Helen the bell ringer

[Mike D]

Who remember Helen the Bell ringer and how she would go down today at the ETIHAD?

She'd probably be banned on health and safety reasons. They do f*ck all about the smokers but some elderly lady ringing a bell

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Used to sometimes get on her A coach from Aytoun Street.

She always looked out for her passengers and bailed a few out. She always demanded money for the driver.

Nice lady, but still started out red.

 

[Luckybluekeks]

I was lucky enough to play Helen Turner in the recent Blue Moon Rising film.

I was in make-up at 7.00am re-creating Helen's famous beehive hairstyle with sovereign rings on my fingers and loads of scarves and rosettes.

I was hoping I was going to re-create the famous Wembley 76 scene where she joined in the lap of honour but no, I think I was on set for about ten hours and all you see of me in the film is a back of head shot (all of 2 seconds) ringing the original famous bell...in fact I think my bell ringing was edited as the hand in the film looks much older than mine...got in the credits though, well happy.

But as a born and bred blue I was proper excited as I too remember Helen at Maine Road, what a character, part of our Maine Road history.....

 

[twistedAM]

A true legend.

I also remember how she used to come around the Supporters Club - when we had it adjoining Maine Road - with those raffle tickets.

That was one raffle where everybody had a ticket. Nobody but nobody ever said 'No' to Helen - that 'Look' meant it was only a question of how many -)

Yeah I remember that too. You just didn't say no to her.
Used to love that hour in the club after the game and then onto the Sandpiper in Fallowfield in those uncivilised days when other pubs didn't open til 7pm.

 

[oakiecokie]

Remember her being on a Finglands bus when we had a midweek game up at Sunderland.
A knob head brandished a knife on the bus at some poor sod.
She casually went up to him and had a quiet word in his lugholes and decided enough was enough,after he unwisely did not respond to her request.
She then sat on the fucker for the next 30+ minutes,with his face getting bluer and bluer.In the end he submitted,giving the knife to Helen and never have you heard a greater ovation.
I am almost certain he didn`t come back on the bus as he was arrested for being pissed and never actually saw the game.
Ah those good old days.
This was the first time I had ever really met her,but it wasn`t the last and what a club stalwart she was and still a legend.

 

[JGL07]

I have three lasting memories, she was a flower seller outside the royal infirmary, Going on the supporters coach she organized for the 74 cup final and finally taking me and a mate to Maine rd at the back end of 1974. It was during the week and we got to meet several players, Marsh, Corrigan, Donachie

She also sold flowers outside Southern Cemetery. On of the Tory Councillors tried to invoke a bye-law to stop this. It emerged that he owned the local florist and got lambasted in the Evening News.

 

[Jordie]

For who?

 

[MCFCinUSA]

Thats right the Kippax would sing this during the match, and of course Helen would reply, much to the cheers of the Kippax, I think she use to sit in the North Stand, because I was a season ticket holder for a while, and saw her regulary take a seat on the front row, decked out in a big blue and white scarf and badges ect.....those where the days, good memories.........

Yes, right behind the goal. I remember she was a big Joe Corrigan (no pun intended!) fan and used to give him birthday presents.

Didn't she give him a piece of lucky heather every match,

yes, I believe that's right, because she was always sat right behind the goal..

she was a larger than life character and a little bit of City through and through.

bless her cotton socks and Big Joe's gloves

;o)

 

[mancitytmdanttom]

I remember my first away trip...She was in charge of one of the coaches and it was funny as fuck how she shouted at people at the services "to not be late back to the coach"

Legend of a blue..

Remember her in London once on the coach shouting at us at the back not to make any 'O' signs to our cockney cousins - They got every swear word going

 

[citydad]

i used to sit in the north stand with my dad in the seventies being near the back and too small to see and know where this bell noise was coming from,i remember asking my dad what it was all about and he used to tell me it was a signal and instruction for the workers to get back to work.i suppose he was correct really.

 

[tommyhair]

Good memories of Helen ringing the bell, she give us a tour round the ground in our school holidays one year. Bless her

 

[john blue]

" Happy days ".

 

[Balti]

big fat football hooligan ;-)

 

[The Future's Blue]

She could do whatever she wanted. If some fuck-face newby had something to say they'd be sorted. Big Joe is still a big lad, I'm sure he'd still have something to say!

A City Legend that will be remembered fondly.

 

[dreadzonecity]

as been said she was united first,always went on finglands coaches,and i have seen her give tickets to home fans when weve been away,we asked her a few times for briefs,norwich,southampton and she blanked us,with her white flannel pants,blue city shirt.rossette scarf autograph book,city bag,with city flask,city cup ect all the above sums city fans up eccentric,could do with more of them,one who i cant recall his name think it was pete,went everywhere with city coat on,city bag,scarf bobby hat,always smiling smashing fella always on kippax with a radio to his ear

 

[Mike D]

They don't make them like Helene anymore there's not may fans who get the the Kippax and North Stand singing her name.

 

[TGR]

Yep - Fond memories of Helen. She used give sweets out the kids as well.
Does anyone remember the Jehova's wittness who used to satnd outside the Kippax wearing a sandwich board which proclaimed 'Prepare to Meet thy Doom!' and a bowler hat? I remember he once said that Colin Bell 'was a sinner' and it nearly kicked off! - Think I will start a thread about this bloke.

 

[Ricster]

Who remember Helen the Bell ringer and how she would go down today at the ETIHAD?

I dont know about going down at The Etihad, but she nearly went down on me at Maine Road.

Remember going round Maine Road before the match and i went over to speak with her outside the North Stand/Maine Stand corner, i put a bit of loose change in her bucket, got speaking to her, and all i can say is ive never blushed like it in my life.

She used to sit about 5 rows behind me in the Platt Lane too...that bloody bell.

Someone said on here before that the lights out night games should have Helen's bell ringing as the lights are out, to build the tension. Im shocked the club hasn't done this, she is part of our history afterall.

 

[bert's broken neck]

Let's rename the North Stand "The Helen's Bell End!"

Seems a good fit with the adjacent "Colin Bell Stand"!

I've got many happy memories of Helen and her bell in the old scoreboard end!

Anyone remember those days in the sixties, when the first team were away and the reserves were playing - you had to wait for the bloke to arrive at the scoreboard with the numbers, to find out how we were getting on at half time!

How things have changed on the communications front since those happy days!

 

[Goats left knee]

she was old enough to have been to the Etihad (early years)?? am i right in saying i would have seen her in a wheelchair with a blue wig (possibly collecting for charity too)?