Colin Bell

Early career

He began his career at Bury captaining the team at a young age. In 1966 he moved to Manchester City and helped the team earn promotion to the First Division that same year. When trying to sign him for Manchester City, Assistant Manager Malcolm Allison misled other clubs interested in Bell by claiming the player "can't head it, can't pass it, he's hopeless". Allison's stratagem succeeded as Bell signed for City. In 1968, he helped City win their second League Championship. In the same year Bell also won his first England cap against Sweden, where he was instrumental in a 3–1 victory. In 1969 Manchester City won the FA Cup with a 1–0 victory over Leicester City thanks to a goal by Neil Young. That same year Bell distinguished himself in the national team, scoring England's only goal in a 1–0 victory over The Netherlands and also scoring against Brazil. In 1970, Manchester City and Bell won two trophies, the League Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup.

1970 World Cup

In 1970 Bell earned a place in the England squad for the World Cup in Mexico. To help the players acclimatise to the heat of Mexico, the team staged an intra-squad mini-olympics which saw Bell win every event. During the tournament, Bell saw action in the quarter final when he replaced Bobby Charlton in the 2–3 defeat to Germany. The substitution was deemed by some to be the negative (for England) turning point of the game. However, Charlton has argued that it was not the substitution which changed the game, and pointed out that Germany scored their first goal before he was substituted, and also that the German team at the time had a habit of coming back in games indicates that it is wrong to blame the substitutions for England's defeat.

Later career

In total Bell won 48 caps and scored nine goals for England. He also captained the national team for a game in 1972, a defeat to Northern Ireland. Despite these successes, Bell was upset that he was unable to better make his name on the world stage when England failed to qualify for the World Cup in 1974, a failure which also forced England manager Alf Ramsey's departure. Bell's former manager at Manchester City Joe Mercer took over as caretaker of the national side and chose Bell to play in every game that he was in charge.

Bell is regarded as one of England's finest ever midfield players, being described by one commentator as 'the most finished article in the modern game'. His finest performances for his country included scoring in the 7–0 demolition of Austria, and also helping England defeat World Champions Germany 2–0 in 1975 at the one hundredth international game played at Wembley Stadium. The team that beat the Germans in that game consisted of a forward line-up of Mick Channon, Kevin Keegan, Malcolm Macdonald, Alan Hudson and Alan Ball as well as Bell. Channon has commented that he did not understand why the manager at the time, Don Revie, did not continue with this line-up which he considered was as good as any forward line England had had since 1970.

Injury and retirement

In 1975, at the age of 29, Bell severely injured his right knee against Manchester United in a challenge with Martin Buchan during a League Cup match at Maine Road. He attempted a return in 1977, but called time on his career in 1979 having never recaptured the form which guided Manchester City to the 1968 League Title, 1969 FA Cup, 1970 League Cup and 1970 European Cup Winners' Cup and a second League Cup victory in 1976, after collecting a runners up medal and scoring in the final of the same competition two years earlier. Then Manchester City Chairman Peter Swales described Bell as the 'finest tuned athlete' and 'irreplaceable'. This latter sentiment turned out to be true as Malcolm Allison who managed Manchester City again in the late 1970s was not able to find a trio of talented players of the calibre of Bell, Summerbee and Lee as he had done in the past with Joe Mercer. In 1980 Bell tried to resurrect his career with NASL side San Jose Earthquakes where he joined former Manchester United player George Best. The move didn't succeed as he only played 5 games for the club.

After football

Bell later continued his service with the Maine Road club by working with the youth team, but left before returning during the 1990s as the club's first ambassador. He was guest of honour at Manchester City's final match at Maine Road against Southampton in May 2003. In 2004, Manchester City polled fans to determine a name for the main stand at their new stadium. Bell won the poll and the West Stand at The City of Manchester Stadium was renamed "The Colin Bell Stand" in honour of their greatest ever player. This was a unique honour, as all of the others remain nameless to this day, although one of the roads leading to the stadium is called "Joe Mercer Way" in honour of Manchester City's most successful manager. Bell was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of his contribution to the English game. He was also appointed an MBE that year in recognition of his work for charity. He also released his autobiography entitled Colin Bell: Reluctant Hero in 2005. In the book, Bell reveals how his mother died of bowel cancer at 39 when he was too young to remember. Colin Bell's son, a doctor, was asked to have the book autographed for Consultant Surgeon, Jim Hill. When reading about Colin's mother, Mr Hill suggested that the football legend be examined. A bowel tumour was discovered on colonoscopy at the Manchester Royal Infirmary and within two weeks he underwent life-saving surgery.

Legacy

England, Manchester City and Bury fans have fond memories of the football talents of Colin Bell, and many other great players have highlighted Bell as one of the best. In his foreword to Colin Bell's autobiography, Bobby Charlton has stated that 'Colin Bell was unquestionably a great player'. Alan Mullery, another of Bell's former England team mates stated that Bell would 'still be a star in today's football' and 'would fit into any team'. Yet another England team mate of Bell's, Kevin Keegan, has stated that Bell 'had it all'. England legend Tom Finney stated that 'Colin Bell was as good as anything I've ever seen'. Journalist Dave Maddock described Bell as 'possibly the greatest midfield talent England has ever unearthed'. In 2003 Manchester City moved into the new City of Manchester Stadium and in February 2004 one of the ends, the west stand, was named after Bell as a tribute. Only two players have scored more goals than Colin Bell for Manchester City in all competitions: Eric Brook who scored 178 and Tommy Johnson who scored 166. Bell scored 152 goals for Manchester City in all competitions. Bell has been inducted into the Manchester City FC hall of fame along with Billy Meredith, Tommy Johnson, Sam Cowan, Eric Brook, Fred Tilson, Frank Swift, Peter Doherty, Roy Clarke, Bert Trautmann, Ken Barnes, Roy Paul, Alan Oakes, Neil Young, Mike Summerbee, Tony Book, Francis Lee, Joe Corrigan, Paul Lake and Niall Quinn. He was deemed by Goal.com to be England's twenty-sixth best ever footballer.

As a player

Manchester City F.C.

Individual