Product Description

If Manchester City legend Colin Bell were playing today, he'd be one of the most sought-after midfielders in the world and would command the wages of, and comparison to, the likes of Zidane, Ronaldinho or Ballack. Most Manchester City fans regard Bell as the club's best ever player. He graced the midfield during their greatest years, as they won the League Championship, FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup-Winners' Cup. The man they nicknamed 'Nijinsky', due to his supreme athleticism, captained Bury at the age of 17 and represented England 48 times before a serious knee injury effectively ended his career when he was just 29. Now, for the first time, 'King Colin' has opened up. He talks about his childhood in Hesleden, County Durham; about never knowing his mother, who died while he was a baby; and of being brought up by his aunt and then his father and older sister. He then leads us through the glory years, singles out his greatest opponents and compares the modern game with the era he dominated. In "Colin Bell - Reluctant Hero", Bell covers the many highs and lows of his career, including his views on the tackle in a Manchester derby that ended his footballing dreams and could even have cost him his life. There's humour, too, as he recalls a teammate who couldn't swim being carried shoulder high through the incoming tide on Blackpool beach, and the time he sent a fellow player to a hotel reception in his birthday suit. This candid and entertaining autobiography offers a unique insight into the world of a true legend who never actively sought fame. With tributes from the likes of Malcolm Allison, Sir Geoff Hurst and Sir Bobby Charlton, "Colin Bell - Reluctant Hero" is the life story of a footballer whose brilliance on the field demanded adulation but who was never comfortable in the spotlight, a player who truly preferred to let his feet do the talking.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #360962 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 208 pages

From the Publisher
If Manchester City legend Colin Bell were playing today, he'd be one of the most sought-after midfielders in the world and would command the wages of, and comparison to, the likes of Zidane, Ronaldinho or Ballack. Most Manchester City fans regard Bell as the club's best ever player. He graced the midfield during their greatest years, as they won the League Championship, FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup-Winners' Cup. The man they nicknamed 'Nijinsky', due to his supreme athleticism, captained Bury at the age of 17 and represented England 48 times before a serious knee injury effectively ended his career when he was just 29.

About the Author
Colin Bell played in midfield for Manchester City between 1966 and 1979, during which time he made just under 500 appearances and scored 152 goals. He still lives in Manchester. Ian Cheeseman is a reporter for BBC GMR and has been a Manchester City fan all his life. He is 45 years old and is married with two children. This is his first book.

Customer Reviews

A footballer never forgotten.
Colin Bell was one of the few footballers I've seen in the flesh who I'd describe as a genius. He deserves a greater testament to his time as a player than this book provides.

I appreciate that this is an autobiography of a footballer and not a work of high literature, but it fails for me because it is written in a very simplistic, almost schoolboy narrative. I understand that Colin Bell was not a gifted writer and I also appreciate that Ian Cheeseman is a worthy broadcaster but the book lacks depth.

I wanted to know more detail about his on pitch tussles against some of the best players of his time. I wanted a bit more of the banter that went on behind the scenes. I wanted more opinion as to why the Mercer/Allison management team was one of the most successful of it's day. That's essentially my problem with the book...I was just left wanting so much more.

Colin Bell remains one of my favourite players of all time. I was in the crowd when he sufferred the injury that cost him his playing career and deprived the England team of midfielder of the highest order as he approached his peak. This book gives what I feel is a mere taste of the Colin Bell story, and whilst it is a quick & easy read, I won't return to it again but satisfy myself with the glorious recollections of Colin Bell and the memories I have of the late sixties to early seventies Manchester City team that provided so much entertainment to the Blue half of Manchester for all too brief a period.

A sentimental and heart warming story
The book is just like a miniskirt, long enough to cover the main parts and short enough to keep you interested!

Very easy to read, and a fantastic look into Colins life. It doesn't focus too much on one particular area of his life, but just goes through each stage in a moderate amount of detail. It also pokes into detail for some important things, but not enough for you to get bogged down.

Interesting, and moderately diplomatic description of the time when Colin was sacked from his position as Youth Development Officer.

Well worth buying for any City fan.

Colin emerges from this as a humble but obviously successful person. Unlike some other books that continuously hammer a certain trait of their personality every other page, this book gently portrays a shy man who made it onto the big stage and would rather do the performance and go instead of milking an encore.

It's a genuine, honest and entertaining story. Well worth a read.

This is Colin Bell
A good book about a quiet man. A quiet man who was lord of the field. He didn't need words to show who was the best, his feet and his brain proved that.
I pride myself in being a fan of City for 40 years and priveleged to have seen that golden era of the magnificent team the late 60's and early 70's.
This book is not full of "let me tell you what I did son" stories.
It is about a quiet, modest North East lad who went to the top of his game, only to have his career ended by injury far too early.
He showed strength and determination to get back on the field, at the same time, trying to maintain his dignity and raise a family.
The book tells it all, home and pitch life, up to the present day.
The author has done loyal fans a service by letting us know the real Colin Bell.
Sit back, open it up and enjoy.