- published: 06 Aug 2009
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Colin Bell MBE (26 February 1946), is a former English football player who was born in Hesleden, County Durham, England. Nicknamed "The King of the Kippax" (after Manchester City's Kippax Street terraced stand renowned for its singing), and Nijinsky after the famous racehorse (due to his renowned stamina), Bell is widely regarded as Manchester City's greatest ever player. He was part of the famous trio of the late 1960s and early 1970s alongside Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee.
He began his career at Bury captaining the team at a young age. In 1966 he moved to Manchester City and helped the team earn promotion to the First Division that same year. When trying to sign him for Manchester City, Assistant Manager Malcolm Allison misled other clubs interested in Bell by claiming the player "can't head it, can't pass it, he's hopeless". Allison's stratagem succeeded as Bell signed for City. In 1968 he helped City win their second League Championship. In the same year Bell also won his first England cap against Sweden, where he was instrumental in a 3–1 victory. In 1969 Manchester City won the FA Cup with a 1–0 victory over Leicester City thanks to a goal by Neil Young. That same year Bell distinguished himself in the national team, scoring England's only goal in a 1–0 victory over The Netherlands and also scoring against Brazil. In 1970, Manchester City and Bell won two trophies, the League Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup.
Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst MBE (born 8 December 1941 in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire) is a retired England footballer best remembered for making his mark in history as the only player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. His three goals came in the 1966 final for England in their 4–2 win over West Germany at the old Wembley. Such an achievement was made all the more remarkable by the fact that he was only five months and eight games into his international career, and was not considered his country's premier centre forward.
In club football Hurst played for West Ham United where he spent 13 years scoring 180 goals in the First Division. He joined Stoke City in 1972 where he spent three years before finishing his Football League career with West Bromwich Albion. Hurst went to play football in Ireland, USA and Kuwait before returning to England to play for Telford United. Hurst became manager of Telford in 1976 and after three years joined Chelsea but was sacked in August 1981.
Hurst was born in the Lake Hospital Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, but moved with his family to Chelmsford, Essex, at the age of eight. He attended Kings Road Primary School, where a house is now named after him. The son of a lower-division footballer, Hurst's own footballing career began when he was apprenticed to West Ham United.