By Will Scott
BILLY Bonds has been hailed as “a thoroughly top person” by his former player Bobby Bowry.
The former Millwall manager passed away last Sunday, aged 79.
Bonds, who made 799 appearances for West Ham United, was appointed Lions boss in May 1997 after four years as the Hammers’ manager between 1990-94.
He oversaw 53 games in the 1997-98 season as Millwall finished eighteenth in Division Two, before parting ways with the club at the end of the campaign.
Bowry made 48 appearances in all competitions that season, scoring two goals.
The midfielder reflected on his time working under Bonds.
“He was an unbelievable person in terms of his attitude,” Bowry told South London. “I remember doing a pre-season training session, and he was running with the boys, and he was 50-plus then.
“He had a seriously unbelievable mentality, him and his number two, Patsy Holland. Brought a real discipline to the club. It was great to be part of.
“As a person, his intensity in the training, he had a bit of an aura about him, in terms of he was one of the ones where you actually wanted to play for the man. Billy was just a thoroughly top person.
“His discipline and his understanding, and how he was to everybody as well. He was the sort of person who had time for anybody, and I think that’s very rare in football these days. He left quite an indelible mark on me.
“I thought I was a really good pro, but he brought a real professionalism in terms of making sure you were fit. Training was always intense with Billy. He used to try and join in sometimes in the five-a-sides on a Friday.
“He’d like to come in here and play table tennis and that with the boys. But when it was work time, he was not a man to be messed about with.
“I thought he was good for a lot of players at the club at the time. He had that approach of when it’s time to work, you’re going to work with him. And that was fantastic.”
Bowry was asked if Bonds’ status as a West Ham legend made his job trickier.
“He was just a strong character, and he always tried to deflect what was going on off the pitch with the fans,” Bowry said. “He always used to support the players.
“I remember at the time, I had a couple of clubs come in for me, and he made sure that I was in a good place in terms of playing. Whatever noise was going on at the club, in terms of him being a West Ham legend, he was doing the job for Millwall.”
Bonds signed several promising youngsters who would grow into influential players for Millwall, including the Lions’ record goalscorer Neil Harris, Tim Cahill and Robbie Ryan. All three were part of the squad that reached the 2001-02 Division One play-offs, losing to Birmingham City in the semi-finals.
Bowry thought he handled integrating young players in the squad well.
“[He] didn’t overlook the younger players, which was fantastic for Millwall at the time,” Bowry said. “Wasn’t frightened to play them.
“I tell you what he was brilliant at – he’d be the first one in, and he’d be out there doing extras with the boys at half past nine to ten. He had the time to develop players and wanted to develop people as well, which I think is just a fantastic trait to have for someone who had such a great career. It wasn’t just coming in and taking his money; he was actually working to improve people.”
