Graham Thomas Bell (born 30 March 1955 in Middleton, Lancashire) is an English former professional footballer who made more than 450 appearances in the English Football League representing Oldham Athletic, Preston North End, Huddersfield Town, Carlisle United, Bolton Wanderers and Tranmere Rovers,[1] and played in the North American Soccer League for the Denver Dynamos.
[2] After playing for non-League Chadderton,[3] Bell started his professional career with Oldham Athletic, where his father Tommy had been a stalwart full back in the years after World War 2.
Two years after signing amateur forms for Oldham, he made his entry into professional league football on 31 August 1974, in a 2–0 win over Bristol City.
Never the biggest player around, his workrate and stamina couldn't be faulted, and his red hair also helped to make made him stand out in the Oldham midfield for the next five years, before he was transferred to Preston North End in March 1979 for what was then the considerable fee of £80,000.
After 143 games for Preston, which were interrupted by a brief loan spell at Huddersfield Town, he moved to Carlisle United in 1983, but was soon back in Lancashire with Bolton Wanderers.