Post by Macmoish on Oct 30, 2010 8:01:06 GMT
Just one...Donald Bell
PFA Give Me Footballer
PFA tribute to a football history maker: Donald Bell
Victoria Cross was the reward for an outstanding sportsman
By Ian Nannestad October 29, 2010
Ian Nannestad On days when he did not turn out for the soccer team, he could be found in the rugby XV Donald Bell was the only English professional footballer to win the Victoria Cross during the First World War.
This fact is widely known, yet the details of his career as a footballer and indeed information about his life beyond his wartime service and the act of heroism for which he was awarded the VC is relatively sparse.
The entry in the online version of the Dictionary of National Biography records that he played as an amateur for Crystal Palace whilst a student at Westminster College and also served Newcastle United and Bishop Auckland as an amateur before signing a contract with Bradford Park Avenue in 1912 and has some brief information on his career at Park Avenue.
There is, however, no detailed analysis of his sporting career, nor an indication of dates he was attached to his earlier clubs.
This article is an attempt to provide further detail on his sporting career and will consider in turn his life in Yorkshire before leaving for Westminster College, his sporting career as a student and his football career on his return to Yorkshire.
Donald Simpson Bell was born in Harrogate on 3 December 1890 and was educated locally, firstly at St Peter’s School before progressing to grammar school.
He became a student teacher at Starbeck Council School, Harrogate, and in June 1908 gained a First Division Pass in the London Matriculation Examination, a qualification which enabled him to gain a place at Westminster College, a Methodist teacher training college based in central London the following year.
He had shown promise as a sportsman in his school days, and had played football for Harrogate Christ Church from around 1905. By the time he moved to London he was already established in the line-up for Starbeck, who were initially members of the West Yorkshire League before progressing to the Yorkshire Combination.
Indeed, Donald Bell was a regular at left back in the line-up at the beginning of the 1909-10 season when he began his two-year teacher-training course at Westminster.
The decision to study at Westminster, rather than, for example St John’s at York, seems to have been inspired partly be his religious beliefs – Westminster was the only Methodist teacher training college for men in the country, and as an active Methodist this would have appealed to him.
Perhaps equally important was the fact that the college was beginning to develop a reputation for sporting success under the inspirational leadership of Leigh Smith.
Smith, who was a house tutor and a lecturer in Classics and English history had played cricket for Durham when they won the Minor Counties title in 1901 and was also a fine rugby union player.
Between leaving Durham University and starting at Westminster College he had taught at Harrogate College and it is likely that Bell would have been acquainted with him prior to his arrival in London.
Bell’s sporting career as a student is outlined in some detail both in the pages of the college magazine, The Westminsterian, and in the programmes and cuttings which appear in the college principal’s log book.
In his two years at Westminster he was a member of the soccer, rugby, athletics and cricket teams and captained the athletics team to victory in the London Inter Collegiate Shield in 1911.
However, although he was a regular in the soccer team he was never captain.
The team, based at Boston Road in Brentford, played regular fixtures on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. Wednesday matches were against other college teams, including St Mary’s, St Mark’s, St John’s and Borough Road, whilst Saturday games were usually against club sides.
On days when he did not turn out for the soccer team, he could be found in the rugby XV and he showed considerable talent at both sports. In the 1909-10 season he registered nine tries for the rugby team.
A tremendous all-round athlete, he represented the college at 100 yards, 440 yards and putting the weight [shot put] and in the inter-year sports at Westminster he also took part in the high jump and long jump.
Although a big man, he had great pace and at the 1911 Inter Collegiate Sports he won his 100 yards heat in 10.6 seconds, only to finish third in the final. He is described as “one of the best all-round athletes that Westminster has ever produced”.
