Colin Bell
Encyclopedia
Colin Bell MBE
(26 February 1946), is a former English
football
player who was born in Hesleden
, County Durham
, England
. Nicknamed "The King of the Kippax" (after Manchester City
's Kippax Street terraced stand renowned for its singing), and Nijinsky
after the famous racehorse (due to his renowned stamina), Bell is widely regarded as Manchester City's greatest ever player. He was part of the famous trio of the late 1960s and early 1970s alongside Francis Lee
and Mike Summerbee
.
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 – the last time England defeated Sweden. 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.
, 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 inter-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 Charlton 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.
'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.
in a challenge with Martin Buchan
during a League Cup match at Maine Road
. He attempted a return in 1977, but called time on a magical 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. The 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 the calibre of Bell, Summerbee and Lee like 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.
was renamed "The Colin Bell Stand" in honour of their greatest ever player. This was a unique honour, as all of the other 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 awarded 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 when he was too young to remember. She was only 39. 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 pre-malignant bowel tumour was discovered on colonoscopy at the Manchester Royal Infirmary
and within two weeks he underwent life-saving surgery.
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'. Some current fans and pundits in the game, have compared City midfielder Michael Johnson to Bell.
In 2003 Manchester City moved into the new City of Manchester Stadium
. By February 2004 one of the stands, 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
to be England's twenty-sixth best ever footballer.
|1963–64
||rowspan="3"|Bury
||rowspan="3"|Second Division
||10||2||||||||||||||10||2
|-
|1964–65
||42||13||1||||2||||||||45||13
|-
|1965–66
||30||10||1||||||||||||31||10
|-
|1965–66
||rowspan="14"|Manchester City
||rowspan="1"|Second Division
||11||4||||||||||||||11||4
|-
|1966–67
||rowspan="13"|First Division
||42||12||6||1||2||1||||||50||14
|-
|1967–68
||35||14||4||2||4||1||||||43||17
|-
|1968–69
||39||14||5||||3||1||2||||49||15
|-
|1969–70
||31||11||2||||6||5||9||5||48||21
|-
|1970–71
||34||13||3||4||1||||7||2||45||19
|-
|1971–72
||33||12||2||||1||2||||||36||14
|-
|1972–73
||39||7||5||2||2||1||2||||48||10
|-
|1973–74
||41||7||2||||11||3||||||54||10
|-
|1974–75
||42||15||1||||2||3||||||45||18
|-
|1975–76
||20||6||||||5||1||||||25||7
|-
|1976–77
||injured||||||||||||||||||
|-
|1977–78
||16+1||2||2||||2||||||||20+1||2
|-
|1978–79
||10||0||1+1||||1||||3+1||1||15+2||1
|-
|1980
||San Jose Earthquakes||North American Soccer League
||5||0||||||||||||||5||0
475+1||142||35+1||9||42||18||23+1||8||575+3||177
5||0||||||||||||||5||0
480+1||142||35+1||9||42||18||23+1||8||580+3||177
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(26 February 1946), is a former English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player who was born in Hesleden
Hesleden
Hesleden is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated to the south of Peterlee. It has a large pond situated at the bottom next to the Hart to Haswell Walkway. Hesleden also has a park and Dene to walk through and explore....
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Nicknamed "The King of the Kippax" (after Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
's Kippax Street terraced stand renowned for its singing), and Nijinsky
Nijinsky II
The racehorse Nijinsky was one of the greatest horses in Thoroughbred horse-racing history. He won the U.K. Triple Crown of racing. Retired to stud he became the Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland and the Leading broodmare sire in North America.He was bred at E. P...
after the famous racehorse (due to his renowned stamina), Bell is widely regarded as Manchester City's greatest ever player. He was part of the famous trio of the late 1960s and early 1970s alongside Francis Lee
Francis Lee
Francis Henry Lee is a former professional footballer, who played in the 1960s and 1970s, including 27 appearances for the England national team. Lee played for Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City, and Derby County...
and Mike Summerbee
Mike Summerbee
Mike Summerbee is an English former footballer, who played in the successful Manchester City side of the late 1960s and early 1970s....
.
Early career
He began his career at BuryBury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
captaining the team at a young age. In 1966 he moved to Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
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
Malcolm Allison
Malcolm Alexander Allison was an English football player and manager. Nicknamed "Big Mal", he was one of English football's most flamboyant and intriguing characters because of his panache, fedora and cigar, controversies off the pitch and outspoken nature.Allison's managerial potential become...
