When Ronnie Boyce died on 13 February the club lost another link in a golden chain. One that stretches back to the greatest period in the club’s history. He was called ‘Ticker’ for a very good reason. Ronnie was the team’s heartbeat, an indispensable cog in a well-oiled machine.
Inevitably it was Moore, Peters and Hurst who garnered most attention, but it was Ticker who ran the midfield, and worked so well with Bobby Moore in the transition between defence and attack. He wore the number 8 shirt which was classed as inside right. But was in reality a cultured midfielder and the very essence of an unsung hero.
From Haldane Road to the Academy
Ronnie was born just a mile away from Upton Park in East Ham. His parents Bill and Florence ran the grocery shop in Haldane Road and were already mad Hammers fans. He quickly graduated through the school team to play for East Ham, Essex and the London Boys teams. Ronnie was capped six times as an England Schoolboy and joined the Hammers’ ground staff in the late 50s.
He was part of the same intake as Martin Peters and Brian Dear, an early product of the Academy that has served the club with distinction. More representative honours followed as Ronnie played for the England Youth team. A friendly against East Germany was followed by a trip to Austria for the UEFA Youth Tournament in April 1960. The group stage pitted England against Bulgaria, Poland and Austria. Ronnie played in all three group games and contributed to a 4-2 victory over the Poles.
However, England lost two games and were eliminated at the group stage. It was a disappointing return for a team that also included Martin Peters and Terry Venables. But it was valuable experience against continental opposition that Ronnie would keep in his back pocket. A further cap followed in May against Northern Ireland where he scored in a 5-2 victory at Portadown. Both Northern Ireland goals were scored by a certain 15-year-old called George Best. A swansong appearance against Switzerland bought him another goal and a total of six caps for England Youth.
Breaking into the First Team
On the domestic front Ticker made his first team debut against Preston North End in November 1960. The Hammers ran out 3-2 winners and was one of three league appearances he made that season. In the 1961/62 season Ronnie made four league appearances and scored his first goal in a 2-2 home draw against Blackpool.
He was kept out of the side by Wales international Phil Woosnam, an expensive £30,000 signing from Second Division Leyton Orient. It was at the time the fourth highest transfer fee paid by a British club. Although Woosnam was cast in the classic inside forward mould there was speculation he wasn’t popular with the club’s management. Recently appointed manager Ron Greenwood had an ’ace in the hole’ so was content to let Woosnam sign for Aston Villa in November 1962. Ronnie played in the remaining 27 league games without interruption – the grocer’s son was on his way.
The Unforgettable Cup Run of 1964
The 1963/64 season began without fanfare as the first six games brought two wins, two draws and two defeats. Ronnie scored in the home defeat against Sheffield United and became joint top scorer on three goals with Johnny Byrne. Indifferent form saw the Hammers fall to 16th place by Christmas and culminated in the now infamous 8-2 Boxing Day defeat to Blackburn Rovers.
However, an unforgettable FA Cup run would rescue West Ham’s season. The next home game was the 3rd round tie against Charlton Athletic. If the fans were smarting from the Blackburn mauling they certainly didn’t show it. A bumper attendance of 34,155 saw the Hammers coast to a 3-0 victory. Leyton Orient, Swindon and Burnley were dispatched with relative ease to set up what should really have been the final against Manchester United.
Many tales have been told of that rain lashed day at Hillsborough. Sections of the press had written off West Ham’s chances of beating United in the semi-final. The northern powerhouse would flatten the fancy dans of swinging London – or so they thought. Ronnie would play a pivotal role in what is still recognised as one of the great cup ties. It had been raining all morning and by 3pm the pitch was already a mud bath. West Ham took the pitch in their classic claret and blue hooped away shirts.
But they were soon reduced to a distinct shade of brown. United were Cup holders and boasted a glittering line-up that included Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and teenage sensation George Best. West Ham could also boast some gifted footballers, but it’s difficult to imagine how they could play anything approaching their normal game. Both teams splashed and waded through the first half as it remained goalless at the break. Any ball played along the ground would grind to a halt and hardly bounce before landing in an obliging divot.
