Harold Bell (footballer)

Harold Bell

Bell c. 1959
Personal information
Date of birth22 November 1924[1]
Place of birthLiverpool, England
Date of death1994 (aged 6970)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1946–1959Tranmere Rovers595(11)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Harold Bell (1924 – 1994[2]) was an English footballer who holds the record for the most consecutive appearances for a British football team.[3]

Bell was picked for Tranmere Rovers in the first game after World War II in the 1946–47 season and did not miss a match until he was dropped on 30 August 1955, a total of 401 consecutive league matches for the team in Football League Third Division North.[2] He also played in 26 FA Cup matches, 22 Liverpool Senior Cup and 10 Cheshire Bowl games, making a grand total of 459 appearances.[4] In total he made 633 appearances, finally leaving the club for Holyhead Town in 1959.[5]

References

  1. "Harold Bell". Neil Brown. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "George Audsley - Mitch Benn". Liverpool Echo. 28 August 2007. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  3. "Record breaker". BBC News. 6 December 2005. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  4. Shoot Annual 1979. IPC Magazines Ltd. 1978. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-85037-477-3.
  5. Upton, Gilbert; Wilson, Steve (November 1997). "Players' Data". Tranmere Rovers 1921–1997: A Complete Record. pp. 101–108. ISBN 978-0-9518648-2-1.