Article supplied by Ian Nannestad of Soccer History Magazine
Donald pictured with the Westminster College team from 1909 10. (©PAphotos)
www.givemefootball.com/pfa/pfa-news/pfa-tribute-to-a-football-history-maker-donald-bel
PFA Give Me Footballer
PFA tribute to a football history maker: Donald Bell
Victoria Cross was the reward for an outstanding sportsman
By Ian Nannestad October 29, 2010
Ian Nannestad On days when he did not turn out for the soccer team, he could be found in the rugby XV Donald Bell was the only English professional footballer to win the Victoria Cross during the First World War.
This fact is widely known, yet the details of his career as a footballer and indeed information about his life beyond his wartime service and the act of heroism for which he was awarded the VC is relatively sparse.
The entry in the online version of the Dictionary of National Biography records that he played as an amateur for Crystal Palace whilst a student at Westminster College and also served Newcastle United and Bishop Auckland as an amateur before signing a contract with Bradford Park Avenue in 1912 and has some brief information on his career at Park Avenue.
There is, however, no detailed analysis of his sporting career, nor an indication of dates he was attached to his earlier clubs.
This article is an attempt to provide further detail on his sporting career and will consider in turn his life in Yorkshire before leaving for Westminster College, his sporting career as a student and his football career on his return to Yorkshire.
Donald Simpson Bell was born in Harrogate on 3 December 1890 and was educated locally, firstly at St Peter’s School before progressing to grammar school.
He became a student teacher at Starbeck Council School, Harrogate, and in June 1908 gained a First Division Pass in the London Matriculation Examination, a qualification which enabled him to gain a place at Westminster College, a Methodist teacher training college based in central London the following year.
He had shown promise as a sportsman in his school days, and had played football for Harrogate Christ Church from around 1905. By the time he moved to London he was already established in the line-up for Starbeck, who were initially members of the West Yorkshire League before progressing to the Yorkshire Combination.
Indeed, Donald Bell was a regular at left back in the line-up at the beginning of the 1909-10 season when he began his two-year teacher-training course at Westminster.
The decision to study at Westminster, rather than, for example St John’s at York, seems to have been inspired partly be his religious beliefs – Westminster was the only Methodist teacher training college for men in the country, and as an active Methodist this would have appealed to him.
Perhaps equally important was the fact that the college was beginning to develop a reputation for sporting success under the inspirational leadership of Leigh Smith.
Smith, who was a house tutor and a lecturer in Classics and English history had played cricket for Durham when they won the Minor Counties title in 1901 and was also a fine rugby union player.
Between leaving Durham University and starting at Westminster College he had taught at Harrogate College and it is likely that Bell would have been acquainted with him prior to his arrival in London.
Bell’s sporting career as a student is outlined in some detail both in the pages of the college magazine, The Westminsterian, and in the programmes and cuttings which appear in the college principal’s log book.
In his two years at Westminster he was a member of the soccer, rugby, athletics and cricket teams and captained the athletics team to victory in the London Inter Collegiate Shield in 1911.
However, although he was a regular in the soccer team he was never captain.
The team, based at Boston Road in Brentford, played regular fixtures on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. Wednesday matches were against other college teams, including St Mary’s, St Mark’s, St John’s and Borough Road, whilst Saturday games were usually against club sides.
On days when he did not turn out for the soccer team, he could be found in the rugby XV and he showed considerable talent at both sports. In the 1909-10 season he registered nine tries for the rugby team.
A tremendous all-round athlete, he represented the college at 100 yards, 440 yards and putting the weight [shot put] and in the inter-year sports at Westminster he also took part in the high jump and long jump.
Although a big man, he had great pace and at the 1911 Inter Collegiate Sports he won his 100 yards heat in 10.6 seconds, only to finish third in the final. He is described as “one of the best all-round athletes that Westminster has ever produced”.
Article supplied by Ian Nannestad of Soccer History Magazine
Donald pictured with the Westminster College team from 1909 10. (©PAphotos)
www.givemefootball.com/pfa/pfa-news/pfa-tribute-to-a-football-history-maker-donald-bel