West Ham legends to manage Hammers

Former West Ham managers  Billy Bonds and Sir Trevor Brooking will manage West Ham teams one last time on Easter Monday.

Mark Noble revealed the news on Thursday. Nobes tweeted “True legends, Billy bonds and Sir Trevor Brooking will be honorary managers on Monday afternoon!!”

Billy Bonds was was appointed West Ham manager on 23 February 1990.The Club’s all-time record appearance-maker, two-time FA Cup-winning captain and four-time Hammer of the Year, Bonds had retired from playing in 1988 and served as a youth coach under John Lyall.  After guiding West Ham to seventh in Division Two in his first few months in charge, Bonds led the Hammers back to the top flight via the runners-up spot and an FA Cup semi-final defeat by Nottingham Forest in 1990/91.

Unfortunately, West Ham were relegated again in 1992 after finishing bottom of Division One but Bonds won a second promotion in three seasons the following year, with old team-mate Harry Redknapp serving as his assistant.

In 1993/94, Bonds led West Ham to the safety of 13th position in their first season in the Premier League but Bonds was replaced by Redknapp, turning down the offer of the newly-created role of Director of Football. In all, Bonds won 82 and lost just 59 of his 194 matches in charge of the Hammers.  Bonds had a win ratio of 43.61%

Brooking had two spells as caretaker manager, replacing Glen Roeder after his collapse with a brain tumour and again after he was sacked. In his 14 matches in charge,  he won nine, drew four and lost just one game against Gillingham 2-0 in the league after Jermain Defoe was sent off. He is sometimes referred to as “the best manager that West Ham never had”. He has an impressive win ratio fo 64.29% which is never likely to be broken.

Unconfirmed rumours suggest current West Ham manager Slaven Bilic might pull on his boots for a cameo role at Mark Noble’s testimonial on Monday. Slaven’s win ratio is  45.24%.