Ray Kennedy
Encyclopedia
Raymond Kennedy is an English former football player who won every domestic honour in the game with Arsenal
and Liverpool
in the 1970s. He played as a both a midfielder
and a forward, and scored 109 goals in 498 league
games; and also won 17 caps for England
, scoring three international goals.
Rejected by Port Vale
, he eventually turned professional with Arsenal in 1968. He spent the next six years with the club, helping them to a League
and FA Cup
Double in 1971. He also won a Fairs Cup
medal, and a league and FA Cup runners-up medal before signing for Liverpool for a £180,000 fee in 1974. He spent the next eight years with the club, helping them to five league titles, three European Cup
triumphs, as well as trophies in the UEFA Cup
, Super Cup, and League Cup
, and an additional four Charity Shield
victories. During this time he also added a runners-up medal in the league, FA Cup, League Cup, Super Cup, and World Club Championship
to his trophy cabinet. Sold on to Swansea
for £160,000 in 1982, he added a Welsh Cup
winners medal to his collection before moving on to Hartlepool
in 1983. He retired from the game in 1984 at the age of 32, having already started to feel the affects of Parkinson's disease
.
, Northumberland
.
He trained as an apprentice with Port Vale
, but at the age of sixteen was told by manager Stanley Matthews
that he was "too slow to be a footballer". Considered to be too big and clumsy to be a professional, groundskeeper Dennis Dawson claimed that he was the only man at the club to see any potential in the youngster. Dawson also told how Kennedy was released by the club after he was told "You will never make a pro as long as you have got a hole in your arse!". Kennedy returned to his native north-east and started playing as an amateur for New Hartley Juniors and working in a sweet factory.
, who signed him in 1968. A year later he made his first team debut on 29 September 1969, against Glentoran
in the 1969–70 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
; that season Arsenal progressed to the competition's final and the young Kennedy had a starring role, coming on as a substitute in the first leg, with Arsenal losing 3–1 to Anderlecht
, Kennedy scored a crucial late goal. Arsenal completed the comeback in the second leg with a 3–0 win at Highbury
, and won 4–3 on aggregate; it was their first European trophy.
Kennedy had only played six times in 1969–70, but the following season (1970–71) he only missed one game in all competitions, as part of the Arsenal side which became only the second in the 20th century to win the coveted Double of League Championship
and FA Cup
. A tight, dramatic finale to the title race saw Kennedy score the only goal of the game against Arsenal's fiercest rivals Tottenham Hotspur
at White Hart Lane
to secure the title for Arsenal, their first since 1952–53. Three days later, Arsenal beat Liverpool 2–1 after extra time to win the FA Cup. Kennedy didn't score in the final, but did end the season with 27 goals, making him the club's top scorer.
Arsenal returned to Wembley to defend the FA Cup the following season but lost 1–0 to Leeds United
; Kennedy came on as a substitute for John Radford
but was unable to net the equaliser; he still finished as Arsenal's top scorer for 1971–72, scoring 19 goals. For the next two seasons he continued to be a regular for Arsenal, scoring consistently (and finishing as top scorer again in 1973–74) but did not win another trophy as the Double-winning side was slowly broken up.
, Shankly had actually announced his retirement earlier that same day. Kennedy was actually signed by then Chairman Sir John Wilson Smith
.
Ray made his Liverpool debut in a league match against Chelsea
at Stamford Bridge
on the 31 August 1974, it took Kennedy just 22 minutes to open his goalscoring account as the Reds went on to comfortably beat the London
ers 3–0.
Despite his ability as a striker, Kennedy's chances to play in his favoured centre forward role at Liverpool were restricted due to the presence of the prolific Kevin Keegan
and John Toshack
. Shankly's successor Bob Paisley
, however, had other plans for Kennedy. Giving him the number 5 shirt, Paisley converted the burly striker into a cultured attacking midfield player, based on the left flank, Kennedy flourished in this role for the rest of the decade. Indeed, his form was so good, that Jimmy Greaves later described Kennedy as 'the player of the seventies'.
