Clayton Bell

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Clayton Bell
Personal information
Date of birth (1978-09-21) 21 September 1978 (age 47)
Place of birth Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Position Midfielder
Youth career
Carrum United
Cranbourne
1994 Frankston Pines
1995 Victorian Institute of Sport
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1996 Port Melbourne Sharks 25 (3)
1996–2001 Gippsland Falcons 118 (5)
1998 → South Dandenong (loan) 15 (0)
2001–2002 South Melbourne 10 (0)
2003–2010 Morwell Pegasus
2012 Traralgon Olympians 12 (9)
2013 Morwell Pegasus 2 (0)
2016–2024 Newborough-Yallourn United
2025 Fortuna 60 9 (0)
Total217(21)
International career
1994–1995 Australia U17 17 (2)
Managerial career
2019–2024 Newborough-Yallourn United
2025 Fortuna 60
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Clayton Bell (born 21 September 1978) is an Australian soccer coach and former professional player who mostly played as a midfielder. He represented Australia at underage level and featured extensively in the National Soccer League and Victorian state leagues before embarking on a successful regional coaching career.

Contents

Made captain of Gippsland Falcons at just 22 years of age, Bell played 118 games for the Falcons, ranking him third on the club's all-time list for most matches in the NSL, behind only Claudio Canosa (132 matches) and Doug Marcina (127 matches).

Playing career

Junior and early career

Bell began his junior football with Carrum United, Cranbourne and Frankston Pines in Victoria, progressing to the Victorian Institute of Sport. [1]

He was awarded the 1994 Weinstein Medal as the best junior player in Victoria. [2]

Port Melbourne (1996)

In 1996, Bell played 25 matches and scored 3 goals for Port Melbourne in the Victorian Premier League, impressing coach Frank Arok, who then signed him for Gippsland Falcons the following season. [3]

Gippsland Falcons (1996–2001)

From 1996 to 2001, Bell played for Gippsland Falcons in the National Soccer League, including the 2000–01 season under the temporary name Eastern Pride. He was appointed Eastern Pride's final captain at age 22, taking over from Jeff Hopkins, who became the club's coach that year. [4]

During this period, he spent a short loan at South Dandenong in 1998 while still contracted to the Falcons. [5] [6]

South Melbourne (2001–2002)

Bell joined South Melbourne for the 2001–02 NSL season, making 10 league appearances.

Later playing career

In 2003, Bell joined Morwell Pegasus in the Victorian State League Division 2 South-East and stayed at the club for eight seasons.

Whilst at Pegasus, he was voted as the Victorian State League Division 3 South-East Player of the Year in 2007. [7] He also helped the club win promotion in 2008 from the Victorian State League Division 3 South-East, scoring eight goals. [8]

He later played in the Latrobe Valley Soccer League with Traralgon Olympians in 2012 and had a huge impact as a striker, scoring nine goals in 12 league games. [9]

His remarkable resiliance and fitness was demonstrated when he continued to play for Newborough‑Yallourn United into his mid-40s, while still serving as head coach, [10] [11] before continuing to act as player-coach for his next club in 2025, Fortuna 60. [12]

Representative honours

Bell represented Australia at under-17 level from 1994 to 1995, playing 17 matches and scoring two goals.

Regarded as one of the biggest talents of his generation, Bell captained the Joeys on multiple occasions, including on the team's seven-match tour of South America, where he was named captain five times - the highlight being a 4-2 win over Uruguay at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo. [13]

He was also chosen by coach Les Scheinflug to be Australia's captain at the 1995 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Ecuador, where Australia drew 2–2 with Spain, lost 2–0 to Nigeria and won 3–0 against Qatar to qualify for the quarter-finals.

In the quarter-final of the 1995 FIFA U-17 World Championship, Bell skippered Australia in a 3–1 defeat against Brazil, leading a team full of future stars - including Harry Kewell, Brett Emerton, Chris Coyne, Nick Rizzo, John Maisano, Daniel Allsopp. [14]

Coaching career

Bell coached Newborough-Yallourn United from 2016 to 2024, leading them to their first Latrobe Valley Soccer League title since re-joining the LVSL in 2005.

For his efforts in lifting the Combine to their first LVSL trophy since 1972, Bell was named 2019 LVSL Coach of the Year. [15]

In 2025 he was appointed coach of Fortuna 60 and led them to the Victorian State League 5 East title in their first season, after which he stepped down. [16]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCupTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Port Melbourne 1996 Victorian Premier League 253253
Gippsland Falcons 1996–97 National Soccer League 200200
1997–98National Soccer League241241
1998–99National Soccer League231231
1999–2000National Soccer League311311
2000–01National Soccer League202202
Total11851185
South Dandenong (loan)1998Victorian Premier League150150
South Melbourne 2001–02National Soccer League100100
Morwell Pegasus 2003 Victorian State League Division 2 South-East
2004Victorian State League Division 2 South-East
2005Victorian State League Division 2 South-East
2006 Victorian State League Division 3 South-East
2007 Victorian State League Division 3 South-East
2008 Victorian State League Division 3 South-East
2009Victorian State League Division 2 South-East
2010Victorian State League Division 2 South-East
Total
Traralgon Olympians 2012 Latrobe Valley Soccer League 129129
Morwell Pegasus2013Victorian State League Division 2 South-East2020
Newborough-Yallourn United 2016Latrobe Valley Soccer League
2017Latrobe Valley Soccer League
2018Latrobe Valley Soccer League
2019Latrobe Valley Soccer League
2020Latrobe Valley Soccer League
2021Latrobe Valley Soccer League
2022Latrobe Valley Soccer League
2023Latrobe Valley Soccer League
2024Latrobe Valley Soccer League
Total
Fortuna 60 2025 Victorian State League Division 5 South 9090
Career total2172121721

References

  1. ↑ "VIC Institute of Sport alumni list". Archived archive. 1994. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  2. ↑ "Weinstein Medal Winners - List". Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  3. ↑ "Port Melbourne SC 1996 Victorian Premier League results – Clayton Bell". Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  4. ↑ "Bell player profile at Eastern Pride". 23 April 2001. Archived from the original on 23 April 2001. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  5. ↑ "Clayton Bell OzFootball stats". Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  6. ↑ "1998 Victorian Men's Premier League Results". Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  7. ↑ "Men's State League Award Winners". Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  8. ↑ "2008 Victorian State League Division Three South-East Results". OzFootball. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  9. ↑ "Traralgon Olympians - Player Profile - Clayton Bell". Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  10. ↑ Williams, Laurie (4 July 2023). "LVSL championship race wide open". Latrobe Valley Express. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  11. ↑ "NYUSC - Player Profile - Clayton Bell". Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  12. ↑ "Fortuna 60 - Player Profile - Clayton Bell". Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  13. ↑ "Australian U/17 Youth Internationals list 1994". Ozfootball. 1994. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  14. ↑ "Australian U/17 Youth Internationals list 1995". Ozfootball. 1995. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  15. ↑ Williams, Laurie (13 March 2020). "New LVSL season is ready to kick-off". Latrobe Valley Express. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  16. ↑ Roberts, Allan (27 August 2025). "Fortuna roars to league title success". Latrobe Valley Express. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
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