Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

Quantity: 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
20 used & new from £7.00

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Tell a Friend
Colin Bell - Reluctant Hero: The Autobiography of a Manchester City and England Legend
 
See larger image
 
Colin Bell - Reluctant Hero: The Autobiography of a Manchester City and England Legend (Hardcover)
by Sir Bobby Charlton (Foreword), Colin Bell (Author), Ian Cheeseman (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars 3 customer reviews (3 customer reviews)
RRP: £15.99
Price: £11.19 & eligible for Free UK delivery on orders over £15 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £4.80 (30%)
Availability: In stock. Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.

Only 5 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want guaranteed delivery by 1pm Tuesday, May 13? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details

20 used & new available from £7.00
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Paperback (New Ed) £7.99 £6.39 9 used & new from £2.99
 
   

Perfect Partner

Buy this book with Trautmann: The Biography by Alan Rowlands today!

Colin Bell - Reluctant Hero: The Autobiography of a Manchester City and England Legend Trautmann: The Biography
Buy Together Today: £21.18

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Feed the Goat: The Shaun Goater Story

Feed the Goat: The Shaun Goater Story by Shaun Goater

5.0 out of 5 stars (4)  £13.49
Trautmann: The Biography

Trautmann: The Biography by Alan Rowlands

£9.99
Maine Man: The Tony Book Story (Mainstream Sport)

Maine Man: The Tony Book Story (Mainstream Sport) by Tony Book

5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £6.39
Feed the Goat

Feed the Goat by Shaun Goater

3.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £6.99
Lows, Highs and Balti Pies: Manchester City Ruined My Diet

Lows, Highs and Balti Pies: Manchester City Ruined My Diet by Steve Mingle

3.3 out of 5 stars (3)  £6.59
Explore similar items : Books (37) DVD (3) Music (1)

Product details

Product Description
Synopsis
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.

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.

See all Product Description


Customers Who Viewed This Item Also Viewed

Catch a Falling Star: The Autobiography of Neil Young

Catch a Falling Star: The Autobiography of Neil Young by Neil Young

5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £12.57
Don Revie: Portrait of a Footballing Enigma (Mainstream Sport)

Don Revie: Portrait of a Footballing Enigma (Mainstream Sport) by Andrew Mourant

4.5 out of 5 stars (2)  £5.99
Nobby Stiles: After the Ball - My Autobiography

Nobby Stiles: After the Ball - My Autobiography by Nobby Stiles

4.8 out of 5 stars (4)  £12.53
Stan Bowles: The Autobiography

Stan Bowles: The Autobiography by Stanley Bowles

5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £18.99
Anfield Iron

Anfield Iron by Tommy Smith

4.0 out of 5 stars (3)  £12.48
Explore similar items : Books (30) DVD (3)

 
Customer Reviews
3 Reviews
5 star: 33%  (1)
4 star: 33%  (1)
3 star: 33%  (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Write an online review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars A footballer never forgotten., 13 Jul 2006
By Chulsk "chulsk" (Sale, Cheshire) - See all my reviews
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.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? YesNo (Report this)



 
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A sentimental and heart warming story, 14 Dec 2005
By A Customer
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.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? YesNo (Report this)



 
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars This is Colin Bell, 18 Jul 2006
By K. McGowan (Ireland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
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.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? YesNo (Report this)


Write an online review