Lawrence Bell (31 December 1872 – 7 April 1945), sometimes known as Laurie Bell or Lawrie Bell, was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a centre forward and outside right. He is most notable for his time in the Football League with The Wednesday and Bolton Wanderers. He represented the Scottish League XI.
 Bell while with West Bromwich Albion in 1904. | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lawrence Bell[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 31 December 1872 | ||
| Place of birth | Dumbarton, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 7 April 1945 (aged 72)[2] | ||
| Place of death | Dumfries, Scotland | ||
| Position(s) | Centre forward, outside right | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Langbank | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1892–1894 | Dumbarton | 29 | (12) |
| 1894–1895 | Third Lanark | 13 | (7) |
| 1895–1897 | The Wednesday | 46 | (13) |
| 1897–1899 | Everton | 41 | (16) |
| 1899–1903 | Bolton Wanderers | 99 | (43) |
| 1903–1904 | Brentford | 25 | (4) |
| 1904–1905 | West Bromwich Albion | 16 | (6) |
| 1905 | Hibernian | ||
| Total | 269 | (100) | |
| International career | |||
| 1895 | Scottish League XI | 1 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career
Bell began his playing career with hometown Scottish League club Dumbarton in 1892, before transferring to Third Lanark in 1894.[3][4][5] After joining First Division club The Wednesday in 1895, he played the remainder of his career in England.[1] In his first season with The Wednesday, Bell was a member of the club's FA Cup-winning team.[6] After departing Olive Grove in 1897 and then spending two seasons with Everton (one playing alongside his elder brother Jack, previously also a Dumbarton teammate),[7][8] Bell's most successful goalscoring period came with First Division club Bolton Wanderers, for whom he scored 45 goals in 103 appearances between 1899 and 1903.[9] After leaving Burnden Park, he ended his career with spells at Brentford and West Bromwich Albion.[10][11]
Representative career
Bell scored on his only appearance for the Scottish League XI, in a 4–1 victory over their Irish counterparts on 2 February 1895.[12]
Personal life
Bell was the younger brother of Scottish international Jack Bell.[2]
Honours
- Dumbarton
- The Wednesday
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Dumbarton | 1892–93[3] | Scottish League | 11 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 11 |
| 1893–94[3] | Scottish League Division One | 18 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 | |
| Total | 29 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 15 | ||
| Third Lanark | 1894–95[5] | Scottish League Division One | 12 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2[a] | 2 | 14 | 9 |
| The Wednesday | 1895–96[7] | First Division | 24 | 7 | 6 | 3 | — | 30 | 10 | |
| 1896–97[7] | 23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 24 | 3 | |||
| Total | 47 | 10 | 7 | 3 | — | 54 | 13 | |||
| Everton | 1897–98[8] | First Division | 23 | 12 | 5 | 3 | — | 28 | 15 | |
| 1898–99[8] | 18 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | 20 | 5 | |||
| Total | 41 | 17 | 7 | 3 | — | 48 | 20 | |||
| Bolton Wanderers | Total | 99 | 44 | 4 | 1 | — | 103 | 45 | ||
| Brentford | 1903–04[10] | Southern League First Division | 25 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | 28 | 4 | |
| West Bromwich Albion | 1904–05[11] | Second Division | 16 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 17 | 6 | |
| Career total | 269 | 100 | 26 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 297 | 112 | ||