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England's exit from the 1970 World Cup and surrender of their title was not Colin Bell's fault, despite the tone of one or two pieces written about arguably the most infamous substitution in international football. When Alf Ramsey sent Bell on as a more defensive replacement for Bobby Charlton in the Mexico quarter-final against West Germany, everyone could see his reasoning. The game was an hour old, England were two up and, not unreasonably sensing a sweltering semi-final in the coming days, Ramsey wanted to give the ageing Charlton as much of a breather as possible. Colin, a less delicate midfielder but the worthiest of England players of his type, played only his natural game across the centre, but the sudden blunting of England's attacking blade from midfield released Franz Beckenbauer from his leash, and England conceded twice to prompt extra time, and a third time to ensure a horrific exit. But none of this was down to Bell, who was winning the 14th cap of his England career, little more than two years after the industrious Manchester City general (he is pictured above playing for City against West Ham in 1968) was handed a debut as a 22 year old at Wembley in a 3-1 win over Sweden and kept in place for a narrow defeat in West Germany ten days later. At the time, England were preparing for a crucial European Championship semi-final against Yugoslavia, and when that came Ramsey reverted to his old guard, with Bell's two cap tally not being increased until the end of the year. As City began to win honours frequently, Bell was installed as a regular squad member as Ramsey chopped and changed, without the inconvenience of a qualfying campaign for the forthcoming World Cup owing to England's status as holders.
Colin's first England goal came in a good 28 day period for him, with City clinching the FA Cup at Wembley prior to a Latin-America tour which gave Bell the joy of opening his England account with the goal in a narrow defeat by Brazil in Rio. The likes of Nobby Stiles were seeing their international careers slip away and Bell, along with Tottenham's Alan Mullery, was the main contender for the less glamorous role in midfield as the World Cup approached. He scored again in his next England game - the only goal in a win over Holland in Amsterdam - and, although Ramsey restricted him somewhat in the lead up to Mexico as he finalised squad places, formations and tactics, his place in the final 22 was a shoo-in. Bell came on as a sub for Charlton in the 1-0 defeat by Brazil in the group stages at Guadalajara - sadly, he couldn't repeat his previous scoring feat against Pele and co - before the fateful replacement of Charlton days later which held much culpability in media eyes for England's catastrophic exit. It also ended Charlton's England career and England's stint as world champions and would also pretty much define Colin's career, as the rest of the 1970s were decidedly mediocre by England standards. (Matthew Rudd)
Injury put paid to Bell's England hopes for most of 1971, finally
getting his 15th cap in a European Championship qualifier in Greece,
which England won 2-0. By now the team had lost many of its stars of the
previous decade through retirement, age or declining form, and as those
West Germans came into view again for the latter and definitive
qualifiers, Colin's status as a player with experience of a World Cup
was vital. England lost 3-1 over
the two legs and more ageing players
called it a day. Bell's 19th cap brought him the England captaincy for
the first and only time - Ramsey rested Bobby Moore - but it ended in
embarrassment as Northern Ireland beat them 1-0 in the Home
International competition. Moore was back for the next game and Colin
returned to mortal status, later getting his third England goal in a 1-0
win over Wales in a qualifier for the 1974 World Cup in Cardiff. He
stayed in the side throughout the campaign, including the calamitous 1-0
defeat in Poland which left qualification hanging on a victory over the
same opposition at Wembley later in the year. But Bell was one of many
England players denied by one part of Jan Tomaszewski's anatomy or
another, and the 1-1 draw meant that England's hopes of getting to the
World Cup had been dashed.
Ramsey was sacked, and Colin's old Manchester
City coach Joe Mercer came in with a caretaker contract, unsurprisingly
selecting Bell for a number of meaningless summer friendlies in Eastern
Europe as the World Cup went on a border or two away without England.
Colin then got himself back in the international groove at the end of
1974 when he netted twice at Wembley to help England to a tremendous 3-0
win over Czechoslovakia in the opening 1976 European Championship
qualifier in new manager Don Revie's first game in charge. Bell put
another away as England beat West Germany - at last - in a friendly at
Wembley in March 1975, finally allowing him to beat his hoodoo against
England's fiercest adversary. He scored one as England put five past
Scotland in the summer but his international career was soon to conclude
- not through Revie's ever-bizarre selection process, lack of player
respect or simple communication disasters, but because of the knee
injury Bell suffered in the winter of 1975 which ended his England
career after 48 appearances and did much the same for his time at
Manchester City too, with nearly two years passing before he could get
on to a pitch again. Bell's club career represented one of great heart
and purpose as a crucial component of one particular club's best-ever
team in terms of ability and silverware. His England career, though long
and admirable by the comparison of many others, was more about sheer
rotten luck which put him in the wrong place at the wrong time, than it
was about Bell's own form and class. (Matthew Rudd)
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