Graham Thomas Bell was born on 30 March 1955 in Middleton. He started his professional career with Oldham where he won England Youth honours. It was also where his father Tommy made 170 league appearances between 1946- 51. He had been working as an apprentice coach builder and playing for local club Chadderton F.C. He made his professional league debut on 31 August 1974, in a 2-0 win over Bristol City. The 1973/74 season saw the Latics win the Third Division title and this Oldham's first season in the old Second Division for 40 years, and he was to play regularly from then on. During his first season in professional football Bell's performances caught the eye of England manager Don Revie, who placed him on standby for the full Englandsquad.
In 1974 he also had a spell in the NASL with Denver Dynamos, scoring once in 17 appearances.
Similarly to his father, Graham Bell had also made 170 league appearances but had scored 9 goals. In March 1979 he was transferred to Preston for what was then the considerable fee of £80,000.
His debut came in a 1-0 win at Blackburnon 24 March; he made 10 appearances during the 1978/79 season and scored his first Lilywhites goal on the final day of the season in a 2-0 win at Millwall on 22 May.
Bellalso scored on the opening day of the 1979/80 season in a 3-0 win at Charlton and made 36 appearances during the season, scoring twice. He made 35 appearances during the relegation season of 1980/81 and had a loan spell in November 1981 making 2 appearances for Huddersfield.
His most prolific season in front of goal for North End was in 1982/83 with 4 goals from 40 league matches. This was to be his last season with PNE with in final game on the last day of the season as PNE won 1-0 at Wiganon 14 May.Bell had netted 9 goals from 143 league appearances.
In August 1983 Bellj oined Second Division Carlisle on a free transfer but his stay only lasted five months, making 14 appearances. In February 1984 Bell joined Bolton who was playing in the Third Division. He made 92 appearances for the Trotters, scoring 3 goals. He also made an appearance in the 1986 Freight Rover Final for Bolton as a substitute against Bristol City at Wembley.Bell then joined Tranmere for one season in August 1986 where he scored 4 goals in 42 appearances.
He moved into non-league with Hyde United in the summer of 1987. Following a short stay at Hyde, in January 1988 he again followed his father's footsteps when he moved to Mossley as player-assistant manager - his father having played there before joining Oldham in 1946 then returning again for the 1958/59 season.
Bell went back to Hyde after the 1988/89 season for a two-season stint which would see him briefly serving as player-manager, returned to Mossley for the 1991/92 season and finished his playing career with a brief spell at Horwich RMI in 1992.
After retiring from football,Bell joined the Insurance industry.