‘I’ve never seen him p****d — even when we won the Cup!’: Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris pays tribute to Chelsea legend Peter Bonetti who died after long battle with Alzheimer’s
- Ron Harris had paid tribute to Chelsea legend Peter Bonetti who died on Sunday
- He played 729 matches for Chelsea in two spells during the 1960s and 1970s
- Bonetti helped the club win the FA Cup, League Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup
- He won seven caps for England and was back-up during the 1966 World Cup
Former Chelsea defender Ron Harris has paid tribute to Stamford Bridge legend Peter Bonetti who died from a long battle with Alzheimer’s on Sunday.
Bonetti was nicknamed ‘The Cat’ for his lightning reflexes and played 729 games for Chelsea – making him their second-highest appearance maker of all-time.
Harris, who also had a nickname ‘Chopper’ for his hard-tackling approach, told The Sun: ‘He was a proper gentleman.
Chelsea footballers Ron Harris (left) and Peter Bonetti lift the FA Cup in 1970
Bonetti, who was nicknamed ‘The Cat’ for his lightning reflexes, died on Sunday
The legendary goalkeeper is paraded at Stamford Bridge during a 2014 match with PSG
‘I can honestly say in all the time I have known him, I’ve never seen him p****d — even when we won the Cup!
‘I have never even seen him drink. He was a fitness fanatic, he would win all the cross-countries.
‘If we had a day off in the week, the next day we would do a cross-country around Epsom — and by the time he had finished the others were just coming round Tattenham Corner! He was a very placid fellow.
‘He would never raise his voice or have a go at the back four. He was never in any bother, he was always punctual and his record speaks for himself.’
Harris has paid tribute to Stamford Bridge legend Bonetti after his passing on Sunday
Bonetti played seven times for England and was part of the 1966 World Cup-winning squad as back-up to Gordon Banks.
In a club career that spanned almost two decades at Chelsea across two spells, Bonetti helped the club win the League Cup in 1965, the FA Cup in 1970 and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1971.
He also helped Chelsea win promotion from the Second Division back into the top-flight in both 1963 and 1977.