Jack Bell (footballer, born 1868)

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Jack Bell
Personal information
Full name John Watson Bell
Date of birth 6 October 1868
Place of birth Dumbarton, Scotland
Date of death 12 April 1956(1956-04-12) (aged 87)[1]
Place of death Wallasey, England
Position(s)
Youth career
Dumbarton Union
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1888–1893 Dumbarton 50 (45)
1892–1898 Everton 130 (41)
1898 Tottenham Hotspur
1898–1900 Celtic 35 (19)
1900–1901 New Brighton Tower 22 (9)
1901–1902 Everton 46 (19)
1903–1908 Preston North End 108 (29)
Total 391+ (162+)
International career
1890–1900 Scotland[2] 10 (5)
1892–1899 Scottish League XI 2 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

John Watson Bell (6 October 1868 – 12 April 1956) was a Scottish football player and manager.

Career[edit]

A winger or inside-forward born in Dumbarton, Bell played with Dumbarton Union, Dumbarton,[3][4] Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Celtic, New Brighton Tower and Preston North End.[5] During his time with Everton, he was one of a group of five men who were the first to be selected for Scotland while playing for an English club (although Bell had been capped already at Dumbarton), in the process becoming the club's first international for that nation.[6] As well as playing for one season alongside his younger brother Laurie, previously also a Dumbarton teammate, he also helped organise the Association Footballers' Union and later served as its president; his activities in this area caused Everton to end his contract, and he switched to non-league Tottenham for a short period before returning to Scotland with Celtic, though he later returned to Goodison Park.[1]

In 1909, Bell was appointed manager/coach of former club Preston. He later spent some time in Canada, but settled in the Merseyside area. His great-grandson Tom Smith was a Scottish international in rugby union.[1]

International goals[edit]

Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first.[7]
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 2 April 1892 Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow  England 1–4 1–4 1892 British Home Championship
2 4 April 1896 Celtic Park, Glasgow  England 2–0 2–1 1896 British Home Championship
3 25 March 1899 Celtic Park, Glasgow  Ireland 5–0 9–1 1899 British Home Championship
4 3 February 1900 Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen  Wales 1–0 5–2 1900 British Home Championship
5 7 April 1900 Celtic Park, Glasgow  England 2–0 4–1 1900 British Home Championship

Honours[edit]

Dumbarton[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Union Jack, Rob Sawyer, Everton FC Heritage Society, 8 May 2020
  2. ^ Lamming, Douglas (1987). A Scottish Soccer Internationalists Who's Who, 1872–1986. Hutton Press. ISBN 0-907033-47-4.
  3. ^ McAllister, Jim (2002). The Sons of the Rock - The Official History of Dumbarton Football Club. Dumbarton: J&J Robertson Printers.
  4. ^ "Jack Bell - Player Statistics (The Sons Archive - Dumbarton Football Club History)". www.sonsarchive.com. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  5. ^ Emms, Steve; Wells, Richard (2007). Scottish League Players' Records Division One 1890/91 to 1938/39. Beeston, Nottingham: Tony Brown. ISBN 978-1-899468-66-9.
  6. ^ Anglo Scottish Recognition Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Doigs Den
  7. ^ "John Bell". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  8. ^ Litster, John. Record of Pre-War Scottish League Players. Norwich: PM Publications.

External links[edit]