Colin Bell RIP - Ian Cheeseman interview with Jon Bell (P142)

only just seen this. Saw him play as a kid so my memories are vague, but what I do remember is my dad, a typical northern working class man who thought most players, even back then, were a bunch of "pansies", had nothing but respect for Colin Bell, so much so I carry his name

Rest in Peace
 
Murph said:
Joe Mercer said exactly the same thing. I think I saw the footage possibly during the Lee, Bell, Summerbee legends video. "Bell, he's going to be the best player City have had since Peter Doherty". Doherty must have been some player.
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Joe Mercer didn’t rate him enough to sign him it was Big Mal who persuaded him Joe soon changed his mind and admitted he was wrong My old man said that Doherty was better, like you say he must have been some player
 
Platt Lane veteran said:
Just chatting to my lad, who’s in his 20’s, about the King. Trying to explain just how good he was, I said, imagine KDB but even better and even more graceful. Sometimes you can’t really find the words about a player like him.
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You're so right. At the age of 60, I'm lucky enough to have seen the genius that is Colin - a legend for all eternity. I have five adult sons - educated them just like you.
 
Some wonderful tributes in here.

Consider myself extremely lucky to have seen The King in his latter years of his career pre injury . I remember the hush in the ground when he went over Buchan’s leg ( similar to when Lakey swallowed his tongue) and the anxious wait hoping that he would jump to his feet and we could all breathe a huge sigh of relief knowing he was going to be ok but those that were there knew that was not going to be the case. Again, similar to Lakey , it was to prove to be another awful example of once you done your knee......

His struggles back were painful for us all as we began to realise his career was done. Rascal paid a wonderful tribute to the man and he really did worship Colin.
We were in our early teens that Boxing Day as we sat on the wall over the tunnel to the players right of The Kippax . Watching him hobble onto that pitch for the second half was a memory etched on my lifetime as the roar was purely electric but The sight of the effect that fuckin horrible injury has done to his leg is what I really remember- there was to be no happy ending although when he hit the bar with that header.

RIP Nijinsky, my old man will look after You.
 
Didn't see as much of him as a player as I would have liked but met him several times. On one occasion at a game I was 6 weeks after rupturing my Achilles so had one of those stupid boots on. Colin spent more time talking about my injury than anything else and seemed genuinely interested. Lovely fella.
My old fella said he was the best so that's good enough for me.
 
Blue Budgie said:
Just found out the sad news absolutely gutted. Anybody who was there versus Newcastle when the King made his return after Buchans assault will remember the moment he stepped on the pitch forever. The emotion around Maine.Rd was unbelievable. Legend is a much used word but Colin was and will always be a legend.A true gent and heaven has gained an angel. RIP THE KING.
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I was there. A bright sunny day. A welcome that may have been matched somewhere, but never eclipsed and Helen, ringing her heavy bell, shouting, "Come on ding!"
 
BlueHammer85 said:
Crazy , because of the ‘Top 20 players’ nominations coming in his name was mentioned a lot, roughly heard of him a little so i watched a YouTube video on him this week, some his best goals including the hat trick v Man U. Seemed a legend for you blues. RIP
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He was. We looked on him in the same way you look on Bonds, or Moore, or Brooking.
 
beverly hills said:
I had the great pleasure of working with Colin for two seasons in the late 90’s when I worked in the city commercial department.
My Job on match days was to take Colin around the executive boxes to meet & greet.
On the first game he told me never to take him to a box that hadn’t specifically asked for him.
He just didn’t want to force himself on people.
He was that kind of bloke.
That first game he rolled up in a faded old Umbro managers coat.
I asked Geoff Durbin if he could supply some of the new Kappa gear & he sent me over to the Souvenir shop to pick up Colin’s clobber & I duly gave it to him.
Next game, Colin rolls up in the old Umbro coat so I of course asked him where his new gear was.
I gave it to our Jonathan he said, he loves it !
He was that kind of man.
What I will always remember about Colin was his tales when talking to People who did ask for him.
It was never a game against United or Liverpool or a cup final etc.
It was Bury away at Hartlepool or Darlington on a wet Tuesday night.
He was that kind of Man.
A very unassuming Man & an absolute hero to Me on & off the pitch.
We remained friends ever since & he always made a point of coming over to see Me & my guests on match days.
He was that kind of Man.
Never meet your Heroes they say.
Well I’m glad I did.
RIP Colin Bell.
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A post from the opposite viewpoint if I may .
ive been lucky enough to go in the boxes on many occasions in the last few years , always with diehard blues who have been there forever. We never specifically asked for a player to come and visit us but the one player we would never have asked would be The King . Simply because we weren’t worthy of him .
I met him on a number of occasions and was always, always too starstruck to mumble more than a few words to him . He probably assumed, correctly, that I was a halfwit.
This speech loss didn’t and still doesn’t affect me with any other player, just The King.

Legend doesn’t eve n begin to describe this colossus of our club .
RIP King .
 
mackenzie said:
Buzzer was always my favourite though, if only because he looked like a bloody great laugh ;-)
The 3 of them were all different personalities though, and each one was a winner.
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Just read the tributes from them both on the official site, Buzzer with his usual warmth, however, Lee it seems never let things go, more about Bell the player than the man, sad that!
 
Oh dear this is very sad news, I watched Colin Bell so many times at Maine Road he was always and still is Manchester City's best ever player, scored bags of goals with both feet and his head, just never stopped for 90 minutes.
Also a true gent.
RIP Nijinsky.
 
Wow. Just heard this. What a shock. Had a colonoscopy this morning. Feel that my guts have been ripped out twice, followed by my heart. In tears here thinking of his comeback against Newcastle. Was in the Kippax that day, looking straight down the tunnel when he appeared. Hair on the back of the neck time. RIP King.
 
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