Alfred "Alf" Bond (died 1 July 1986)The Daily Mirror, 2 July 1986, p27 was an English football referee who was the referee in the

1956 FA Cup Final The 1956 FA Cup Final was the final match of the 1955–56 staging of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, better known as the FA Cup. The showpiece event was contested between Manchester City a ...

. Bond was born in Silvertown, Essex. 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. Promotion came via the Corinthian League, the

Football Combination The Football Combination was a football competition for the reserve teams of English Football League clubs from Southern England, the Midlands and Wales; other clubs from the Midlands and those from the North playing in the Central League (it is n ...

and the 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." 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 and Crook Town and has also refereed four international matches. He died on 1 July 1986 in Wandsworth aged 75.The Times, 2 July 1986, p40

References

External links

* *
Alf Bond referee profile
at Eu-football.info 1986 deaths People from Silvertown Sportspeople from the London Borough of Newham FA Cup final referees English football referees {{Sports-official-bio-stub