West Ham Online

Rumours circulating on FB that he's not too good at the moment and in hospital, not sure how true they are.

Will never ever forget the billy bonds claret and blue army chant against forest in the cup semi final at villa park. Even when I occasionally watch it back on YouTube it still sends a shiver down my spine, I’ve got a framed picture of billy and sir Trevor holding the cup aloft in 1980 hanging on my wall so I know billy is looking after me! 

Was at an event on Friday at my local social club where Tony Gale and Julian Dicks were the guests. It was a brilliant night. Galey is friends with a few of the members. Very intimate night. Not as much a Q&A but more like a conversation about everything West Ham. Galey and Julian were on form. 

Gayley announced that he had heard Bonzo was 'not good'. He and a few other ex-players had tried to reach out to the family but had not had much back. He said the club had also tried but again hadn't got much if anything back. 

Then Sunday the sad news came in. Was a shock. 

Bonzo's last game for West Ham was in 1988. I was only 13. Before that I had only been to a dozen or so games as I relied on my mate's dad to take me. So I saw Bonzo play and as good as he still was, he was in his twilight when I did. Which was a shame for me. Would loved to have seen him play live when he was in his pomp. 

Magnificent player and human. 

RIP Bonzo. 
 

fair play to these lads

Nutsin wrote: ↑01 Dec 2025, 23:52 West Ham legends ranked.

1 Bobby Moore
2 Billy Bonds
3 Trevor Brooking
4 Geoff Hurst
5 Julian Dicks
6 Di Canio
7 Pop Robson
8 Ginger Pele
9 Phil Parkes
10 Mark Noble
11 Ray Stewart


Quite the line up.

Takashi Miike" wrote: ↑02 Dec 2025, 07:14

Nutsin wrote: ↑01 Dec 2025, 23:52 West Ham legends ranked.

1 Bobby Moore
2 Billy Bonds
3 Trevor Brooking
4 Geoff Hurst
5 Julian Dicks
6 Di Canio
7 Pop Robson
8 Ginger Pele
9 Phil Parkes
10 Mark Noble
11 Ray Stewart


Quite the line up.

to leave out Dev is a crime

I started going a couple of years after Bonds had hung up his boots.  He was in the dugout by then but I was brought up hearing about the players my dad and my Grandad watched.   Obviously there was Bobby, Hurst, Peters,  but the main 2 other players my dad would always wax lyrical about are Billy Bonds and Trevor Brooking, with Devonshire a close third.   I watched a  VHS I got in the club portacabin shop religiously, written and narrated by John Motson who seemed to have a great affection and respect for the club.   Bonds featured heavily and I fell in love with this player who had an aura about him, the long hair and beard, no nonsense, hard but not dirty, a good footballer as well. He looked as though he'd just ran down from the terraces to put on the shirt and play.  He was West Ham and as someone had written on another club's forum yesterday, he looked and played like a 'lion'.

There will never be another Billy Bonds.
 

cholo wrote: ↑02 Dec 2025, 06:12

XKhammer wrote: ↑01 Dec 2025, 17:58 The tributes online from other fans of clubs up North like Man Utd/Liverpool and ALL London clubs is amazing and shows what the true fans fans thought of King Billy...a true legend 

I noticed and apart from for the likes of Sir Bobby Chatlton and Jimmy Greaves, who were world class players, I don't think I've seen a reaction like it from opposing fans just showing the utmost respect. It shows you how special he was.

The greatest English player to never play for England, it's not just us saying that,  ask all other fans who watched him play over the years countless times. 

honky cat" wrote: ↑01 Dec 2025, 19:19

oh dear II" wrote: ↑01 Dec 2025, 14:02 She simply said, quite innocently, “When West Ham were great, he was the greatest.”


 

I absolutely love this. Your Mrs is a wise woman.

 

Nutsin wrote: ↑01 Dec 2025, 23:52 West Ham legends ranked.

1 Bobby Moore
2 Billy Bonds
3 Trevor Brooking
4 Geoff Hurst
5 Julian Dicks
6 Di Canio
7 Pop Robson
8 Ginger Pele
9 Phil Parkes
10 Mark Noble
11 Ray Stewart


Quite the line up.

Nutsin wrote: ↑01 Dec 2025, 23:52 West Ham legends ranked.

1 Bobby Moore
2 Billy Bonds
3 Trevor Brooking
4 Geoff Hurst
5 Julian Dicks
6 Di Canio
7 Pop Robson
8 Ginger Pele
9 Phil Parkes
10 Mark Noble
11 Ray Stewart


Quite the line up.

cholo wrote: ↑02 Dec 2025, 06:12

XKhammer wrote: ↑01 Dec 2025, 17:58 The tributes online from other fans of clubs up North like Man Utd/Liverpool and ALL London clubs is amazing and shows what the true fans fans thought of King Billy...a true legend 

I noticed and apart from for the likes of Sir Bobby Chatlton and Jimmy Greaves, who were world class players, I don't think I've seen a reaction like it from opposing fans just showing the utmost respect. It shows you how special he was.

The greatest English player to never play for England, it's not just us saying that,  ask all other fans who watched him play over the years countless times. 

XKhammer wrote: ↑01 Dec 2025, 17:58 The tributes online from other fans of clubs up North like Man Utd/Liverpool and ALL London clubs is amazing and shows what the true fans fans thought of King Billy...a true legend 

West Ham legends ranked.

1 Bobby Moore
2 Billy Bonds
3 Trevor Brooking
4 Geoff Hurst
5 Julian Dicks
6 Di Canio
7 Pop Robson
8 Ginger Pele
9 Phil Parkes
10 Mark Noble
11 Ray Stewart


Quite the line up.

Jonathan Pearce tribute.

Bill was the walking embodiment of the club as a player.  Gave me some of my best memories as a fan when he was manager under some very difficult times too.
The Villa park Semi final sums up what a powerful impact he had. Can't think of any comparison in sport that has happened before or since. 

RIP Billy.

Proper legend and fantastic bloke.
RIP Billy

 

It's all been said. But what a player on the pitch, and what a man off it. Saw him make his debut (was it Ken Brown's testimonial?). RIP, Bill, and thanks for all those memories.

Do you think there'll be a memorial service? Just imagine the attendance for that.

When you look back at football in Billy's era, you really do see how shit football is now.

How far removed are today's players from the supporters. 

RIP Billy

What a player,
What a man,
A true hero has left a gaping hole in the universe.

His family can look back with pride, and how the fans held him in such high esteem, when they named the stand after him.

I remember watching the Big Match one Sunday, with Brian Moore’s voice coming out the TV. We were stuck in the Second Division, slogging it out at home on a pitch that was more mud than grass. I think we were  playing Bolton.

Then Bonzo flew into a crunching tackle, scooped up the ball, and stormed thirty yards up the pitch like a man possessed.

 Brian Moore’s words cut through the mud and the rain: "It looks like Billy Bonds is single-handedly trying to drag this club back into the First Division!"

He could have walked away, left us behind after three awful seasons in the old Second Division. But he didn’t. No, he stayed. He fought. He bled for us.

I still can’t believe he is dead

It’s Billy Bonds! I expect him to get up and run it off

oh dear II" wrote: ↑01 Dec 2025, 14:02 She simply said, quite innocently, “When West Ham were great, he was the greatest.”
 

I've been thinking that reading eulogies about him from far and wide.