Eston near Middlesborough. 1883

Forward

Middlesbrough-born Jim ‘Daisy’ Bell was an outstanding talent in Exeter’s City early professional days in the Southern League. Having played for his home town club in the Football League, he arrived from Barrow in 1908 and playing in Exeter’s first-ever Southern League game he netted twice ahead of scoring 51 times in 105 league games with another dozen goals in FA Cup ties (including six in a game against Weymouth). Remembered as Exeter's leading scorer in the Southern League era, he left for Portsmouth in 1911 and later played in America. 

A prolific goal scorer for the Grecians scoring 63 goals from 119 games, a ratio of goal every 1.88 games, he topped the scoring charts in all three of the seasons he spent at St James’ Park with 22, 15 and 14 Southern League goals respectively He scored six times in the Grecians thrashing of Weymouth in the F.A Cup and was also the first City player to score a hat-trick in a Southern League match when he achieved the feat against Leyton.

Born in Eston, a village near Middlesbrough, Bell joined Grangetown at the age of 16. Three years later, in 1904, he was snapped up by Middlesbrough where he scored four goals in 10 Football League appearances. With the arrival of Alf Common, who commanded the first £1,000 transfer fee, James was soon on the move to Barrow of the Lancashire Combination where he scored 34 times in 78 games.

It was from Barrow that the Grecians secured his signature in 1908 and, with those 63 goals, he provided marvellous value before moving to Portsmouth at the end of the 1910/11 season from where - after just four games (two goals) - he returned to Barrow to become a regular scorer over a number of seasons. By 1924, and now aged forty, he was playing semi-professionally in America alongside working with General Motors in Michigan. He then returned to Britain to work in the company's Vauxhall plant in Luton.

According to his son Terry, the nickname of "Daisy" came from the 1890s song "Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two)" with the chorus "Daisy, Daisy Give me your answer, do. I'm half crazy all for the love of you".

James Bell died in 1962.

ExeterCity Record		League		FA Cup		Other		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
James Bell	1908-11	105	51	14	12	3	0	122	63

Complete Record

Complete  Record		League		FA Cup		Other		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Grangetown	1900-04
Middlesbrough	1904-05	10	4					10	4
Eston United	1905-06
Barrow	1906-08							78	34
Exeter City	1908-11	105	51	14	12	3	0	122	63
Portsmouth	1911							4	2
Barrow	1911-1917							146	78

63 in total