Born in the Scottish town of
Ayr on September 16, 1934, Bell played in
Scottish Junior Football for
Whitletts Victoria, and also for the
British Army during his national service. Manager
Bob Shankly selected Bell for one league game, before releasing him on a free transfer at the end of the 1955–56 season.
Ayr United manager
Neil McBain signed Bell, fielding him 15 times in the league. When McBain rejoined
Watford in August 1956, he signed several former Ayr players, including Bell. Bell became a regular first team player at Watford, and along with
Cliff Holton helped Watford gain promotion to the Third Division in 1959–60, for the first time in their history. Other teammates of Bell during this period included
Sammy Chung,
Freddie Bunce and
Dennis Uphill. Watford achieved a 4th-placed league finish in 1961, and 3rd position in 1964. The arrival of
player-manager Ken Furphy in 1964 signalled the end of Bell's Watford career; Furphy was also a full back, and selected himself in preference to Bell. After spending most of the 1964–65 season in Watford's reserves, Bell joined non-league
Folkestone on a free transfer in July 1965, later playing for
Wealdstone. ==Later life==