Chelsea: Remembering a boyhood favourite turned legend, Peter Bonetti

Football lost an innovator and all-time great today, as former Chelsea goalkeeper Peter Bonetti passed away, age 78.

Peter Bonetti was – is – a Chelsea legend. Today, he sadly passed away after a long illness. The club announced his passing on the website this afternoon along with a fitting video tribute to the man nicknamed “The Cat.”

My affinity with Bonetti started at a young age. I was a rubbish footballer – loved football, though, so the obvious place for me to play according to my peers was in goal. Not sure how that was obvious, as the position of goalkeeper is a vital one in the grand scheme of things, at least at The Cat’s level. I was no cat but I could still aspire to be like him. Unlike him, I let in many goals and my football “career” was short-lived.

Bonetti’s was not. He played 729 games for the Blues across nearly 20 years. He was a local lad and came through Chelsea’s youth system, like so many back then. He was between the sticks when Chelsea first won the FA Youth Cup in 1960, although at just 18 years old he was just a kitten in those days.

Chelsea were not quite so prolific on the trophy front through the 1960’s and into the 70’s, but when they were successful Bonetti, was in goal.

The 1965 League Cup final triumph over Leicester City, like the Youth Cup five years earlier, was Chelsea’s first victory in the competition.

Ironically, it was 50 years ago this weekend that Chelsea drew 2-2 with Leeds United in the FA Cup final at Wembley. As we know, they went on to win the replay 2-1 at Old Trafford. Bonetti was one of the heroes. It was the first time Chelsea had won that competition, too.

To cap off the firsts, the European Cup Winners’ Cup victory over Real Madrid that followed a year later completed the quadruple.

From my point of view, those victories didn’t matter. I didn’t start supporting the Blues until 1972, but the Cat was such an iconic figure for me. Wearing that simple green goalkeeper jersey, he just stood out. He was not a big man by any means, but he commanded the goal as well as anyone I can recall from back then.

I saw him play but I was never lucky enough to meet him. From what I’ve read from those who have, he was one of the good guys. That certainly came through in his public persona.

We currently live in very sad times and the passing of Peter Bonetti exacerbates that.

Bonetti wasn’t just a cat: he was The Cat. The Cat was a legend, The Cat was a hero. Rest in Peace, Cat.