Eddie Bovington

Eddie Bovington

Personal information
Full name	Edward Ernest Perrian Bovington
Date of birth	(1941-04-23) 23 April 1941 (age 83)
Place of birth	Edmonton, London, England
Position(s)	Wing half
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1959–1968	West Ham United	138	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Edward Ernest Perrian Bovington (born 23 April 1941) is an English former footballer who played for West Ham United as a right-half.^[1]

Bovington played junior football with West Ham, and was a member of the FA Youth Cup Final team of 1958–59 alongside Bobby Moore, Harry Cripps and Jack Burkett.^[2]

He made his senior debut in a Football League match against Manchester United on 18 April 1960, although it was to be another 18 months before his second game. His cup debut was in the Football League Cup against Rotherham United on 16 October 1962. Bovington made a total of 138 League appearances for West Ham, scoring a single league goal (against Nottingham Forest on 26 October 1966 at Upton Park). He made another 46 senior appearances for the Hammers in other competitions, including the 1964 FA Cup Final and eight European Cup Winners Cup matches. His only cup goal was against Cardiff City, in a 5–2 home win on 20 December 1965 in the League Cup semi-final.^[3]

He retired from football, aged 28, to join the rag trade. He later became a keen marathon runner and member of Woodford Green Athletics Club.^[2] Bovington later recalled that he had had a poor relationship with manager, Ron Greenwood and that Greenwood had failed to pick Bovington for the team as he thought he was not good enough.^[4]

Career statistics

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		ECWC		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
West Ham United[3]
	1959–60	First Division	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	1961–62	First Division	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	0
	1962–63	First Division	10	0	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	15	0
	1963–64	First Division	22	0	7	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	32	0
	1964–65	First Division	33	0	2	0	1	0	4	0	1[a]	0	41	0
	1965–66	First Division	31	0	4	0	9	1	4	0	0	0	48	1
	1966–67	First Division	28	1	2	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	34	1
	1967–68	First Division	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0
Career total			138	1	19	0	18	1	8	0	1	0	184	2

1. Appearance in the FA Charity Shield

Honours

West Ham United

• FA Cup: 1963–64^[5]
• FA Charity Shield: 1964^[6]

References

Additional references: Ian Blanthorn - Historian.

1. "Eddie Bovington". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
2. Hogg, Tony (2005). Who's Who of West Ham United. Profile Sports Media. p. 31. ISBN 1-903135-50-8.
3. "Eddie Bovington". westhamstats.info. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
4. "Ex-Hammers: ISSUE 11". ex-hammers.com.
5. "West Ham United 3 Preston North End 2". WHUFC. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
6. "Liverpool 2-2 West Ham United". LFC History. Retrieved 26 June 2021.