[2][3] Ball played outfield as an inside left as a youngster before he was handed the green jersey when the Durham County Schools goalkeeper, future FA Cup winner Jimmy Montgomery with Sunderland, was injured during a match.
Ball's performance in the 1975–76 Scottish League Cup quarter-final first leg match versus Rangers at Ibrox Park limited the Govan club to a narrow 1–0 victory.
[2] In the 1975–76 Scottish Cup, Ball saved a penalty with a broken ankle in the 2–2 draw at Somerset Park in the fourth round versus Ayr United and did not feature in the 5–4 replay win.
Also in the first eleven were fellow long servants Iain McChesney, Crawford Boyd and Jimmy Robertson, along with future Queens manager Rowan Alexander.
Danny McGrain, Davie Cooper, Gary Mackay and Rowan Alexander all guested for Queens in the testimonial match versus the Sky Blues.