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 – the last time England defeated Sweden. In 1969 Manchester City won the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
with a 1–0 victory over Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
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
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
and the European Cup Winners' Cup.
1970 World Cup
In 1970 Bell, along with Manchester City team mate Francis LeeFrancis Lee
Francis Henry Lee is a former professional footballer, who played in the 1960s and 1970s, including 27 appearances for the England national team. Lee played for Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City, and Derby County...
, earned a place in the England squad for the World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. To help the players acclimatise to the heat of Mexico, the team staged an inter-squad mini-olympics which saw Bell win every event. During the tournament, Bell saw action in the quarter final when he replaced Bobby Charlton
Bobby Charlton
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player, a member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
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 Charlton 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 RamseyAlf Ramsey
Sir Alfred Ernest "Alf" Ramsey was an English footballer and manager of the English national football team from 1963 to 1974. His greatest achievement was winning the 1966 World Cup with England on 30 July 1966...
's departure. Bell's former manager at Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
Joe Mercer
Joe Mercer
Joseph 'Joe' Mercer, OBE was an English football player and manager.-Playing career:Mercer was born in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, the son of a former Nottingham Forest and Tranmere Rovers footballer, also named Joe. Joe Mercer senior died, following health problems resulting from a gas attack...
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
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
, and also helping England defeat World Champions Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
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
Mick Channon
Michael Roger "Mick" Channon is a sportsman who enjoyed a career as a striker with Southampton and England in the 1970s and later became a hugely successful racehorse trainer.-Southampton:...
, Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
, Malcolm Macdonald
Malcolm Macdonald
Malcolm Ian Macdonald is a former English footballer nicknamed Supermac, famed for scoring goals for Luton Town, Newcastle United and Arsenal.-Football career:...
, Alan Hudson
Alan Hudson
Alan Anthony Hudson is a former English footballer.-Biography:Born and brought up near the King's Road, Hudson was rejected by boyhood club Fulham as a schoolboy before signing for Chelsea Juniors...
and Alan Ball
Alan Ball (footballer)
Alan James Ball, Jr., MBE was a professional English footballer and football club manager.He was the youngest member of England's 1966 World Cup winning team and played for various clubs, scoring more than 180 league goals in a career spanning 22 years...
as well as Bell. Channon has commented that he did not understand why the manager at the time, Don Revie
Don Revie
Donald George 'Don' Revie, OBE, , was an English footballer who played for Leicester City, Hull City, Sunderland, Manchester City and Leeds United as a deep-lying centre forward. After managing Leeds United he managed England from 1974 until 1977...
, 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
Unfortunately, in 1975 at the age of 29, Bell severely injured his right knee against Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in a challenge with Martin Buchan
Martin Buchan
Martin McLean Buchan is a Scottish former footballer. Buchan was a central defender for Manchester United in 1972–1983, and captained the late 1970s teams for six years...
during a League Cup match at Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
. He attempted a return in 1977, but called time on a magical career in 1979 having never recaptured the form which guided Manchester City to the 1968 League
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
Title, 1969 FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, 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
1974 Football League Cup Final
The 1974 Football League Cup Final was the final match of the 1973–74 Football League Cup, the 14th season of the Football League Cup, a football competition for the 92 teams in The Football League...
of the same competition two years earlier. The then Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
Chairman Peter Swales described Bell as the 'finest tuned athlete' and 'irreplaceable'. This latter sentiment turned out to be true as Malcolm Allison
Malcolm Allison
Malcolm Alexander Allison was an English football player and manager. Nicknamed "Big Mal", he was one of English football's most flamboyant and intriguing characters because of his panache, fedora and cigar, controversies off the pitch and outspoken nature.Allison's managerial potential become...
who managed Manchester City again in the late 1970s was not able to find a trio of talented players the calibre of Bell, Summerbee and Lee like he had done in the past with Joe Mercer
Joe Mercer
Joseph 'Joe' Mercer, OBE was an English football player and manager.-Playing career:Mercer was born in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, the son of a former Nottingham Forest and Tranmere Rovers footballer, also named Joe. Joe Mercer senior died, following health problems resulting from a gas attack...
