View source for Alf Bond

{{Short description|English football referee (died 1986)}}
{{primary sources|date=August 2008}}

'''Alfred "Alf" Bond''' (died 1 July 1986)<ref name="Daily Mirror">The Daily Mirror, 2 July 1986, p27</ref> was an English football referee who was the referee in the [[FA Cup Final 1956|1956 FA Cup Final]].

Bond was born in [[Silvertown, Essex]].<ref>''1911 England Census''</ref> He was a former right-half for [[Danes Athletic]] in the [[South-West District League]] — of which he was Vice-President. Bond lost his right arm at the age of 19 when working in a rubber factory. He learned to write and perform other tasks with his left hand. He tried to resume playing but found that his "balance had gone" so he decided to take up refereeing instead.<ref>"'Dictator' Bond Takes Final", The Daily Express, 27 March 1956, p12</ref> Promotion came via the [[Corinthian League]], the [[Football Combination]] and the [[Southern Football League|Southern League]].

He was the proprietor of a newsagents business in Fulham. His comment on being selected to officiate at the Cup Final: "It's a grand feeling to know that you have gained this honour."<ref>''Match day programme''</ref>

Bond controlled his first league game in 1948 - a Third Division (South) match. He officiated at the 1954 FA Amateur Cup Final at Wembley between [[Bishop Auckland F.C.|Bishop Auckland]] and [[Crook Town A.F.C.|Crook Town]] and has also refereed four international matches.

He died on 1 July 1986 in Wandsworth aged 75.<ref name="Daily Mirror" /><ref>The Times, 2 July 1986, p40</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{WorldFootball.net referee|alfred-bond|Alfred Bond}}
* {{EU-Football.info referee|287}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bond, Alf}}
[[Category:1986 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Silvertown]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from the London Borough of Newham]]
[[Category:FA Cup final referees]]
[[Category:English football referees]]


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