Billy Bonds, the legendary former West Ham player, coach and manager, has died aged 79.
West Ham said Bonds passed away peacefully on Sunday morning.
A statement from Bonds’ family, released by West Ham, read: “We are heartbroken to announce that we lost our beloved dad today. He was devoted to his family and was the most kind, loyal, selfless and loving person.
“Dad loved West Ham United and its wonderful supporters with all his heart and treasured every moment of his time at the club.
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Former West Ham goalkeeper Rob Green pays tribute to Billy Bonds who has passed away at the age of 79
“He will always be in our hearts and eternally missed. We take comfort knowing that his legacy will live on forever.”
Bonds was the longest-serving player in West Ham’s history, making 799 appearances during a 21-year career with the club. He won two FA Cups and a Second Division title before retiring aged 41.
After working as a coach with the Hammers, Bonds became manager in 1990, leading the side to the First Division in 1991 and, following relegation in 1992, back into the Premier League in 1993.
Bonds departed West Ham in 1994 after 27 years at Upton Park. He was voted the club’s greatest player in 2018 and a stand was named in his honour at the London Stadium in 2019.
Bonds was also presented with West Ham’s first lifetime achievement award in 2013, and was made an MBE for services to football.
West Ham said: “An extremely private and loyal man, Billy was completely devoted to his family – wife Marilyn, who sadly passed away in 2020, daughters Claire and Katie, and grand-daughters Eloise and Elissa.
“Never one to crave the limelight, he was universally loved, respected and admired by his team-mates, players and supporters, who will forever consider themselves ‘Billy Bonds’ Claret and Blue Army’.
“The thoughts and sincere condolences of everyone at West Ham United are with Claire, Katie, Eloise and Elissa as they come to terms with their loss, and we kindly ask that the family’s privacy is respected at this sad and difficult time.
“Rest in peace Billy, our courageous, inspirational, lion-hearted leader.”
A period of appreciation will be held before kick-off when Liverpool visit the London Stadium on Sunday, with a full tribute to take place before West Ham’s following home fixture against Aston Villa on December 14.
A skilled hard man who ruled West Ham midfield for 20 years
The warning could not have been any clearer: “Six foot two, eyes of blue, Billy Bonds is after you.”
Bonds, who has died aged 79, was West Ham’s former captain, defender, midfielder, coach, manager and record-appearance holder.
With his sinewy frame, long hair, straggly beard and socks rolled down around his ankles, Bonds ruled the centre of the pitch at Upton Park for the best part of 20 years.
The fans whose terrace chant was dedicated to their hardman skipper knew it, and they made sure the opposition knew it as well.
“No one took liberties with Billy Bonds,” recalled Sir Trevor Brooking in his autobiography, My Life In Football.
And no one benefited more from playing alongside Bonds than Brooking, the duo forming the ultimate ‘silk and steel’ midfield partnership throughout the late 70s and early 80s.
Brooking, the elegant England playmaker, could weave his magic safe in the knowledge that should any wannabe enforcer decide to give him a kick or two, Bonds would only be too happy to reciprocate.
To label Bonds merely as Brooking’s minder does the player a huge disservice. A fearless tackler he may have been, but Bonds could also pick a pass, dribble away from trouble and chip in with a goal or two – 61, in fact, including 13 in the 1973/74 season.
But it is the image of a bloodied, bandaged forehead or a bone-crunching midfield challenge – without shinpads, he never wore them “except at Leeds; Billy Bremner, Johnny Giles, that lot” – which endures.
Dubbed one of the finest players never to have played for England, the closest Bonds came to an international cap was as an unused substitute in a World Cup qualifier against Italy in November 1977.
Four years later he missed out on a Three Lions debut when he broke two ribs colliding with his team-mate, goalkeeper Phil Parkes, and had to withdraw from the team to play Brazil.
Nevertheless, it was at West Ham that Bonds forged a legacy which still resonates around the club and will do for decades to come – and this at a club which produced the World Cup-winning triumvirate of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters.
William Arthur Bonds was born in Woolwich on September 17, 1946. As a schoolboy he worked on his father’s window-cleaning round before joining his local club, Charlton, at 16.
Window cleaning’s loss, it turned out, was ultimately West Ham’s gain. ‘Bonzo’, a promising right-back plucked from the Valley for £50,000 in May 1967, made an incredible 799 appearances in claret and blue.
Moved into midfield by manager Ron Greenwood, Bonds succeeded Moore as captain in 1974, led West Ham to the FA Cup twice – in 1975 and, as a Second Division team against Arsenal, in 1980 – and played his last match at the age of 41 years and 226 days.
He was named Hammer of the Year four times, the first in 1971 and the last playing at centre-half in 1987, three years after he had initially decided to retire.
It says everything about Bonds’ ability, as much as his versatility, that he could seamlessly fit into any all-time West Ham XI in any one of the three positions he played.
Sadly, Bonds missed the entirety of the 1985/86 season, in which West Ham went into the final weekend still in with a chance of winning the First Division title, through injury.
They eventually finished third behind Everton and winners Liverpool, but it is hard not to wonder what Bonds’ endless running and bloody-minded determination would have provided over the late-season fixture pile-up that hindered their
title bid.
As manager, Bonds guided the team to promotion to Division One in 1991, and back up again in 1993.
However, his career at West Ham ended acrimoniously a year later when he was replaced at the helm by his best friend and assistant, Harry Redknapp. The pair never spoke again.
Bonds, awarded an MBE in 1988, was belatedly honoured by West Ham in 2019 when the east stand at the London Stadium was renamed the Billy Bonds Stand.
When the stand was unveiled Bonds, still in rude health and looking for all the world like he could probably put in 30 minutes if required, was visibly moved as he took the acclaim of the fans once more. The old warrior must have got
something in those famous blue eyes.