Wishaw journalist David was a ‘legendary’ figure
Former Wishaw journalist and junior football correspondent David Bell has died aged 77.
David, who joined our sister paper the Hamilton Advertiser in December 1969 as a district reporter and then as sports editor, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August 29, with family by his side, in the Strathclyde Ward of Airbles Road Centre after a long illness.
A stalwart in the media industry, David began his career at the Motherwell Times before enjoying spells as a freelance reporter, followed by a move to the Evening Times, the Advertiser and then as editor of the Rutherglen Reformer, before later joining the press office at Glasgow District Council in 1975, where he would spend the next 20 years.
During his time at the local authority he was involved in promoting major international events in Glasgow including the Garden Festival, European City of Culture and Glasgow’s Miles Better.
He also promoted the opening of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, the new Kelvin Hall and was active in economic development promotion.
David then made the move to public relations agency Beattie Communications for three years, before setting up on his own as Bell Media in 1998.
Covering Hamilton Accies for 40 years and Motherwell games for 30 years, he was also editor of Airdrieonians programme Broomfield Bullet and the Motherwell Fir Park News.
As well as these roles, he was a respected junior football correspondent for over 25 years up until early 2019.
When his junior football role came to an end, David was invited along to Blantyre Vics Football Club’s KG Stadium, where players and staff granted him a guard of honour before manager John Gibson presented a commemorative plaque to mark his dedication to the game.
A member of St Mark’s Church in Wishaw and an elder, he held the office of Session Clerk for 17 years, producing the Order of Service from 1993 to 2017. A presbytery elder, he was also the press officer for many years, producing the church newspaper Marksman.
Back in 1965 David was inducted into the Motherwell Caledonian Masonic Lodge and was installed as Right Worshipful Master from 2000 to 2002.
He was also active in the Provincial Grand Lodge of Lanarkshire Middle Ward for many years.
A busy family man, David was also well known across Lanarkshire, working in the early 2000s for Lanarkshire’s Supercounty, Lanarkshire Chamber of Commerce and many small local companies. He was also treasurer and vice-chairman of the NUJ Lanarkshire branch, proudly receiving a lifetime membership from the union back in 2010.
Hamilton Advertiser editor Robert Mitchell said: “David was a legendary Lanarkshire journalist. My sincere condolences to his family.”
David is survived by his wife Anne, daughter Julie, son-in-law Stewart, grandchildren Lesley-Anne, Ashley,
Jamie, Ellie-Jay and Abigail and great grandchildren Lacey and Amiaa.
David was laid to rest on Friday at Holytown Crematorium.