If you look up the term ‘Cult Hero’ in a book, you are likely to find a photograph of Ian Bishop to illustrate it.
The long-haired midfielder became a true fans’ favourite during his decade in Claret and Blue, during which he and his West Ham United teammates thrilled the Premier League with their fearless play.
Signed from Manchester City in December 1989, Bishop was part of a Hammers side that won promotion to the Premier League under Billy Bonds, then established themselves as a top-flight force to be reckoned with under Harry Redknapp.
During Bishop’s ten years in east London, West Ham may not have challenged for trophies, but they most certainly entertained as Bishop pulled the strings in a team that featured, at times, Tony Cottee, Julian Dicks, John Moncur, Luděk Mikloško, Steve Lomas, Tim Breacker, his former Manchester City colleague Trevor Morley, Paul Kitson and John Hartson.
‘Bish’ was a virtual ever-present for seven seasons, playing 304 games and scoring 17 goals.
He returned to the Boleyn Ground in 2016 to play his part in Mark Noble’s Testimonial, then travelled to Prague for the UEFA Europa Conference League final win over Fiorentina in 2023.
Over 25 years since he last laced up his boots for West Ham, Bishop remains a big Hammer. Based in the United States, he gets up early every weekend to watch his old Club in action.
He returned to east London recently and sat down with Iron Cast hosts Chris Scull and Carlton Cole to reminisce about a memorable decade on the pitch and many memorable moments off it and his ongoing love affair with the Hammers.
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