Clubs as Player:

Oldham Athletic
Hereford United
Hyde United (2 spells)
Mossley (2 spells)
Radcliffe Borough

Keith Hicks was born in Oldham on 9th August 1954. He signed associate schoolboy forms for Oldham Athletic at 15 and signed professional with his home town club in August 1972 making his League debut at 18.

After just 3 appearances in his debut season he began the 1972-73 season as first choice in central defence and remained their for 242 appearances scoring 11 goals.

He was transferred to Hereford United in September 1980 and made a further 201 appearances in five seasons at Edgar Street, ending his Football League career with Rochdale where he made 32 appearances up to the end of the 1986-87 season.

Hicks then signed for Hyde United but after a short spell at Hyde he was appointed Player-Manager of Mossley on 29th November 1987 shortly after bringing with him his long term friend and team mate Graham Bell as his assistant.

A complete change in the Boardroom meant that he was suddenly working under a new chairman and it was no surprise when Hicks and Mossley parted company on 5th September 1988 just six games into his second season. He made 38 appearances for Mossley scoring 2 goals.

Hicks and Bell both amazingly returned to Mossley as players under Les Sutton in October 1991. Hicks making 23 appearances and Bell 27, before both were released by Sutton's successor Ged Coyne in February 1992.

Hicks also played for Radcliffe Borough

Clubs as Player:

Chadderton
Oldham Athletic
- Denver Dynamos (loan)
Preston North End
- Huddersfield Town (loan)
Carlisle United
Bolton Wanderers
Tranmere Rovers
Hyde United (2 spells)
Mossley (2 spells)
Horwich RMI

Graham Thomas Bell was born in Middleton, Manchester on 30th March 1955 and began his playing career with Chadderton before being signed by Oldham Athletic in December 1973.

He quickly established himself as a lively attacking midfielder with good vision and he went on to make 170 appearances scoring 9 goals. He was transferred to Preston North End in March 1979 for a £80,000 fee and he made 143 appearances for the Deepdale club before being given a free transfer in 1983. Then followed a short spell with Carlisle United before a move to Bolton Wanderers where he made 92 appearances scoring 3 goals and his Football League career ended with a 42 game spell at Tranmere Rovers in the 1986-87 season.

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 Tommy Bell having played for the Lilywhites before joining Oldham in 1946 then returning again for the 1958–59 season.

Bell's arrival as a player at Mossley was hugely controversial at the time as his former Oldham (and Hyde United) team-mate and the then Mossley manager Keith Hicks arranged an exchange deal to bring in Bell along with young midfielder Tony Valentine from Hyde United in exchange for crowd favourites Joe Connor and Walter Nisbett. A very unpopular move with the Mossley faithful.

He served as caretaker manager at Mossley in September and into October 1988 following Keith Hick's dismissal taking charge for seven games in that period. It was no secret that Bell had applied for the manager's position on a permanent basis. However, form had not improved in his seven games in charge.

Despite not getting the job Bell remained as a player following the appointment of Bryan Griffiths in October 1988.

He rejoined Hicks at Hyde at the end of the 1988-89 season after winning a League Cup winners medal with Mossley and having made 83 appearances scoring 6 goals.

He then had a brief spell as caretaker manager at Hyde United sandwiched between Pete O'Brien and Cliff Roberts tenures in 1990.

Bell, along with Hicks both amazingly returned to Mossley as players under Les Sutton in October 1991. Bell making 27 appearances and Hicks 23 before both were released by Sutton's successor Ged Coyne in February 1992.

Bell then had a spell with Horwich RMI before retiring from football in 1992.

Graham Bell features amongst both 'The Legends of Oldham Athletic' and 'The 100 Greatest Preston North End Post War Players'.