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Kevin Bond's early career mirrored that of his (sometimes) controversial
father, John, who managed each of his son's first three League clubs.
He overcame the handicap of being the boss's son with little fuss to
become a respected defender. England 'B' honours were followed by a
spell in the N.A.S.L with Seattle before Lawrie McMenemy spent £60,000
to bring the 27-year old back to English soccer. Replacing the out of
favour Reuben Agboola, Kevin made his debut at home to Queens Park
Rangers on the 29th September 1984 and his cool headedness and keen
positioning sense soon won over the fans. The club had finished
runners-up the previous season and with Bond teaming up with Mark Wright
the club again flourished and fifth place meant another chance to
compete in the UEFA Cup. It was then that the situation at the Dell
began to deteriorate.
Firstly the tragedy in Brussels meant all English
clubs were banned from Europe and next McMenemy walked out to take over
the helm at Sunderland. The new manager, Chris Nicholl had a lot to live
up to and the club slumped to 14th in 1985-86 with Kevin making 34
appearances in the League. They did, however, enjoy a good run in the FA
Cup reaching the semi-final before being eliminated by Liverpool at
White Hart Lane. Kevin played in every Cup game and his confident,
assured manner made him a natural choice to become became team captain
for the 1986-87 season as the club improved slightly to reach 12th
position.
The following year - Kevin's last season at the Dell -
probably saw him at his most consistent as he and Kevin Moore formed an
effective central partnership with Bond ever present bar one game. In
his penultimate match at the Dell, in April 1988, he scored both goals
in a 2-1 win over West Ham but within a few months he decided the time
was ripe to rejoin Bournemouth. (Duncan Holley)
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