. In 1980 Bell tried to resurrect his career with NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
side San Jose Earthquakes where he joined former Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
player George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
. 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 StadiumCity of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
was renamed "The Colin Bell Stand" in honour of their greatest ever player. This was a unique honour, as all of the other remain nameless to this day, although one of the roads leading to the stadium is called "Joe Mercer
Joe Mercer
Joseph 'Joe' Mercer, OBE was an English football player and manager.-Playing career:Mercer was born in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, the son of a former Nottingham Forest and Tranmere Rovers footballer, also named Joe. Joe Mercer senior died, following health problems resulting from a gas attack...
Way" in honour of Manchester City's most successful manager. Bell was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame
English Football Hall of Fame
The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum, currently being relocated to Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and managers who have become...
in 2005 in recognition of his contribution to the English game. He was also awarded an MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
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 when he was too young to remember. She was only 39. 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 pre-malignant bowel tumour was discovered on colonoscopy at the Manchester Royal Infirmary
Manchester Royal Infirmary
The Manchester Royal Infirmary is a hospital in Manchester, England which was founded by Charles White in 1752 as a cottage hospital capable of caring for twelve patients. Manchester Royal Infirmary is part of a larger NHS Trust incorporating several hospitals called Central Manchester University...
and within two weeks he underwent life-saving surgery.
Legacy
England and Manchester City fans alike 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 CharltonBobby Charlton
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player, a member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
has stated that 'Colin Bell was unquestionably a great player'. Alan Mullery
Alan Mullery
Alan Patrick Mullery MBE is a former English football player and manager. After enjoying a successful career with Fulham and in the 1960s and 1970s, he became a manager working with several different clubs. He is now employed as a television pundit...
, 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
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
, has stated that Bell 'had it all'. England legend Tom Finney
Tom Finney
Sir Thomas Finney, OBE is a former English footballer, famous for his loyalty to his league club, Preston North End, and for his performances in the English national side....
stated that 'Colin Bell was as good as anything I've ever seen'. Some current fans and pundits in the game, have compared City midfielder Michael Johnson to Bell.
In 2003 Manchester City moved into the new City of Manchester Stadium
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
. By February 2004 one of the stands, 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
Eric Brook
Eric Fred Brook was an English footballer who played in the outside left position. He is the all time record goalscorer for Manchester City in all competitions and was an England international. Brook was a muscular player with 'one of the fiercest shots in pre-war football' and was a good penalty...
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
Billy Meredith
William Henry "Billy" Meredith was a Welsh footballer. He was considered one of the early superstars of football due to his performances, notably for Manchester City and Manchester United. He won each domestic trophy in the English football league and also gained 48 caps for Wales, for whom he...
, Tommy Johnson, Sam Cowan
Sam Cowan
Samuel Cowan was an English football player and manager. A relative latecomer to the sport, Cowan did not play football until he was 17 and was 22 by the time he turned professional...
, Eric Brook
Eric Brook
Eric Fred Brook was an English footballer who played in the outside left position. He is the all time record goalscorer for Manchester City in all competitions and was an England international. Brook was a muscular player with 'one of the fiercest shots in pre-war football' and was a good penalty...
, Fred Tilson
Fred Tilson
Samuel Frederick "Fred" Tilson was an association football player for Manchester City and England. He was born in Swinton, South Yorkshire. He was part of the City team that won both the FA Cup and the League Championship in the 1930s...
, Frank Swift
Frank Swift
Frank Victor Swift was an English footballer, who played as a goalkeeper for Manchester City and England. After starting his career with local clubs near his home town of Blackpool, in 1932 he was signed by First Division Manchester City, with whom he played his entire professional career.Swift...
, Peter Doherty
Peter Doherty (footballer)
Peter Dermot Doherty was a Northern Ireland international footballer and manager who played for Manchester City.An inside left, he was one of the top players of his time, winning a league title with Manchester City, an F.A. Cup final with Derby County in which he scored, and gained 16 caps for...
, Roy Clarke
Roy Clarke
Roy Clarke OBE is an English comedy writer.-Career:Clarke is best known for creating BBC Sitcoms; Last of the Summer Wine, Open All Hours and Keeping Up Appearances...
, Bert Trautmann
Bert Trautmann
Bernhard Carl "Bert" Trautmann, OBE is a German former professional footballer who played for Manchester City from 1949 to 1964. Brought up during times of inter-war strife in Germany, Trautmann joined the Luftwaffe early in the Second World War, serving as a paratrooper...
