Members News: Ex Sky Blues Midfielder Hits 38 Today. ‘Happy Birthday’, David!!

David Bell in the Sky Blue

Back in June 2021 we announced that we had recruited former Sky Blue right sided midfielder David Bell to the ranks of the Association. Today is the first time we have been able to celebrate our new member’s birthday!  Northants born today (21st January) in 1984 David is therefor celebrating his 38th birthday today. Congratulations!!

David began his professional career in 2000 at local club Rushden & Diamonds, then a Conference club which soon got promoted to the Football League and in the six years he spent with them they rose to Division Two and then went to League Two. By the time he moved on to Luton Town in 2005 he had clocked up 140 games for Rushden and scored ten goals.

At the Championship club David had three seasons, though they got relegated in his final season with the Hatters, David scored eight goals in 89 appearances between 2005-08 (plus six games out on loan at Leicester City). His proposed transfer to the Foxes foundered as they also found themselves relegated to League One. Instead David moved to Norwich City for 2008-09 but an ankle injury limited his appearances to nineteen for the Canaries before he moved again, this time to to Coventry City before season’s end.

David Bell scores

David’s Sky Blues’ days began on 29 January 2009 after he signed for around £0.5m. He made his Sky Blue debut at Pride Park in a 2-1 defeat to Derby County on 31st January 2009 and scored his first CCFC goal on 21 March 2009 with a spectacular 45-yard strike against Doncaster Rovers at the Ricoh Arena. In the fourth of his five seasons with CCFC they suffered relegation to League One and David was subsequently released from his City contract having nearly made nearly a century of Sky Blue appearances (98) netting six times.

CCFC’s David Bell

David signed for Notts. County in July 2013 but after only thirteen league games was again released from his contract by mutual consent to sign for non league Kings Lynn Town for the 2014-15 season. After a brief attachment to Stamford FC in 2016, David spent a season (2016-17) with another non league outfit Corby Town and, in October 2016, David added Assistant Manager duties to his playing role – and then assumed the ‘gaffer’s chair there in May 2017 until sacked the following September!  

We are entertaining the Birthday Boy back in Coventry very soon as he is our ‘special’ (for the first time) for Saturday’s Sky Blues game at the CBS against QPR.  Perhaps ihe will also be able to attend an Association event during this current season!

In the meantime have a great birthday today David!