Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Peter Mason

Billy Bonds obituary

Billy Bonds of West Ham United, right, and Alan Sunderland of Arsenal during the 1980 FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, London.
Billy Bonds of West Ham United, right, and Alan Sunderland of Arsenal during the 1980 FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, London. Photograph: Eamonn McCabe/The Guardian

The footballer Billy Bonds, who has died aged 79, captained West Ham to two FA Cup final victories – in 1975 and 1980 – during a 21-year period at Upton Park in which he made a club record 799 appearances.

Voted by the fans as West Ham’s greatest ever player, ahead even of Bobby Moore, he also skippered the team to the finals of the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1976 and the League Cup in 1981, although on both occasions on the losing side.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.