▁Cole man ▁and ▁the ▁suffix ▁- ball s , ▁as ▁in ▁" to ▁balls ▁up ", ▁and ▁has ▁since ▁spawn ed ▁derivative ▁terms ▁in ▁un related ▁fields ▁such ▁as ▁" W ar ball s " ▁( sp ur ious ▁references ▁to ▁the ▁September ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁attacks ) ▁and ▁" D ian ab alls " ▁( sent iment al ▁references ▁to ▁D iana , ▁Princess ▁of ▁Wales ) ▁and ▁" B oris ball s " ▁( B oris ▁Johnson ). ▁The ▁all - en comp ass ing ▁term ▁" medi ab alls " ▁has ▁since ▁been ▁used ▁by ▁Private ▁E ye ▁as ▁its ▁coverage ▁of ▁g aff es ▁has ▁expanded . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁" ball s " ▁was ▁first ▁associated ▁with ▁Cole man ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁at ▁BBC ▁Mid lands , ▁S utton ▁Cold field , ▁present ing ▁a ▁Saturday ▁night ▁ 1 5 - min ute ▁round up ▁of ▁the ▁day ' s ▁football ▁in ▁the ▁Mid lands . ▁A ▁technical ▁h itch ▁occurred ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁black - out , ▁but ▁Cole man ▁could ▁be ▁heard ▁calling ▁out ▁to ▁the ▁techn ician ▁in ▁the ▁studio , ▁" Tr ust ▁you ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁balls ▁of ▁that ." ▁Cole man ' s ▁association ▁with ▁these ▁ver bal ▁sli ps ▁is ▁so ▁strong ▁that ▁he ▁is ▁often ▁given ▁err one ous ▁credit ▁for ▁the ▁earliest ▁example ▁specifically ▁referenced ▁as ▁a ▁Cole man ball s ; ▁in