Railway Works Football Club, Villa sweep aside their opponents in the replay at Wellington Road. Villa however, still an amateur and pecuniary disadvantaged club, had lost the toss for home status in the third round tie with Oxford University and withdrew from the competition being unable to formulate a side capable of fulfilling the fixture. Meanwhile, forward and future Villa leader George Ramsay made his sole appearance for Villa in the FA Cup whilst goalkeeper John Ball and forward Billy Mason made their final appearances for Villa.
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