With Liverpool, Kennedy won the League title and UEFA Cup
in 1975–76, scoring in the final of the latter. The following season, he came close to equalling his Double achievements with Arsenal when Liverpool ventured to Wembley for the FA Cup final having already regained their title. Victory over Manchester United
would make Kennedy the first player to win the Double with two different clubs, but Liverpool lost the game 2–1. Kennedy nearly forced extra time in the last minute when his long-range shot hit the crossbar.
With dreams of the traditional Double gone, Liverpool went to Rome
to contest their first European Cup
final against Borussia Mönchengladbach
and won the game 3–1, earning Kennedy his third European honour. Kennedy and Liverpool retained the trophy the following year and again in 1980–81 (in which he scored the decisive away goal against Bayern Munich in the European Cup semi-final), while also winning the two more League crowns and their first League Cup
.
in 1981, Kennedy left Liverpool (having played enough games to guarantee a final title medal) for £160,000 in January 1982 to join the renaissance of Swansea City
under his former team-mate Toshack, who had previously recruited fellow Liverpool legends Tommy Smith
and Ian Callaghan
. He made his Swans debut on 30 January 1982 at the Vetch Field
, Manchester United
were the visitors and were seen off by 2 goals to nil.
Kennedy's spell at Swansea ended acrimoniously, with Toshack accusing Kennedy publicly of not trying, when the truth was that Parkinson's disease
was setting in. Kennedy tried to resume his career in his native north-east at Hartlepool United
joining them in November 1983, but his condition worsened and he was forced to retire in 1984 just before his 33rd birthday. He wrote Hartlepool's application letter for re-election to the Football League in 1983–84 which may have helped them to survive. His condition was finally confirmed by a specialist
when he was 35.
as a left sided midfielder. He never played as an orthodox centre forward again. Kennedy though was forced to compete with Trevor Brooking
for the left midfield role, and believed England manager
Ron Greenwood favoured his old West Ham protege Brooking. The Liverpool man also believed that his influential old Liverpool colleague and then England skipper, Kevin Keegan
, preferred Brooking in the side, and these two factors played a large part in Kennedy informing Greenwood he no longer wished to play for England in late 1980.
Don Revie
gave Kennedy his first cap on the 24 March 1976 in a friendly with Wales
at the Racecourse Ground
, Wrexham
, Kennedy scored the opening goal as England won the game 2–1.
as a coach. He has spent the majority of life since retirement and diagnosis working towards publicising and raising funds for the research and treatment of Parkinson's
. Arsenal and Liverpool played each other in a testimonial game at Highbury in 1991 to raise money for the cause, 18,000 turned out to support the cause.
Ray Kennedy published his autobography "Ray of Hope" in 1993, co-authored by Dr. Andrew Lees
who at that time treated Ray for Parkinson's disease.
To this day Kennedy lives a quiet, homebound life with decreased mobility and a dependency on drugs to control the discomfort of his condition. He had to sell his medals, caps, shirts and other memorabilia after falling on financially hard times. The "Ray of Hope Appeal", organised by three Liverpool fans Karl Coppack, Stephen Hinds and Matthew Anton to help Kennedy, was featured in the Daily Mirror on 26 January 2008.
Kennedy is still a favourite amongst Liverpool supporters, and was voted in at No.28 on the 2006 poll 100 Players Who Shook The Kop.
* Liverpool (1974–1982) – 393 appearances, 72 goals
* Swansea City (1982–1983) 42 appearances, 2 goals
* England
(1976–1980) – 17 caps, 3 goals
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in the 1970s. He played as a both a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
and a forward, and scored 109 goals in 498 league
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
games; and also won 17 caps for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, scoring three international goals.
