When you think about the legends of West Ham United, the likes of (Sir) Bobby Moore, Sir Geoff Hurst and Sir Trevor Brooking immediately come to mind. However, record appearance holder Billy Bonds rarely enters the frame.
The Woolwich-born enforcer was flavour of the day on Saturday, being honoured with the renaming of the East Stand at the London Stadium as the Billy Bonds Stand in an emotional ceremony.
But to explain why Bonds is so revered by the Hammers support, it is pertinent to delve into his life and times at West Ham.
The Beginning
After making 95 Football League appearances at Second Division club Charlton Athletic, Bonds was signed by West Ham manager Ron Greenwood for a fee of £50,000.
Donning the number two shirt, Bonds made his league debut for the club at Upton Park in a 3-2 loss against Sheffield Wednesday on 19 August 1967. Two days later, Bonds would taste his first West Ham victory as Sir Geoff Hurst, Sir Martin Peters and Harry Redknapp put Burnley to the sword in a 4-2 victory in front of 30,414 at Upton Park.
Bonds’ first goal for the club came in the form of the opener in a 2-1 home victory against rivals Tottenham Hotspur on 23 December 1967. With this strike, Bonds was already beginning to cement himself as a fan favourite in East London.
The resilience of Bonzo, as the Upton Park faithful would christen him, was soon apparent as he was an ever-present during the 1968-69 and 1969-70 seasons.
Success For Bonds
As 1971 bloomed, so did Bonds. Ron Greenwood opted to convert the right-back to a midfielder, where Bonds took up his iconic number 4 shirt in the process.
During the 1973-74 season, the transition reached fruition. Bonds sat atop of the Hammers’ scorers list with 13 goals, including seven goals in five games during February and March, including a hat-trick against Chelsea in a 3-0 win on 2 March 1974.
In March 1974, following the departure of Bobby Moore two months prior, Bonds was handed the captaincy of the club.
With Bonds in his new role, West Ham embarked on a period of success. In May 1975, Bonds lifted the FA Cup aloft at Wembley following a comprehensive 2-0 victory against Fulham in the final.
Twelve months later, Bonds once again led the Hammers to a final in the European Cup Winners Cup, however Belgium heavyweights Anderlecht were too strong, running out 4-2 victors at Heysel.
In 1977’s infancy, Bonds was moved back into defence, pairing up with Tommy Taylor at centre-half.
Bonds’ form at Upton Park did not go unnoticed. In November 1977, he was named in the squad to play Italy at Wembley by Greenwood, who was now England manager. Despite not coming off the bench, England ran out 2-0 winners with team mate Trevor Brooking securing the win for the Three Lions. Bonds never ended up pulling on the white strip of his country.
Wembley Winner
In the 1980’s more success was on the horizon for Bonds and West Ham. Now a Second Division club, West Ham recorded a shock win over London rivals Arsenal in the 1980 FA Cup final, allowing Bonds to become the only West Ham captain to traverse the stairs at Wembley and lift the trophy twice for the club.
Although Bonds’ Wembley success could not be repeated for a third time, as West Ham lost against Liverpool in the League Cup final in 1981, the club were crowned champions of the Second Division in the same year after amassing a 13-point lead over second-placed Notts County to secure a return to English football’s top flight.
Hanging Up The Boots
As age took its toll, Bonds increasingly was the victim of injuries as his career progressed. The 1985-86 season, arguably the most successful in the club’s history as West Ham finished third, was a non-starter as Bonds missed the entire campaign owing to a toe injury.
On 30 April 1988, at the age of 41 years and 226 days, Bonds made his final bow in a West Ham shirt away at Southampton. A feat almost unimaginable in modern day football.
On The Touchline
Despite retiring, Bonds’ association with the Hammers did not end with manager John Lyall installingd him as youth coach.
After missing out on the top job in the summer, Bonds was appointed first team manager of the club in February 1990 after the departure of ex-Manchester United icon Lou Macari.
Perhaps by fate, Bonds led the club to promotion to the first tier in 1991, as well as the semi-finals of the FA Cup against Nottingham Forest, a game that has gone down in Hammers folklore.
“Shambles”
In the early 90’s, West Ham were in disarray. A proposed bond scheme resulted in mass protests at Upton Park. Arriving at the club’s coaching staff from Bournemouth, former West Ham winger Harry Redknapp labelled the scenes at the club as a “shambles”.
In April 1992, the club were relegated following a loss at Highfield Road to Coventry City.
Despite securing promotion the following season, Bonds was moved into an upstairs role by the West Ham board in the summer of 1994, with Redknapp taking control of the team. Bonds resigned following an acrimonious fall-out with Redknapp, events still having a bitter taste in the mouth for Hammers’ supporters to this day.
After 799 appearances, 61 goals, one MBE, numerous cups and promotions as player and manager and four Hammer of the Year awards, Bonds’ long and illustrious career in East London was at an abrupt end.
Following Bonds’ departure, very much through the back door, it has been levelled that the club neglected the man who led West Ham to some of their finest days.
Out Of Darkness Cometh Light
Following Bonds’ period out of the spotlight, he was finally honoured in 2013 with a lifetime achievement award by the club.
Bonds’ Indian summer at the club continued, with the renaming of the East Stand to the more fitting Billy Bonds Stand on 2 March 2019. On an emotional day, with anthems from years gone by, such as “Billy Bonds’ Claret and Blue Army”, West Ham strolled to a 2-0 win against Newcastle United, thanks to goals from West Ham’s own academy graduates Declan Rice and Mark Noble. A “fitting occasion”. as current captain Mark Noble described it, to honour such an icon in the club’s history. And nobody would disagree.