Taming the Red Devils
Then in the 56th minute Ronnie spotted United goalie David Gaskell off his line. He struck a sweet 25 yarder that crashed into the net. Ronnie’s second goal came seven minutes later as Johnny Sissons played a short corner to Jack Burkett who clipped a sharp cross into the penalty box. Ronnie ghosted through to head the ball home and make it 2-0. Denis Law halved the deficit in the 78th minute but Geoff Hurst put the issue beyond doubt.
West Ham had reached their first FA Cup Final since 1923, and it was in no small part due to Ronnie, who worked tirelessly and happily followed whatever brief he was given. A club publication issued to mark their FA Cup Final appearance offered further insight. His profile stressed that he thrived on working behind the frontline: ‘I play the way the manager wants me to play. If he is satisfied I am satisfied’.
Ronnie’s willingness to graft was a fine quality, but also obscured the fact he was an extremely good footballer. The semi-final showed he was developing a knack for scoring important goals. Until now his light had clearly been hidden under a bushel.
The Wembley Winner
Second Division Preston North End were the opponents, and had the underdog tag fixed firmly around their necks. However, they had more of the game with 22 shots on goal compared to West Ham’s 16. Preston twice went into the lead and twice West Ham equalised. The final minutes of the game were ticking away and extra time looked increasingly likely. Tired legs began to drag across the lush Cumberland turf. For once, Ticker defied Ron Greenwood’s instructions to sit in the middle of the park.
He motored towards the penalty area as Geoff Hurst released Peter Brabrook on the right flank. Sam Leitch of the Sunday Mirror takes up the story: ‘Wembley was a seething cauldron of excitement and my stop watch showed 92 minutes when Brabrook unleashed a cross to the far post. Boyce galloped in at a furious pace, head bent low to nod a gem of a goal past Kelly’.
Ronnie had departed from the tactical plan but had written the perfect ending: ‘I was detailed to keep a tight grip on Nobby Lawton in the second half. But when Peter Brabrook slung across that centre I knew this was going to be our last chance. I thought extra time would be needed’. It had been a memorable campaign for Ronnie and the club. He enjoyed his best ever season for goals, scoring 11 in all competitions including three vital goals in the FA Cup.
He played in 55 league and cup games – more than any other player. In an interview with the Eastern Daily Press in 2017 he explained in more detail: ‘I always say 1964 was the best year of my life. I scored the winning goal in the FA Cup Final, passed my driving test and got married. I always get in trouble when I say it in that order!’.
European Glory and Personal Sacrifices
The following season would be just as momentous for Ronnie and his family. His eldest son Gary was born and became one of 11 squad players to become fathers during 1965. The 1964/65 season produced a credible 9th place finish in the league, but would be dominated by a glorious first campaign in Europe.
The Hammers were drawn against La Gantoise in the first round. The Belgians were hideously defensive but finally undone in the 52nd minute. Fittingly, it was Ronnie who scored West Ham’s first ever goal in European football. A 1-1 draw in the home leg secured a second round tie against a useful Sparta Prague side. The Czechs were comfortably beaten 2-0 at Upton Park, but it was the return in Prague where many feel Ronnie had his finest game in a West Ham shirt.
Bobby Moore was ruled out through injury and nominally replaced by Martin Peters. However, Ronnie was asked to captain the side and occupy Mooro’s customary position in defence. Although the Hammers lost 2-1 it was sufficient to go through on aggregate. Ronnie had a magnificent game playing in an unfamiliar position. In an interview afterwards he replied with suffocating modesty: ‘It wasn’t difficult to play. All I had to do was to move where a gap was threatening’.