Rejected by Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
, he eventually turned professional with Arsenal in 1968. He spent the next six years with the club, helping them to a League
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
and FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
Double in 1971. He also won a Fairs Cup
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition was the idea of Swiss pools supremo Ernst Thommen, Ottorino Barassi from Italy, and the English Football Association general secretary Stanley Rous, all of whom later became senior officials...
medal, and a league and FA Cup runners-up medal before signing for Liverpool for a £180,000 fee in 1974. He spent the next eight years with the club, helping them to five league titles, three European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
triumphs, as well as trophies in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, Super Cup, and League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, and an additional four Charity Shield
FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
victories. During this time he also added a runners-up medal in the league, FA Cup, League Cup, Super Cup, and World Club Championship
Intercontinental Cup (football)
The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
to his trophy cabinet. Sold on to Swansea
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
for £160,000 in 1982, he added a Welsh Cup
Welsh Cup
The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
winners medal to his collection before moving on to Hartlepool
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
in 1983. He retired from the game in 1984 at the age of 32, having already started to feel the affects of Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
.
Early life
Kennedy was born at Seaton DelavalSeaton Delaval
Seaton Delaval is a village in Northumberland, England, with a population of 4,371. It is the largest of the five villages in Seaton Valley and is the site of Seaton Delaval Hall, the masterpiece completed by Sir John Vanbrugh in 1727....
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
.
He trained as an apprentice with Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
, but at the age of sixteen was told by manager Stanley Matthews
Stanley Matthews
Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE was an English footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the English game, he is the only player to have been knighted while still playing, as well as being the first winner of both the European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers'...
that he was "too slow to be a footballer". Considered to be too big and clumsy to be a professional, groundskeeper Dennis Dawson claimed that he was the only man at the club to see any potential in the youngster. Dawson also told how Kennedy was released by the club after he was told "You will never make a pro as long as you have got a hole in your arse!". Kennedy returned to his native north-east and started playing as an amateur for New Hartley Juniors and working in a sweet factory.
Arsenal
Kennedy was spotted by a scout for ArsenalArsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, who signed him in 1968. A year later he made his first team debut on 29 September 1969, against Glentoran
Glentoran F.C.
Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield...
in the 1969–70 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
; that season Arsenal progressed to the competition's final and the young Kennedy had a starring role, coming on as a substitute in the first leg, with Arsenal losing 3–1 to Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
, Kennedy scored a crucial late goal. Arsenal completed the comeback in the second leg with a 3–0 win at Highbury
Arsenal Stadium
Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006...
, and won 4–3 on aggregate; it was their first European trophy.
Kennedy had only played six times in 1969–70, but the following season (1970–71) he only missed one game in all competitions, as part of the Arsenal side which became only the second in the 20th century to win the coveted Double of League Championship
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
and FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
. A tight, dramatic finale to the title race saw Kennedy score the only goal of the game against Arsenal's fiercest rivals Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
to secure the title for Arsenal, their first since 1952–53. Three days later, Arsenal beat Liverpool 2–1 after extra time to win the FA Cup. Kennedy didn't score in the final, but did end the season with 27 goals, making him the club's top scorer.
Arsenal returned to Wembley to defend the FA Cup the following season but lost 1–0 to Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
; Kennedy came on as a substitute for John Radford
John Radford
For the Canadian broadcaster see John Radford John Radford is a former English football player....
but was unable to net the equaliser; he still finished as Arsenal's top scorer for 1971–72, scoring 19 goals. For the next two seasons he continued to be a regular for Arsenal, scoring consistently (and finishing as top scorer again in 1973–74) but did not win another trophy as the Double-winning side was slowly broken up.
Liverpool
After the end of the 1973–74 season, Kennedy was sold to Liverpool for £180,000. Whilst it is widely believed that he was the last signing made by manager Bill ShanklyBill Shankly
William "Bill" Shankly, OBE was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Liverpool between 1959 and 1974. One of Britain's most successful and respected football managers, Shankly was also a fine player whose career was interrupted by the Second World War...
