West Ham United has been saddened by the passing of former player and FA Youth Cup winner Peter Bennett at the age of 77.
A midfielder, Bennett joined the Academy of Football as 15-year-old apprentice in 1961, having been spotted playing alongside John Sissons while playing for Middlesex Schoolboys by scout Charlie Faulkner.
In 1963, both starred alongside the likes of Harry Redknapp and John Charles as Martin Britt’s four second-leg goals saw the Hammers stun Liverpool to win the FA Youth Cup for the first time.
Bennett made his first-team debut as a 17-year-old in a First Division fixture against Bolton Wanderers at the Boleyn Ground in April 1964.
A valuable member of Ron Greenwood’s squad during the Club’s golden era, Bennett played 47 times between 1964-70, scoring three goals as a trusted and reliable deputy for regular No8 Ronnie Boyce.
His first victory in Claret and Blue came in a famous win over Don Revie’s Leeds United in August 1965, when he lined up alongside Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst after being introduced as a substitute for Jack Burkett.
The Hillingdon-born player’s first goal came later the same season, in a First Division fixture at Chelsea in April 1966, and he followed that with further top-flight strikes away at West Bromwich Albion and Tottenham Hotspur in April 1967 and August 1970 respectively.
Soon after, Bennett moved the short distance to Orient in a swap deal that involved Tommy Taylor transferring to West Ham, and the midfielder was soon appointed captain of the Division Two side.
Bennett spent the best part of the 1970s at Brisbane Road, making over 200 appearances and helping the O’s reach the FA Cup semi-finals in 1978.
He also had a loan spell in the United States with North American Soccer League club St. Louis Stars in 1978, before a leg injury forced him into retirement in 1980 at the age of 33 and he took a job on the O’s coaching staff.
Everyone at West Ham would like to pass on their sincere condolences to Peter’s family and friends at this sad time.
