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

Blue2112 said:
It's been a long time since I've come on here to post and believe me there has been many times I've been tempted. However tonight needed no more tempting it just felt the right thing to do.

I started following this wonderful club when my Dad first took me in 1972. My Dad was my first hero and will be my last but that Saturday afternoon in 72 he unearthed a plethora of new heroes that continues to this day. We all pick our favourites or maybe they pick you. My Dad's was Buzzer Summerbee, mine was Willie Donachie, whilst my own 2 daughters were Stephen Jordan and Sun Jihai for a short time at least.

But I knew all about Colin Bell before I even stepped foot inside Maine Road, how could I not. I'd heard all the stories from my Dad of his extraordinary stamina, his pace, his goals and the name Nijinsky. I'd thumbed through my Dad's scrapbooks from newspaper clippings and touched them longingly.

Surrounded by my Dad's mates, those foreboding dark stands, the tall floodlights, the smell of grass and then seeing for the first time in glorious technicolor those stunningly beautiful sky blue shirts and then there stood in the middle of the pitch this rapier like blonde fella, our very own England midfield Star - Nijinsky!

My Dad took me to almost every home game barring the derbies, too much trouble in those days, and so I missed that fateful League Cup game. But he made sure he took me to the King's homecoming v Newcastle. It's all been said before about the noise the crowd made when he appeared and it was beaten since. We've all heard and read about him, seen the clips, sung his name on many occasions and I hope 'Colin the King' is the first we sing whenever we are all back together. Where ever he is we need him and his family to hear it bellowing out every bit as loud as that Newcastle return.

I didn't want to believe it tonight although I knew it was true and I just had to ring my Dad who has been bedridden for far too long now to tell him the news. My Mam (a United fan) answered the phone and said she was sorry and I asked her to tell my Dad that Colin Bell had died....did i really just say that to my Dad!

I heard his voice in the background "Oh No not Colin Bell" and I put the phone down.

Fate has brought City v United together again in a League Cup tie tomorrow night. Those footballing gods really do know to play the heartstrings. Come on City Do it for the King, do it for Nijinsky, do it for every Blue's hero Colin Bell.
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Nicely put Josh. Good to see you here again.
 
RIP Colin Bell.
Saw him play once when I was 8 against QPR in 1978. I'm sure it was his first goal after coming back from injury and whilst I never appreciated just how good he was, my uncles always made sure I knew just how good he was.
 
A great player and a true legend. The courage in his fight back after his injury as regularly chronicled on BBC Nationwide made him a hero to non Blues and non football fans alike.
His return on the Boxing Day fixture was something never to be beaten. Only the Aguero moment comes near.
The greatest inside forward the world has ever seeeeeeen. RIP Colin the King.
 
lunebleu said:
i saw him make his debut. I was there when that twat Buchan crippled him and when he came back against Newcastle. The thing about Colin (other than other City greats] i'm convinced he would easily get in the current City side. Pep would love his work rate and intelligence, and decency off the pitch.....I would add that i think overall he was a better finisher than KDB. I only spoke to him once when i went to Bell-Waldron Restaurant and i made some gibberish comment about my admiration. he just said ''thanks mate, but just lucky and a bit of hard work thats all'' Don't imagine many of todays players would display such genuine humility.
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He could do everything. Never forget the league cup game.
 
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