In the next round, his place was sacrificed to make way for a more attacking frontline of Geoff Hurst, Johnny Byrne and Brian Dear. The Hammers beat Lausanne of Switzerland in a pulsating tie 6-5 on aggregate. Ticker was restored to the side for the semi-final against Real Zaragoza, one of the finest teams in Europe. A narrow 3-2 victory saw the Hammers through to their second Wembley final in two years. TSV Munich would go on to win the Bundesliga and contributed to a classic European Final.
Ronnie was in no doubt that it was the greatest game he ever played in. Watching the game online is an almost religious experience for fans of the passing game. The passage of 60 years has not dimmed the impact of an exhilarating game between two perfectly matched sides. Ronnie himself had a fine game, and made the first goal for Alan Sealey with a perfectly weighted slide rule pass.
Resilience and the Halfway Line Special
Whilst the club’s England contingent had an unforgettable summer, the 1965/66 season was one of deep frustration and disappointment. It was the first time Ronnie had major injury issues. As he explained to Blowing Bubbles editor David Blackmore in 2015: ‘We used to play on Monday nights and had Tuesdays off. I went and played golf and when I went into training on Wednesday I couldn’t move. With medical knowledge as it was back then, it took about three months of swimming up and down a fair-sized bath to recover!’.
It put Ronnie on the sidelines between September and February. He missed the League Cup run but played in the two legged final. Similarly, he returned for the latter stages of the European Cup Winners Cup; but it proved to be a trophy free season for the Hammers. The next three seasons were similarly underwhelming as West Ham finished no higher than 8th in the First Division. One semi-final appearance in the League Cup was the closest they got to silverware.
Ronnie was a regular starter during this time but the glory days of 64/65 seemed a long time ago. As the 1970s dawned he was fighting for his place against the likes of Trevor Brooking. His one outstanding moment in this part of his career came against Manchester City in 1970. It was notable for the debut of Jimmy Greaves who scored two goals in a 5-1 victory at Maine Road. But it also featured an astonishing goal scored by Ronnie from the halfway line. City goalie Joe Corrigan made a clearance on yet another quagmire of a pitch. With great presence of mind Ronnie volleyed the ball back towards goal with Corrigan way out of position. It easily dwarfed the two tap-ins that Greaves scored that day.
A Legacy Beyond the Pitch
He retired in 1972 after 341 appearances and 29 goals. But then began a highly successful career as a member of West Ham’s coaching staff. In ‘West Ham United: The Managers’ John Lyall explained to Tony McDonald how valuable his contribution was: ‘Ronnie was a controlled and disciplined man who chose his words very carefully but he was a superb talker one-on-one’. He managed the Hammers’ youth team who reached the 1975 FA Youth Cup Final. The careers of Alvin Martin, Geoff Pike and Paul Brush were subsequently nurtured by his thoughtful guidance.
Ronnie had one game in charge of the first team when Lou Macari resigned and also served as the club’s chief scout. Ronnie is one of an elite band who served the club both as a player and coach. He never sought the limelight, but won the respect and affection of those lucky enough to have known him.
In his autobiography Ron Greenwood perfectly summed up the man: ‘He was a first class technician, a wily architect and a tireless worker. He did everything simply but all the players knew how valuable he was. He even shaped the way Moore, Peters and Hurst played. They depended on him more than most people realised. We could play Peters loose because we had Boyce as our springboard. Peters and Hurst could make their runs knowing Boyce would always find them usually with an early ball. And Moore knew that whatever the pressure Boyce would be available in front of him’.
As team mate and lifelong friend Brian Dear pointed out Ronnie was a ‘quiet hero’. Such reticence may have denied him the full England cap he richly deserved. The closest he got was as a non-playing substitute for England Under 23’s. But he was appreciated by those who were closest to him and that is what matters most. The most enduring images of Ronnie are in the post-match celebrations after the finals. That kilowatt smile beaming proudly from the group shots in a team bursting with potential. A great player who should no longer be seen as an unsung hero but simply a ‘hero’.
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