# Alex Bell > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alex_Bell > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alex_Bell.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Bell > Source revision: 1342064313 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|South African-born Scottish soccer player (1882–1934)}} {{About|the Scottish footballer|other people|Alex Bell (disambiguation)|the female English author|Alex Bell (writer)}} {{Use British English|date=March 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Alex Bell | image = Manchester United 1908-09 (Bell).jpg | image_size = | caption = | fullname = Alexander Bell | birth_date = 20 October 1882{{cite book | last = Mitchell | first = Andy | url=https://www.scottishsporthistory.com/the-men-who-made-scotland.html |title = The men who made Scotland: The definitive Who's Who of Scottish Football Internationalists 1872-1939 | publisher = Amazon | year = 2021 | isbn=9798513846642}} | birth_place = [Cape Town](/source/Cape_Town), [Cape Colony](/source/Cape_Colony) | death_date = {{death date and age|1934|11|30|1882|10|20|df=y}} | death_place = [Chorlton-cum-Hardy](/source/Chorlton-cum-Hardy), England | position = [Wing half](/source/Wing_half) | years1 = 1900–1903 |clubs1 = [Ayr Parkhouse](/source/Ayr_Parkhouse_F.C.) |caps1 = |goals1 = | years2 = 1903–1913 |clubs2 = [Manchester United](/source/Manchester_United_F.C.) |caps2 = 278 |goals2 = 10 | years3 = 1913–1920 |clubs3 = [Blackburn Rovers](/source/Blackburn_Rovers_F.C.) |caps3 = 11 |goals3 = 0 | years4 = 1920–1922 |clubs4 = [Clackmannan](/source/Clackmannan_F.C.) |caps4 = 18 |goals4 = 1 | years5 = 1922–1923 |clubs5 = [Royal Albert](/source/Royal_Albert_F.C.) |caps5 = |goals5 = | totalcaps = |totalgoals = | nationalyears1 = 1912 |nationalteam1 = [Scotland](/source/Scotland_national_football_team) |nationalcaps1 = 1 |nationalgoals1 = 0 }} '''Alexander Bell''' (20 October 1882 – 30 November 1934) was a [footballer](/source/association_football) who played as a [wing half](/source/wing_half). His professional career was mostly spent in England, where he won trophies with [Manchester United](/source/Manchester_United_F.C.) and [Blackburn Rovers](/source/Blackburn_Rovers_F.C.). Born in South Africa, he was largely raised in Scotland and made one appearance for the [Scotland national team](/source/Scotland_national_football_team). ==Club career== Born in [Cape Town](/source/Cape_Town), [Cape Colony](/source/Cape_Colony), to Scottish parents,[https://www.scotsfootballworldwide.scot/bellhewie Bell & Hewie], Iain Campbell Whittle, Scots Football Worldwide Bell began his professional football career as a centre-forward with various clubs in [Ayr](/source/Ayr), including [Ayr Spring Vale](/source/Ayr_Spring_Vale_F.C.), [Ayr Westerlea](/source/Ayr_Westerlea_F.C.) and [Ayr Parkhouse](/source/Ayr_Parkhouse_F.C.). While with Ayr Parkhouse (then still to join the [Scottish Football League](/source/Scottish_Football_League)), Bell was spotted by former Newton Heath half-back [Will Davidson](/source/Will_Davidson), who reported his findings back to [Manchester United](/source/Manchester_United_F.C.).{{cite book |last1=Barnes |first1=Justyn |first2=Adam |last2=Bostock |first3=Cliff |last3=Butler |first4=Jim |last4=Ferguson |first5=David |last5=Meek |first6=Andy |last6=Mitten |first7=Sam |last7=Pilger |first8=Frank OBE |last8=Taylor |first9=Tom |last9=Tyrell |title=The Official Manchester United Illustrated Encyclopedia |publisher=Manchester United Books |year=2001 |location=London |isbn=0-233-99964-7 }} United paid Ayr Parkhouse £700 for Bell in January 1903. At this stage, it was less than a year since United's formation in place of the bankrupt Newton Heath club, and they were still in the [Football League Second Division](/source/Football_League_Second_Division), from which they won promotion in 1906. He struggled to make an impact in the Manchester United first team as a centre-forward, making just 11 appearances in his first two years at the club. However, United suffered an injury crisis at half-back in 1904, and Bell was called upon to step in. As it happened, Bell excelled in his new position, and became the club's