Ronnie Boyce, West Ham legend who scored FA Cup final winner, dies aged 82
Ronnie Boyce, the West Ham United legend who scored the winning goal in their 1964 FA Cup final win, has died at the age of 82.
Boyce spent his entire playing career with the Hammers, making 341 appearances between 1959 and 1972, and was nicknamed 'Ticker' due to his reputation as the heartbeat of those trophy-winning teams.
The midfielder scored 29 goals for the club and by far the most important of those came in the 1964 FA Cup final against Preston North End as, with the score locked at 2-2 and the clock ticking past 90 minutes, he popped up to head home the winner as a 21-year-old.
It was the first major trophy in West Ham's history and a side captained by the legendary Bobby Moore, with future World Cup final hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst up front, went on to win the Charity Shield a few months later and the European Cup Winners' Cup at the end of the following season.
Boyce was an instrumental figure in those triumphs and West Ham shared a statement of behalf of his family following his death.
'We are so very sad to confirm that our beloved husband, father and grandfather Ronnie passed away peacefully on Thursday afternoon,' read the statement.
'He fought illness in recent years with typical courage, bravery and no fuss, and with such strength. His nickname of 'Ticker', as the strong heartbeat of West Ham's team in the 1960s, could not have been more appropriate.
'He was a Hammer all of his life, from growing up in East Ham to representing the club as a player and coach across 34 years of dedicated service, and always had time for the fans and people who gave him so much support throughout his time in football.
'He never boasted about his wonderful playing career or achievements, but he was so proud of the fact that he scored the winning goal in West Ham United's first-ever FA Cup victory, and his love of the club and the supporters meant so much to him.
'As a family, we were even prouder of the love, support and dedication he gave us all, and of the quiet, honest, decent man that he was. We will miss him greatly and he will never be forgotten.'
West Ham added a comment to the statement, saying: 'The thoughts and condolences of everyone at West Ham United are with Ronnie's wife Dawn, his sons Gary and Tony, daughter-in-laws Ewa and Sarah, grandsons Ross, Ben, Jack, Elliott and Tom, and all of his family and friends at this sad and difficult time.'
They also confirmed that tributes would appear ahead of their Premier League clash with Brentford at the London Stadium on Saturday.
After retiring from playing, Boyce became a member of the West Ham coaching staff under manager John Lyall's coaching staff and helped them win two further FA Cups in 1975 and 1980.
He also later served as both caretaker manager and chief scout, before retiring in 1995, and was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Hammers in 2019.
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