We did it for Colin Bell: Joe Corrigan’s special tribute | OneFootball

City icon Joe Corrigan says our 1976 League Cup final triumph over Newcastle was inspired by a desire to honour the absent Colin Bell.

Former England goalkeeper Corrigan was one of the pillars of that fabulous City team which, 50 years ago today, defeated Newcastle United 2-1 to win the 1976 League Cup final.

Featuring iconic goals from a teenage Peter Barnes and Dennis Tueart’s remarkable overhead kick winner, that Wembley triumph over the Magpies remains one of the most fondly remembered of City’s legion of cup final successes.

However, there was a bittersweet subtext to City’s cup glory that day.

Midfield maestro Bell, the heartbeat of a succession of sublime City sides, was missing from Tony Book’s side that day, the England star having sustained a devastating knee injury against Manchester United in a 4-0 fifth-round victory earlier that season.

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It would prove to be a debilitating blow that Bell would never fully recover from.

And for Corrigan – a team-mate of Colin’s all the way through from the late 1960s onwards and one of the Club’s greatest ever servants – he says there was a burning desire amongst the squad to win the League Cup for Bell.

“Losing Colin Bell that season to that awful injury when we played Manchester United had such a massive input and massive effect on the club,” says Big Joe reflecting back 50 years.

“And at the end that was such a big driver and big part of our success as well because we wanted to do it for Colin.

“He was someone special and had been an integral part of our team.

“So, we all wanted to do it for Colin.

“He came on the bus with us when we went up to London, he stayed with us when we came down to Wembley for the game and he was there in the dressing room giving guys advice and encouragement.

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“That summed him up.

“He may not have been able to be on the pitch that day but it’s people like Colin who helped make Manchester City what we were in those days.

“So, there was an extra motivation for us to try and win the final for Colin. Because he was such a special player and such a special person.

“He was one of the greatest Manchester City players.

“Even with the great, great players of today, he would have walked into the Manchester City side.”

From his perspective, Corrigan’s team-mate Willie Donachie says that though there was a gaping hole in the City side without Bell’s totemic presence, he still hoped there would be more showpiece occasions for Colin to enjoy looking to the future.

“When I look back, I remember that I still hoped that Colin would come back and play [for many more years],” the former Scotland international says reflecting back today.

“So, I was thinking there’s got to be other opportunities for that [and for Colin to play in finals].

“Sadly, there wasn’t, but we all felt bad [that he wasn’t out there with us].

“He was such a great player.”