Fergus Bell (born 25 January 1991) is an English former
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who played as a
midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...
for
Jerez Industrial
Jerez Industrial Club de Fútbol is a List of football clubs in Spain, Spanish football team based in Jerez de la Frontera, Province of Cádiz, Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1951, it currently plays in , holding home ...
,
Mechelen
Mechelen (; ; historically known as ''Mechlin'' in EnglishMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical context. T ...
Monza
Monza (, ; ; , locally ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the Lambro, River Lambro, a tributary of the Po (river), River Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the province of Mo ...
,
Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the third level of the English football league system.
The club was formed in 1897 as Mans ...
Torquay United
Torquay United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the National League South, the sixth level of the English football league system. They have played their ho ...
. Bell currently operates as a property developer.
Career
Early career
Bell played youth football with
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
and Hibernian. He was a member of the Hibernian youth side that won the under-19 league and
Scottish Youth Cup
The Scottish Youth Cup (also known as the SFA Youth Cup) is an annual football in Scotland, Scottish football competition run by the Scottish Football Association for under-18 teams,cup run. He was also a member of Hibs'
East of Scotland Shield
The East of Scotland Shield is a Scottish football trophy awarded by the East of Scotland Football Association. The only older cup competition in Scottish football is the Scottish Cup. The tournament is the third-oldest in world football st ...
winning side in 2008–09. Bell was one of six players in the side who were given new contracts by Hibs following their success. However, Bell left Hibernian in 2010 without making a senior appearance for the club.
Jerez Industrial
In September 2010, Bell joined the
Glenn Hoddle Academy
The Glenn Hoddle Academy (GHA) was established in 2008, by former England international footballer Glenn Hoddle. Hoddle set the academy up in the memory of his brother, Carl, a former Tottenham Hotspur player who died aged 40.
The academy coach ...
in Spain, which aimed to offer a route back to professional football for players released by their clubs. Six days later, the academy took over Spanish club
Jerez Industrial
Jerez Industrial Club de Fútbol is a List of football clubs in Spain, Spanish football team based in Jerez de la Frontera, Province of Cádiz, Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1951, it currently plays in , holding home ...
in the fourth-tier
Tercera División
Tercera División () was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Until 1977, it was the third tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segund ...
, giving Bell the opportunity to play senior football. He went on to make 26 league appearances, scoring 5 goals, but could not prevent relegation after the club received a points deduction. By the end of the season the academy had cut ties with Jerez Industrial and relocated to the UK. After leaving Spain, Bell had a trial spell with
Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...
, but was not offered a contract.
Mechelen
Bell moved to
Mechelen
Mechelen (; ; historically known as ''Mechlin'' in EnglishMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical context. T ...
in the
Belgian Third Division
The Belgian Third Division (, ) was the third highest level in Football in Belgium, Belgian football. It had two leagues of 18 teams each (Belgian Third Division A, A and Belgian Third Division B, B) at the same level. This competition, originall ...
during the 2012–13 season, although his spell at the club was disrupted by injuries. After a conflict with manager Thierry Pister, Bell's contract was terminated.
Belgian Second Division
The Belgian Second Division was the second-highest division in the Belgian football league system, one level below the Belgian Pro League. It was founded by the Royal Belgian Football Association in 1909 and folded in 2016, when it was replace ...
. He played one game for the club, a 7–2 defeat at home to
Royal Antwerp
Royal Antwerp Football Club (commonly referred to as Royal Antwerp or simply Antwerp) is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Antwerp. They compete in the Belgian Pro League, the top flight of Belgian football. Founded in 1 ...
.
A.C. Monza Brianza 1912
After just seven weeks at KSK Heist, Bell signed for Italian
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione
Serie C2 was the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status.
History
Before the 1978–79 season, there were only three professional football leagues in Italy, the third being Serie C. The league menaging ...
club
Monza
Monza (, ; ; , locally ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the Lambro, River Lambro, a tributary of the Po (river), River Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the province of Mo ...
along with Alex Fisher, who had now been a teammate of Bell's at each of his four clubs.
He made two league appearances for the ''Biancorossi'', making a further four appearances in the
Coppa Italia Lega Pro
Coppa Italia Serie C (), formerly named Coppa Italia Lega Pro, is a straight knock-out based competition involving teams from Serie C in Italian football first held in 1972.
Format
There are a total of six rounds in the competition. It begins i ...
as Monza reached the final.
Mansfield Town
In July 2014 Bell joined
Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the third level of the English football league system.
The club was formed in 1897 as Mans ...
, along with Alex Fisher. Bell went on to make 21 appearances in all competitions.
Yeovil Town
On 29 January 2015, Bell signed for League One side Yeovil Town until the end of the season, having been released from his contract with Mansfield. He made just two league appearances for the club, although he also featured in Yeovil's
Somerset Premier Cup
The Somerset Premier Cup is an association football knock-out cup competition run by the Somerset County Football Association (SFA).
According to the current rules of the competition, to enter clubs first affiliation must be with the Somerset Co ...
campaign where he scored two goals in the semi-final. He was released at the end of the season following Yeovil's relegation to League Two.
Torquay United
On 19 September 2015, Bell signed for
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
side
Torquay United
Torquay United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the National League South, the sixth level of the English football league system. They have played their ho ...
on non-contract terms. Bell made six appearances for the Gulls before being released by manager Kevin Nicholson, who described Bell as being on an 'unsustainable deal' and saying the player was 'losing money every day just turning up'.