Lee B
2:55 Tue Apr 19
Re: Billy Bonds
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Saw him come on once in the late eighties, a cup game against Charlton which we won 2-0. Dreadful game, and both sides were both so bad that that winning the cup wasn't even thought about. Anyway he changed the game. He was 40 plus at the time, and laid on the second goal from right back.He had many finer games but this one stuck in the mind for the way he showed up the younger lads. Ward and Cottee were playing I think. I adored Brooking but Bonds up their with him - too hard to put one ahead of the other.
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HairyHammer
5:18 Sun Apr 17
Re: Billy Bonds
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If I said I did not cry
I'd only be telling a Porkie pie.
What an Inspiration what a man and what a player, he had everything but his spirit was on another level, (No pun intended) He Will probably be in the top five West Ham Legends in 100 years time so ridiculous was his commitment for his beloved club, and for many still today he is Numero Uno Number 1.
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daveyg
12:36 Sun Apr 17
Re: Billy Bonds
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Wanstead.
I remember being at a game v Watford.
Bobby Barnes played a blinder and I think we had a few kids playing. Dickens and Cottee I think we're in that team.
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Lovejoy
4:01 Sun Apr 17
Re: Billy Bonds
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Enjoy:
http://youtu.be/mtw5mZ_p3og
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Andrew Ware
1:07 Sun Apr 17
Re: Billy Bonds
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I admired Trevor Brooking, his skills were breath-taking
But When I played in the local park I wanted to be Billy Bonds
Thank you Bill for all the memories
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chim chim cha boo
7:51 Mon Apr 11
Re: Billy Bonds
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I remember Chicken George saying about his brilliant goal 'I just swung a leg at it to shake the mud off really'.
Funny how that stayed in my memory.
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holyhandgrenade
7:13 Mon Apr 11
Re: Billy Bonds
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Northern Sold 8:16 Sun Apr 10
Remember that game clearly, well dug out NS!
We were on a terrible run at the time, proper season long hangover from the previous years exploits. That game with Bonzo and George bossing everyone around pretty much saved our season.
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MikeHammer
6:50 Mon Apr 11
Re: Billy Bonds
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My memories were of gaps where there were seats such as the d wooden ones in the upper West Stand but I have very little memory of much free space on the terraces - as mentioned most just paid cash on the day and of course most fans stood.
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MikeHammer
6:50 Mon Apr 11
Re: Billy Bonds
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My memories were of gaps where there were seats such as the d wooden ones in the upper West Stand but I have very little memory of much free space on the terraces - as mentioned most just paid cash on the day and of course most fans stood.
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riosleftsock
5:39 Mon Apr 11
Re: Billy Bonds
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There were times in the 70s and 80s when most paid cash, that it was fucking rammed everywhere and they would announce an attendance of 20,000 odd and everyone would just laugh.
It was well known that all clubs understated attendance and avoided paying tax on the income.
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Eggbert Nobacon
5:35 Mon Apr 11
Re: Billy Bonds
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chim
still plenty times you could see it was visibly a long long way from being full
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Far Cough
5:34 Mon Apr 11
Re: Billy Bonds
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billy, for me at the North Bank, was one paying with one crawling underneath
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Mike Oxsaw
5:31 Mon Apr 11
Re: Billy Bonds
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chim chim cha boo 6:34 Sun Apr 10
I remember Bods looking after his team. Often all he had to do after a clattering is trot over to the offender and "have a quiet word".
Occasionally he'd take up temporary residence where the offender was most likely to play/go and that would be enough to drop the opposition down to 10 men for as long as Bill deemed fit.
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billywhitehorse
4:27 Mon Apr 11
Re: Billy Bonds
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Squeezing two through the turnstiles was on a big scale. From 1975 to 1980 we did it at almost every game in the South Bank. Even at the Frankfurt semi final. Who knows how many were really there?
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chim chim cha boo
2:59 Mon Apr 11
Re: Billy Bonds
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As I said:
'One thing you can't rely on is the official attendance. Untold of us used to jib in two for a fiver to the old boy manning the turnstile to the Chicken Run'.
and Wanstead Hammer says basically the same thing.
Literally thousands used to jib it back when the turnstiles were manned by old boys. Like I say, I can't remember a sparse crowd at Upton Park ever. Away, it was a different proposition. In the main, unless you were an oldster, you had to have 'certain qualities' to follow us.
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Eggbert Nobacon
2:36 Mon Apr 11
Re: Billy Bonds
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chim chim cha boo 9:03 Sun Apr 10
Re: Billy Bonds
Northern Sold 8:16 Sun Apr 10
I remember that game too but not a 'sparse' crowd. In fact I don't remember a sparse crowd at any league game at Upton Park ever.
sub 15000 in 2nd tier in 92
15000 and 14000 first two matches of our best ever season
84/85 we only averaged 18000 odd
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Grumpster
2:22 Mon Apr 11
Re: Billy Bonds
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Have met him at legends nights a couple of times and maybe the best way to describe him is that he may have been an exceptional footballer, but he's a world class human being.
Absolutely gentleman and the dignity he showed after the way he was disgracefully treated by the club is a lesson to us all.
Would have been a travesty if he hadn't have been welcomed back to the club properly by the owners, as it's where he belongs.
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only1billybonds
1:59 Mon Apr 11
Re: Billy Bonds
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Blimey,where do i start. I was lucky enough to watch him from when he joined us in 67 up until he packed it in. Quite simply the bravest and most commited player i've ever seen. Couple of quick stories.
When Graham Roberts joined Spurs in the mid 80's he had a list of players he wanted to 'do'and Bonzo was on said list. First time they faced each other was at our place and the game was about 10 minutes in when there was a ball to be won which was probably 60/40 in Roberts favour. He saw Bill steaming towards him and prepared himself to put a 'job done' tick next to Bill's name on his list. He said next thing he knew the physio was reving him with smelling salts and Bonds was standing over him laughing,saying "wanna try that again son"?
Over QPR on a rainy monday night for an fa cup replay and we took the lead very early on. Fast forward 80 odd minutes and we are 6-1 down yet Bill is still tearing around the pitch telling his teamates to get their heads up as 'we can still wim this'
Yes, you could say i was a bit of a fan of his.
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wanstead_hammer
10:01 Sun Apr 10
Re: Billy Bonds
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Chim chim - I remember the Birmingham game. All ended up behind one of the goals after coming out the side bit.
And we used to have the £2 man on the chicken run. We even bought him a Christmas card one year and wrote in it 'keep up the good work'! (He must have worn strong braces).
Sold - I was thinking of another Watford home game (82/83?) when we beat em 3-2 and I think Digger Barnes scored/set up the winner? Or Geno set it up?
Anyway, apart from all that, Bonzo was a superb leader and is a legend. (Definitely no mercenary!!)
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Northern Sold
9:38 Sun Apr 10
Re: Billy Bonds
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http://www.westhamstats.info/westham.php?west=5&ham=3541&united=28_Mar_1987
Chim.... 17,000 supposedly... maybe because it was pissing down but there seemed fuck all near us in the south bank... there was a lot of running around hugging strangers... 1-0 v watford for fucks sake !!
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