Eddie Bovington played 184 games for West Ham between 1960 and 1968. The determined wing half was yet another West Ham academy produced player and he played alongside Bobby Moore and Jack Burkett in helping the Hammers reach the final of the 1958 Youth Cup. Born in Edmonton, London in 1941, Eddie made his debut against Manchester United on the 18th April 1960. The starry eyed teenager was to reflect, “It was a wonderful debut. Old Trafford was a special place to go and play. We were leading 3-1 at one stage but got beat 5-3. To play against players like Bobby Charlton and Dennis Viollet, you just couldn’t believe you were on the same pitch as them really.”
Eddie performed well but it was to be 20 months before his next game and it was not until the 1963/64 season that he established himself in the first team. Patience was key to Eddie’s progress and the young man had plenty of that. At the time Eddie was trying to break into the team there was plenty of competition for places, especially as a wing half. Bobby Moore had started to establish himself and Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters were looking to break through. Eddie said that “it helped to have more than one youngster coming through at the same time. You know each other inside out, not only football wise but in your private life as well. It helps in the way you play the game and how you get on, on and off the pitch.”
When Ron Greenwood replaced Ted Fenton as West Ham manager in 1961, he had an abundance of young locally born talent waiting for their chances. It was from these players that he built the side that went on to win the FA Cup in 1964. Jack Burkett, Johnny Sissons, Ron Boyce, Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Eddie Bovington were all players of this same ilk and Greenwood still had Martin Peters emerging from the ranks. On Boxing Day 1963 West Ham were thrashed 8-2 by top of the table Blackburn Rovers. The return fixture at Blackburn was just two days later and how would Ron Greenwood turn things around? Well, the only change he made was by dropping Martin Peters and replacing him with Eddie Bovington. History shows the Hammers won the rematch 3-1 and that result was to prove very significant for both Peters and Bovington. Greenwood announced an unchanged side for the following weeks Cup match at Charlton and he kept the exact same side for the rest of the cup matches that season – including the FA Cup final side that beat Preston 3-2. The Hammers were trailing 2-1 at half time in the final and Ron asked both Moore and Bovington to push further forward. The tactic worked and Eddie had won himself a Cup winners medal and his patience had paid off handsomely.
By 1966 Martin Peters had developed into a World class player and in the 1967/68 season Eddie was limited to just six appearances. He hung up his boots at just 28 years of age but reflected “I didn’t actually miss the playing side of the game when I packed up in 1969. What I missed a lot though was the camaraderie of the players.” Eddie worked in his family retail business after football and he became a keen marathon runner and member of Woodford Green Athletics club. He managed 2 hours, 56 minutes and 10 seconds in the 1990 London Marathon. However, even today he still follows the Hammers. Eddie Bovington typified what West Ham traditions are all about. He was yet another academy product who spent his whole career at the club and still has claret and blue in his veins. He will be honoured alongside the other players who played in the ’64 Cup Final this weekend at the match against Crystal Palace – celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the event.
Since writing this nostalgia article on Eddie, he has kindly accepted to do a Q&A article which will be published in the near future.