William Borland (loyalist)
William John "Bonzer" Borland (born c. 1969) is a Northern Irish former footballer and loyalist activist. He came to prominence in the early years of the 21st century when he served as leader of the North Belfast Brigade of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and, as such, one of the six commanders of the movement as a whole.
Early years
In his youth Borland was a talented footballer and he had been on the books of Linfield F.C., the most successful club in the history of the Irish Football League. He also represented Cliftonville F.C., a club associated with the nationalist community in north Belfast.
Borland joined the UDA's North Belfast brigade and became close to Andre Shoukri. In 2000 he was arrested along with Shoukri and his brother Ihab on charges of extortion relating to a Catholic-owned DIY shop in Glengormley on the outskirts of north Belfast. Borland would ultimately serve a brief prison sentence for his involvement in this incident.
Brigadier
