Bonds award a clever ploy to set the mood for Cardiff game

I don't mean this in a cynical way, but making an award to Bonzo before the Cardiff game can't do us any harm, with the fans stoked up for the battle by recognising a genuine West Ham hero.

When "outsiders" are asked to nominate the West Ham greats from the last 50 years, names like Moore, Hurst, Peters and Brooking would, of course, feature on everybody's list. But for many West Ham fans, Bonds would feature in the top three. In fact, for me, he is second only to Moore.

For those who supported the club through the seventies and eighties, there will be many fond memories of Bonds, either as a rampaging right back, as a hard tackling, enforcing, midfielder or as a centre back; and it is one of the great football mysteries how he managed to go an entire career without picking up a single England cap, albeit he was called up once and had to withdraw through injury.

Two memories of Bonds stand out for me and both, in their way, typify the man. The first was at The Dell, Southampton, when Galbraith made the mistake of grabbing Bonds by his tackle as a free kick was about to be taken. Bonds went absolutely psycho and literally chased the Scot around the pitch trying to land one on him.

The second didn't even involve Bonds himself. It was White Hart Lane and an ancient Bonds had been recalled. Some of the players had ambled onto the pitch as a disabled fan was being wheeled around the touchline when a cry came from a wag to the right of me of "Billy's out for his warm up!". The point is, Bonds would have climbed out of a wheel chair to play for the club.

Bonds, of course, went on to manage Millwall, but not even that counts against him in the eyes of West Ham fans. The guy is a genuine legend, and so he should be after playing a jaw dropping 663 league games for the club.

One thing's for sure, if the current crop play with 50% of Billy's desire, Cardiff will be swept aside with no problems this afternoon!