, Shankly had actually announced his retirement earlier that same day. Kennedy was actually signed by then Chairman Sir John Wilson Smith
John Smith (businessman)
Sir John Wilson Smith is the former chairman of Liverpool F.C..-Liverpool FC:John Smith was chairman of Liverpool Football Club for 17 years from 1973 and during this period they embarked on their most successful era...
.
Ray made his Liverpool debut in a league match against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
on the 31 August 1974, it took Kennedy just 22 minutes to open his goalscoring account as the Reds went on to comfortably beat the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
ers 3–0.
Despite his ability as a striker, Kennedy's chances to play in his favoured centre forward role at Liverpool were restricted due to the presence of the prolific Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
and John Toshack
John Toshack
John Benjamin Toshack OBE is a Welsh former footballer and manager. He is currently the manager of Macedonia. He has also managed several others clubs including Swansea City, who he took from the Fourth Division to the First in four seasons.As a player, he is remembered for being part of the...
. Shankly's successor Bob Paisley
Bob Paisley
Robert "Bob" Paisley OBE was an English football half back turned manager. His association with Liverpool was to span nearly half a century including his contribution to the club, first as a player, then as a physiotherapist and coach, and finally as manager.In nine years as manager between 1974...
, however, had other plans for Kennedy. Giving him the number 5 shirt, Paisley converted the burly striker into a cultured attacking midfield player, based on the left flank, Kennedy flourished in this role for the rest of the decade. Indeed, his form was so good, that Jimmy Greaves later described Kennedy as 'the player of the seventies'.
With Liverpool, Kennedy won the League title and UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
in 1975–76, scoring in the final of the latter. The following season, he came close to equalling his Double achievements with Arsenal when Liverpool ventured to Wembley for the FA Cup final having already regained their title. Victory over Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
would make Kennedy the first player to win the Double with two different clubs, but Liverpool lost the game 2–1. Kennedy nearly forced extra time in the last minute when his long-range shot hit the crossbar.
With dreams of the traditional Double gone, Liverpool went to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
to contest their first European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
final against Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...
and won the game 3–1, earning Kennedy his third European honour. Kennedy and Liverpool retained the trophy the following year and again in 1980–81 (in which he scored the decisive away goal against Bayern Munich in the European Cup semi-final), while also winning the two more League crowns and their first League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
.
Swansea
After the emergence of young midfielder Ronnie WhelanRonnie Whelan
Ronald Andrew "Ronnie" Whelan is a former Irish football midfielder, and sometimes defender, who was an integral part of the dominant Liverpool side of the 1980s...
in 1981, Kennedy left Liverpool (having played enough games to guarantee a final title medal) for £160,000 in January 1982 to join the renaissance of Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
under his former team-mate Toshack, who had previously recruited fellow Liverpool legends Tommy Smith
Tommy Smith (footballer born 1945)
Thomas "Tommy" Smith MBE was a long-serving footballer with Liverpool, known for his uncompromising defensive style. Manager Bill Shankly once said of him: "Tommy Smith wasn't born, he was quarried."-Life and playing career:...
and Ian Callaghan
Ian Callaghan
Ian Robert Callaghan MBE is a former Liverpool footballer who holds the record for most appearances for the club.-Life and playing career:...
. He made his Swans debut on 30 January 1982 at the Vetch Field
Vetch Field
The Vetch Field was a multi-purpose stadium in Swansea, Wales. It was used mostly for football matches and was the home ground of Swansea City until the Liberty Stadium opened in 2005. Opened in 1912, the ground held around 12,000 at the time of its closure, but upwards of 30,000 at its peak...
, Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
were the visitors and were seen off by 2 goals to nil.
Kennedy's spell at Swansea ended acrimoniously, with Toshack accusing Kennedy publicly of not trying, when the truth was that Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
was setting in. Kennedy tried to resume his career in his native north-east at Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
joining them in November 1983, but his condition worsened and he was forced to retire in 1984 just before his 33rd birthday. He wrote Hartlepool's application letter for re-election to the Football League in 1983–84 which may have helped them to survive. His condition was finally confirmed by a specialist
Specialty (medicine)
A specialty in medicine is a branch of medical science. After completing medical school, physicians or surgeons usually further their medical education in a specific specialty of medicine by completing a multiple year residency to become a medical specialist.-History of medical specialization:To...
when he was 35.
