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It is with the deepest sadness and heaviest hearts that we announce the passing of Manchester City legend Colin Bell.
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Long live the king
Colin passed away peacefully this afternoon after a brief illness unrelated to Covid, at age 74. He leaves behind his wife Marie, children Jon and Dawn and grandchildren, Luke, Mark, Isla and Jack.
He is widely regarded as the best City player of his generation, making 492 appearances and scoring 152 goals for the Club during a 13-year tenure.
Few players have left such an indelible mark on City.
Known as Colin The King, in 2004 fans voted to name a bleacher within the Etihad Stadium in his honor and his name is still regularly chanted at matches.
Club President Khaldoon Al Mubarak led the tributes, saying: “Colin Bell will always be remembered as one of Manchester City’s best players and today’s very sad news of his passing will affect everyone associated with our club.
“I am fortunate to be able to speak regularly with his former coach and teammates, and it is clear to me that Colin was a very appreciated player by all those who had the privilege of playing alongside him or watching him play. The passage of time does little to erase the memories of his genius. The fact that we have a grandstand at the Etihad Stadium named after Colin says a lot about the importance of his contribution to this club.
“Colin was incredibly humble and a modest, low-key man with an obvious inner strength of character. He was clearly comfortable with who he was and what he had accomplished in the game. For the rest of us, there is always the idea of what might have been if the injury hadn’t affected his career. Without a doubt, more trophies for City and much more than the 48 games for England to their name.
“Our Club has lost a true great. Everyone’s thoughts and best wishes go out to Colin’s family. “
More tributes from Colin’s teammates will be collected on ManCity.com in the next few hours along with highlights from Colin’s career.
And fans can add their messages to our online condolence book available via the link below.
In memory of Colin Bell