, Ken Barnes
Ken Barnes (footballer)
Kenneth Herbert Barnes was an English footballer. He played as a half back for Manchester City and Wrexham. On the books of Birmingham City as a youth, Barnes began his football career at amateur level...
, Roy Paul
Roy Paul
Roy Paul was a footballer who played as a half-back for Swansea Town and Manchester City...
, Alan Oakes
Alan Oakes
Alan Arthur Oakes is an English footballer who holds Manchester City's all-time record for appearances. Thanks to a further six year stint at Chester , Oakes played 776 Football League matches – the seventh most in history.-Permanent Fixture with Man City:Oakes signed for Manchester City on...
, Neil Young, Mike Summerbee
Mike Summerbee
Mike Summerbee is an English former footballer, who played in the successful Manchester City side of the late 1960s and early 1970s....
, Tony Book
Tony Book
Anthony Keith Book is a retired English footballer and manager who was born in Bath, 4 September 1934. Book spent a large part of his career in Non-League football with his home town club Bath City, before entering league football with Plymouth Argyle. At the age of 31, he joined First Division...
, Francis Lee
Francis Lee
Francis Henry Lee is a former professional footballer, who played in the 1960s and 1970s, including 27 appearances for the England national team. Lee played for Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City, and Derby County...
, Joe Corrigan
Joe Corrigan
Joseph Thomas Corrigan , is a former football goalkeeper who played for Manchester City and England.-Career:...
, Paul Lake
Paul Lake
Paul Andrew Lake is an English former footballer, who played for Manchester City.-Early life:Raised in the Denton area of Manchester, he attended St Thomas More School Denton. Lake was spotted by Manchester City scout Ken Barnes as a ten year old, playing against boys two or three years older...
and Niall Quinn
Niall Quinn
Niall John Quinn honorary MBE is a former Irish international footballer, and the ex-chairman of Sunderland AFC. He still works at the club as an overseas manager. He is also heavily involved in the management side of horse racing...
. He was deemed by Goal
Goal
A goal is an objective, or a projected computation of affairs, that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve.Goal, GOAL or G.O.A.L may also refer to:Sport...
to be England's twenty-sixth best ever footballer.
Career statistics
|-|1963–64
The Football League 1963-64
-Overview:The 1963–1964 season was the 64th completed season of The Football League.-Final league tables :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at website and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics...
||rowspan="3"|Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
||rowspan="3"|Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
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|1964–65
The Football League 1964-65
-Overview:The 1964–1965 season was the 65th completed season of The Football League.-Final league tables :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at website and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics...
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|1965–66
The Football League 1965-66
-Overview:The 1965–1966 season was the 66th completed season of The Football League.This season is notable for Liverpool winning the title with only 14 squad players.-Final league tables :...
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|1965–66
The Football League 1965-66
-Overview:The 1965–1966 season was the 66th completed season of The Football League.This season is notable for Liverpool winning the title with only 14 squad players.-Final league tables :...
||rowspan="14"|Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
||rowspan="1"|Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
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|1966–67
The Football League 1966-67
-Overview:The 1966–1967 season was the 67th completed season of The Football League.-Final league tables :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at website and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics...
||rowspan="13"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
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|1967–68
The Football League 1967-68
-Overview:The 1967–1968 season was the 68th completed season of The Football League.- First Division :For the first time since 1937 Manchester City won the league title, finishing two points clear of their local rivals Manchester United. Fulham finished bottom of the league and were relegated along...
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|1968–69
The Football League 1968-69
-Overview:The 1968–1969 season was the 69th completed season of The Football League.- First Division :Leeds United won the League for the first time in their history, finishing six points ahead of Liverpool...
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|1969–70
The Football League 1969-70
The 1969–1970 season was the 70th completed season of The Football League.Everton won their seventh title, finishing nine points clear of Leeds United with Chelsea in third and newly promoted Derby County in fourth. Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland were both relegated.Huddersfield Town claimed...
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|1970–71
The Football League 1970-71
-Overview:The 1970–1971 season was the 71st completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Arsenal won the league championship at the home of their bitter rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, with Ray Kennedy scoring the winner. This would soon be followed by their FA Cup final tie with Liverpool...
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|1971–72
The Football League 1971-72
-Overview:The 1971–1972 season was the 72nd completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Brian Clough, 37, won the first major trophy of his managerial career by guiding Derby County to their first ever league championship. They overcame Leeds United to win a four-horse race also...
