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OBITUARY: Colin Bell was Manchester City's football royalty and revered by those who really mattered... he eased around a pitch as though everybody else was really only there by his invitation

Whatever Manchester City do or do not achieve over the course of the next five months, this season will always now be remembered. Sadly it was the one during which they lost one of their own, perhaps even the greatest they ever had.

Colin Bell. For years, long before his beloved club grew rich, Bell was City's football royalty. A midfielder so gifted, he was acclaimed by all of those who really mattered. Sir Tom Finney said he was as good a player as he had ever seen. George Best described him as 'brilliant'. At City, they just loved him.