Arthur Bell

Arthur Bell was a highly respected local sportsman in his hometown of Burnley. He attended the local Grammar school and whilst at school played football for the local amateur team Burnley Belvedere. In 1898 Bell joined Burnley Cricket Club, soon rising through the ranks from third XI to the first team and scoring 19 runs on his début against Church in 1899 at the age of 16. He played for the club for 20 years and in 1905-06 played for the Lancashire second XI. At football he was a clever inside-forward standing less than 5-6 (168cm), and in the 1902-03 season he joined Burnley FC from Belvedere. In seven seasons with the Turf Moor club Bell played 104 League and Cup games and scored 29 goals. He won three amateur international caps. He scored two goals in the 8-1 win over Netherlands in April 1907 and when the two sides met eight months later Bell scored a hat-trick in the 12-2 win. His third and final international was against Wales in February 1908 and later that year he was selected as one of the non-travelling reserves for the London Olympics. The son of a Burnley surveyor and architect, Bell worked for his father and it was due to work commitments that he quit football at the end of the 1908-09 season, although he did continue to play cricket until shortly before his untimely death at the age of 40.