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|1972–73
The Football League 1972-73
-Overview:The 1972–1973 season was the 73rd completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Liverpool cruised to another championship triumph in Bill Shankly's penultimate season as manager despite competition from Arsenal, Leeds United, Ipswich Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers.Manchester...
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|1973–74
The Football League 1973-74
-Overview:The 1973–1974 season was the 74th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Don Revie marked his last season as Leeds United's manager by guiding them to league championship glory, before taking over from Sir Alf Ramsey as the England national football team manager, with...
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|1974–75
The Football League 1974-75
-Overview:The 1974–1975 season was the 75th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:David Mackay guided Derby County to their second league title in four years having overcome strong competition from Liverpool, Ipswich Town, Everton, Stoke City, Sheffield United and Middlesbrough in...
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|1975–76
The Football League 1975-76
-Overview:The 1975–1976 season was the 76th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Liverpool won their first major trophy under Bob Paisley by narrowly winning the league title after heated competition from Queens Park Rangers. They also lifted the UEFA Cup for the second time in...
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|1976–77
The Football League 1976-77
-Overview:The 1976–1977 season was the 77th completed season of The Football League.As of this season, goal difference was used to separate the clubs finishing level on points. The earlier system, used from the season 1894–95 until the 1975–76 had been the so-called goal average , or more properly...
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|1977–78
The Football League 1977-78
-Overview:The 1977–1978 season was the 78th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest side took on the First Division by storm, by winning the League Cup on 22 March and confirming themselves as league champions the following month...
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|1978–79
The Football League 1978-79
-Overview:The 1978–1979 season was the 79th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Bob Paisley won his third league title at Liverpool as his conquering side fought off competition from the likes of Nottingham Forest and West Bromwich Albion to achieve their triumph...
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|1980
North American Soccer League 1980
Statistics of North American Soccer League in season 1980. This was the 13th season of the NASL.-Overview:The league comprisd 24 teams. The New York Cosmos defeated the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in the finals on September 21 to win the championship....
||San Jose Earthquakes||North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
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International goals
| Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition | Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 June 1969 | Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th... |
1–2 | Friendly match | 1 (1) | |
| 5 November 1969 | Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population... |
1–0 | Friendly match | 1 (2) | |
| 20 May 1972 | Ninian Park Ninian Park Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship... , Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
3–0 | British Home Championship 1972 British Home Championship The 1972 British Home Championship was the first such Home Nations football tournament , to suffer during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, when death threats from the Provisional Irish Republican Army were sent to the Scottish Football Association and Scottish players who were scheduled to play at... |
1 (3) | |
| 15 November 1972 | Ninian Park Ninian Park Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship... , Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
1–0 | 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification A total of 99 teams entered the 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. , as the hosts, and , as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition.... |
1 (4) | |
| 26 September 1973 | Empire Stadium, Wembley | 7–0 | Friendly match | 1 (5) | |
| 30 October 1974 | Empire Stadium, Wembley | 3–0 | 1976 European Football Championship qualification | 2 (7) | |
| 12 March 1975 | Empire Stadium, Wembley | 2–0 | Friendly match | 1 (8) | |
| 24 May 1975 | Empire Stadium, Wembley | 5–1 | British Home Championship 1975 British Home Championship The 1975 British Home Championship was an international football tournament between the British Home Nations. It resulted in a resounding victory for an England team which was going through one of the poorest periods of consistent play in their history... |
1 (9) | |
As a player
Manchester City F.C.Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
- FA Cup winner 1969
- First Division Champions 1967–68, runner-up 1976-77
- Second Division Champions 1966-67
- League Cup winner 1970, 1976, runner-up 1974
- European Cup Winner's Cup winner 1970
- Charity Shield winner 1969, 1973
- Reserve League Champions 1977-78
Individual
- Included in the Football League 100 LegendsFootball League 100 LegendsThe Football League 100 Legends is a list of 100 great association football players who played part or all of their professional career in English Premier season of League football...
list to celebrate the centenary of the Football League in 1998 - The Colin Bell Stand was named in his honour at the City of Manchester Stadium
- Inducted into the English Football Hall of FameEnglish Football Hall of FameThe English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum, currently being relocated to Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and managers who have become...
in 2005 in recognition of his contribution to English Football - Voted Manchester City's all-time cult hero by BBC Football Focus
- Awarded the MBE by Her Majesty the Queen in 2005 for services to the community in Manchester