Mark Bell (footballer)
{{short description|Scottish footballer}}
{{Other people|Mark Bell}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{infobox football biography
| name = Mark Bell
| image =
| fullname = Mark Dickson Bell{{cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/scot-intres1910.html |title=Scotland – International Matches 1901-1910 |date=17 October 2019 |access-date=2 March 2020 |first1=Alan |last1=Brown |first2=Gabriele |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation |last2=Tossani}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1881|2|8|df=y}}
| birth_place = Edinburgh, Scotland
| death_date = {{death date and age|1961|10|22|1881|2|8|df=y}}
| death_place = Edinburgh, Scotland
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=8}}
| position = Outside forward
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 =
| years1 =
| clubs1 = Rosebery Juniors
| years2 = 1898–1900
| clubs2 = St Bernard's
| caps2= 27
| goals2 = 3
| years3 = 1900–1902
| clubs3 = Heart of Midlothian
| caps3 = 18
| goals3 = 4
| years4= 1902–1903
| clubs4= Southampton
| caps4= 9
| goals4 = 6
| years5 = 1903–1904
| clubs5 = Heart of Midlothian
| caps5 = 17
| goals5 = 3
| years6 = 1904–1907
| clubs6= Fulham
| caps6= 58
| goals6= 6
| years7 = 1907–1910
| clubs7 = Clapton Orient
| caps7 = 88
| goals7 = 4
| years8 = 1910–1912
| clubs8 = Leyton
| caps8=
| goals8 =
| years9= 1912–1913
| clubs9 = Gillingham
| caps9 =
| goals9 =
| nationalyears1 = 1901
| nationalteam1 = Scotland
| nationalcaps1 = 1
| nationalgoals1 = 0
}}
Mark Dickson Bell (8 February 1881 – 22 October 1961) was a Scottish footballer who played for Heart of Midlothian in the early years of the 20th century, helping them to win the Scottish Cup in 1901, before moving to England where he won Southern League championships with Southampton and Fulham. An outside forward capable of playing on the left or right wing, he won one international cap for Scotland in 1901.
Football career
=Heart of Midlothian=
Bell was born in Edinburgh and began in junior football with Rosebery. After a spell with St Bernard's,{{cite journal|title=A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players|author=John Litster|publisher=Scottish Football Historian magazine|date=October 2012}} he joined Heart of Midlothian in October 1900 alongside teammate Bob Houston.[https://www.londonhearts.com/scores/newplayers/h00445.html (Hearts player) Mark Bell], London Hearts Supporters Club In his first season with Hearts, he was joint top scorer (with Bill Porteous) with eight goals and was a member of the team that won the Scottish Cup, defeating Division One runners-up Celtic 4–3;{{cite web | url=http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/mrep/19010406001.htm | title=Scottish Cup–Final Tie. {{!}} Heart of Midlothian v. Celtic. | via=London Hearts Supporters Club| work=The Scotsman |date=8 April 1901| accessdate=16 May 2021}} he scored twice in the final, including the late winner. A month before that success Bell had earned what proved to be his solitary cap for Scotland, in a 1–1 draw with Wales on 2 March 1901.[http://www.londonhearts.com/scotland/games/19010302.html Wales 1 Scotland 1 (2 March 1901)], London Hearts Supporters Club
At Hearts, he was regarded as a nippy forward, equally at home on either wing.{{cite book | title=The Alphabet of the Saints|last= Holley |first= Duncan |author2=Chalk, Gary| publisher= ACL & Polar Publishing | year=1992| isbn=0-9514862-3-3|page=28}} In 1901–02 he helped Hearts to third place in the Scottish League table, as well as the 1901–02 World Championship.{{cite web|title=History {{!}} 1894-1904|url=http://www.heartsfc.co.uk/articles/20070221/1894-1904_2241543_985232|publisher=Heart of Midlothian F.C.|accessdate=16 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140816221231/http://www.heartsfc.co.uk/articles/20070221/1894-1904_2241543_985232|archive-date=16 August 2014}}
=Southampton=
In 1902, he moved to the south coast of England, where Southampton were attempting to reclaim the Southern League title, and recruited six new players, including fellow Scots, Tom Robertson from Liverpool and Jack Fraser from St Mirren.
Bell made his debut on 18 October 1902, standing in for Joe Turner, in a 1–1 draw at Kettering Town.{{cite book | title=Saints – A complete record|last= Chalk|first= Gary|author2=Holley, Duncan | publisher= Breedon Books| year=1987| isbn= 0-907969-22-4|pages=32–33}} Injury prevented him from making regular appearances, although he made six consecutive league (and three in the FA Cup) in January and February replacing the injured Dick Evans. Bell contributed six league goals, plus one in the cup, including a pair in an 11–0 victory over Watford on 13 December 1902. This remains the "Saints" joint highest victory margin in League football.
In his nine Southern League appearances, he scored six goals, helping Southampton claim the Southern League title for the fifth time in seven years.
=Later career=
In April 1903 he returned to Hearts, helping them to take the runners-up position in the Scottish League for the 1903–04 season.
He then returned to the Southern League with Fulham where he helped them take the championship title for the first time in 1905–06 (when Southampton were runners-up) and again the following season.
He left Fulham in 1907 and spent the rest of his career with various London clubs, including Clapton Orient and Leyton, before finishing his career with Gillingham, where he played as a halfback.{{cite book | title=Saints – A complete record|page=233}}
After the First World War he emigrated to Australia in 1919.
Honours
Heart of Midlothian
- Scottish Cup winners: 1901
Southampton
- Southern League championship: 1902–03
Fulham
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{SFA Profile|id=113275}}
- [http://www.londonhearts.com/scotland/players/markdicksonbell.html Scotland career details]
- [http://www.iffhs.de/?3f4b05ffcd85bcca952bda55205fdcdc3bfcdc0aec70aeeda01f Biography on IFFHS]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Mark}}
Category:Footballers from Edinburgh
Category:Scottish men's footballers
Category:Scotland men's international footballers
Category:Men's association football wingers
Category:English Football League players
Category:Southern Football League players
Category:Scottish Junior Football Association players
Category:Scottish Football League players
Category:St Bernard's F.C. players
Category:Heart of Midlothian F.C. players
Category:Southampton F.C. players
Category:Leyton Orient F.C. players