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

Messi38 said:
He was obviously sensational for City based on what everyone here says, his videos, and just generally how revered he is, but just been doing a little reading about his international career. I didn't realise it was he who came on for Charlton in 1970 vs the West Germans. I had heard the story of Chartlon being subbed off but didn't realise it was Bell who came on for him. Apparently he played well, created some chances and should have had a penalty, but the substitution was unfairly blamed for the comeback when in actual fact it was far more to do with Banks being ill in goal and being replaced by Bonetti. Did the cunts in the media really blame that substitution even though he did well when he came on and the West Germans had already started their comeback anyway?

Apparently he got 48 caps for England. That is a respectable amount, but a player of his quality should have got more. This was in the days before loads of dumb friendlies though. When you think that Beckham, a player with a third of Bell's talent but 100 times his fame and hype, has won like 125 it really does make a mockery of football. There is no justice. Bell seems to have been underhyped and much much better than lots of modern prima donnas who think they're superstars after one good game. He is a major loss to football.
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As I recall England were leading 2-1 when Sir Alf made 2 substitutions (Norman Hunter for Martin Peters and Colin for Bobby Charlton). West Germany had just scored with that shot by Beckenbauer that went under Bonetti. Some argue the substitutions signalled that England were happy to try and see out the game and that gave WG the additional momentum. Others that taking off a 32yo Charlton in the blazing heat of Mexico to save him for the semi final and replacing him with the fittest, strongest squad member in Bell was a sensible move. Colin set up a great chance for Hurst that missed by inches and was brought down for a certain penalty by Beckenbauer that wasn't given. Remember that the referee was from Argentina. Four years earlier Ramsey had called the Argentines "animals" in the QF at Wembley - something they had felt insulted by. He also said that Mexico was not a safe country from a food and hygiene standpoint so that had offended the authorities of the host country. Everyone was rooting against England so it's not surprising decisions went against them.

WG - a great team - piled the pressure on and equalized through that freak backward header by Seeler, with Bonetti caught in no mans land as it sailed over him to take the game into extra time. England, under Ramsey, relied heavily on their full backs (Newton and Cooper) to get forward and overlap to support attacks but in the heat and humidity of Mexico were vulnerable defensively and as extra time wore on WG exploited this and substitute winger Grabowski set up the winner by beating Cooper and crossing for the great predator Gerd Mueller to smash in the winner.

Of course the media had to look for someone to blame and sacrificing the legendary Bobby Charlton (the darling of '66) was an easy target with which to beat Ramsey with. Charlton had an average World Cup in 1970, he was clearly past his best, but still had value as an emblem of the heartbeat of the '66 team and opponents still respected him.

Even after 1970, when Colin was an automatic choice for England, he still missed a fair few games with injuries but it's true that when fit he was an automatic starter both under Ramsey, Mercer (of course) and Revie . Unfortunately due to Norman Hunter's and Shilton's errors, England drew 1-1 v Poland and missed out on qualification to the 1974 World Cup. Of course, the injury in November 1975 brought his international career to an abrupt end. His tally of caps should have been near double what it was.
 
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Don’t know if any older blues remember it but at the time of the 1970 World Cup one of the petrol companies gave away little metal figurines of the England squad. When I was a kid one of my treasures was the miniature Colin Bell.

(I also had the Gordon Banks, but that wasn’t the one I treasured.)
 
I wrote this years ago to The Logical Song-Supertramp.


When i was young, it seemed Maine Road was so wonderful, Oh Mercer miracles, big Malc coached beautiful, we played magical
And all sang Colin the king, Kippax singing so happily, oh Doyle-fully, Oakes Pardoe, Summerbee Lee- penalty

But then they knew how to play, Joe taught them how to play sensible, logical, oh so tactical, so honourable
And then they showed me a world where they could be defendable, was fanatical, so beautiful, on the ball
There were times, when City made me weep, emotoion runs so deep, but I'm a City fan

Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned, those memories now are blurred, but i'm glad it's blue i am.

Since those great days, We've been to hell and back, critical
cynical, oh life was cruel, but comical
Oh we've got pride in our name, We'd like to feel we're
acceptable, respectable, oh presentable, 'Manchesterable' majestical(Oh City City yeah)

There are times before i go to sleep, those thoughts are mine to keep, for i'm a City fan

I am pleased, so pleased the tide has turned, moved on and I have learned, but my boyhood I still yearn
But please tell me who I am, who I am, who I am, Blue I am.
 
As kids, whenever school holidays allowed (and sometimes when they didn't) we'd go from Withington to Wythenshawe Park and watch the team do the Monday morning training session. It was gruelling to say the least, presumably designed as payback for the players weekend excesses. Players would be on their knees, exhausted, unable to stand and occasionally physically sick. The one exception was Colin Bell who looked like he'd been out for a Sunday morning stroll down to the newsagents for the paper.
 
Scousegiovanni said:
Dreadful news. It's my first ever and probably last post on this site.I'm a red scouser and probably not wanted on here, but I just wanted to send my deepest sincere condolences to the family and you the fans. I had the privilege of seeingColin play at our place on a few occasions and he was one in a million. Always wished that he'd been one of ours. And from the interviews I've seen, he was a lovely gentle unassuming man. Rest in peace great fella. YNWA
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One message and 35 likes, you should post on here some more.
 
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