regular left-half, forming an unbreakable trio with [Charlie Roberts](/source/Charlie_Roberts) and [Dick Duckworth](/source/Dick_Duckworth_(footballer_born_1882)). After scoring 10 goals in 309 appearances,[http://www.mufcinfo.com/manupag/a-z_player_archive/a-z_player_archive_pages/bell_alexander.html Alexander Bell], MUFC.info and winning two [First Division](/source/Football_League_First_Division) titles ([1907–08](/source/1907%E2%80%9308_Football_League) and [1910–11](/source/1910%E2%80%9311_Football_League)) and one [FA Cup](/source/FA_Cup) ([1909](/source/1909_FA_Cup_Final)), Bell was sold to [Blackburn Rovers](/source/Blackburn_Rovers_F.C.) for a fee of £1,000 in July 1913. He played only a few matches for Blackburn before the outbreak of the [First World War](/source/World_War_I), and signed for [Clackmannan](/source/Clackmannan_F.C.) in 1921. He played there for two seasons and spent one with [Royal Albert](/source/Royal_Albert_F.C.),{{cite journal|title=A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players|author=John Litster|journal=Scottish Football Historian|date=October 2012}} before retiring as a player and joining the coaching staff at [Coventry City](/source/Coventry_City_F.C.). His last job in football was at [Manchester City](/source/Manchester_City_F.C.), where he was employed as coach and trainer from 1925 until his death in November 1934 at the age of 52. Bell's name was immortalised by former Manchester United teammate Charlie Roberts, who became a tobacconist after retiring from football, naming a brand of cigarette "Ducrobel" after United's famous half-back trio of Duckworth, Roberts and Bell. ==International career== On 16 March 1912, Bell played for [Scotland](/source/Scotland_national_football_team) in a 4–1 win against [Ireland](/source/Ireland_national_football_team_(IFA)).{{cite web |url=https://www.londonhearts.com/scotland/players/alexanderbell.html |title=Alexander Bell |website=www.londonhearts.com |publisher= |date= |accessdate=20 November 2020}} It was his only international cap and he was the first [Manchester United](/source/Manchester_United_F.C.) player to represent Scotland.{{cite web |url=https://www.londonhearts.com/scotland/clubs/manchesterunited.html#GamesbyDate |title=Manchester United |website=www.londonhearts.com |publisher= |date= |accessdate=20 November 2020}} ==Honours== '''Manchester United''' *[Football League First Division](/source/Football_League_First_Division): [1907–08](/source/1907%E2%80%9308_Football_League), [1910–11](/source/1910%E2%80%9311_Football_League) *[FA Cup](/source/FA_Cup): [1909](/source/1909_FA_Cup_Final) *[FA Charity Shield](/source/FA_Charity_Shield) 1910–11 '''Blackburn Rovers''' *[Football League First Division](/source/Football_League_First_Division): [1913–14](/source/1913%E2%80%9314_Football_League) ==See also== * [List of Scotland international footballers born outside Scotland](/source/List_of_Scotland_international_footballers_born_outside_Scotland) == References == {{reflist}} ==External links== *{{SFA profile}} *[http://www.londonhearts.com/scotland/players/alexanderbell.html Scotland profile] at LondonHearts.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Alex}} Category:Soccer players from Cape Town Category:Footballers from Ayr Category:Cape Colony sportspeople Category:Blackburn Rovers F.C. players Category:Men's association football wing halves Category:Association football coaches Category:Manchester United F.C. players Category:Scotland men's international footballers Category:Scottish men's footballers Category:Manchester City F.C. non-playing staff Category:South African men's soccer players Category:South African people of Scottish descent Category:Ayr Parkhouse F.C. players Category:Clackmannan F.C. players Category:Royal Albert F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:Scottish Football League players Category:Coventry City F.C. non-playing staff Category:1882 births Category:1934 deaths --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alex Bell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Bell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Bell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.