International career
Kennedy won his first of 17 caps for EnglandEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
as a left sided midfielder. He never played as an orthodox centre forward again. Kennedy though was forced to compete with Trevor Brooking
Trevor Brooking
Sir Trevor David Brooking CBE is a football player turned manager, on-air analyst, and administrator.Brooking attended Ripple Infants School and left Ilford County High School with 11 O-levels and 2 A-levels....
for the left midfield role, and believed England manager
England national football team manager
The role of an England national football team manager was first established in May 1947 with the appointment of Walter Winterbottom. Before this, the England team was selected by the "International Selection Committee", a process in which the Football Association would select coaches and trainers...
Ron Greenwood favoured his old West Ham protege Brooking. The Liverpool man also believed that his influential old Liverpool colleague and then England skipper, Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
, preferred Brooking in the side, and these two factors played a large part in Kennedy informing Greenwood he no longer wished to play for England in late 1980.
Don Revie
Don Revie
Donald George 'Don' Revie, OBE, , was an English footballer who played for Leicester City, Hull City, Sunderland, Manchester City and Leeds United as a deep-lying centre forward. After managing Leeds United he managed England from 1974 until 1977...
gave Kennedy his first cap on the 24 March 1976 in a friendly with Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
at the Racecourse Ground
Racecourse Ground
The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League...
, Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, Kennedy scored the opening goal as England won the game 2–1.
Retirement
Kennedy's only work in football after he finished playing was a brief spell at SunderlandSunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
as a coach. He has spent the majority of life since retirement and diagnosis working towards publicising and raising funds for the research and treatment of Parkinson's
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
. Arsenal and Liverpool played each other in a testimonial game at Highbury in 1991 to raise money for the cause, 18,000 turned out to support the cause.
Ray Kennedy published his autobography "Ray of Hope" in 1993, co-authored by Dr. Andrew Lees
Andrew Lees (neurologist)
Andrew John Lees is a prominent British neurologist. He is Professor of Neurology at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London...
who at that time treated Ray for Parkinson's disease.
To this day Kennedy lives a quiet, homebound life with decreased mobility and a dependency on drugs to control the discomfort of his condition. He had to sell his medals, caps, shirts and other memorabilia after falling on financially hard times. The "Ray of Hope Appeal", organised by three Liverpool fans Karl Coppack, Stephen Hinds and Matthew Anton to help Kennedy, was featured in the Daily Mirror on 26 January 2008.
Kennedy is still a favourite amongst Liverpool supporters, and was voted in at No.28 on the 2006 poll 100 Players Who Shook The Kop.
Honours
* Arsenal (1968–1974) – 212 appearances, 71 goals- Fairs CupInter-Cities Fairs CupThe Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition was the idea of Swiss pools supremo Ernst Thommen, Ottorino Barassi from Italy, and the English Football Association general secretary Stanley Rous, all of whom later became senior officials...
winners medal (1970) - Division 1Football League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(Level 1) (winners medal 1971) - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winners medal (1971) - Division 1 runners-up medal (1973)
- FA Cup runners-up medal (1972)
* Liverpool (1974–1982) – 393 appearances, 72 goals
- 5 Division 1 (level 1) winners medals (1976, 1977, 1979, 1980 and 1982)
- 3 European CupUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
winners medals (1977, 1978 and 1981) - UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
(1976) - League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
winners medal (1981) - UEFA Super Cup winners medal (1977)
- 4 Charity ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
(1976, 1977, 1979 and 1980) - Division 1 runners-up medal (1978)
- FA Cup runners-up medal (1977)
- League Cup runners-up medal (1978)
- UEFA Super Cup runners-up medal (1978)
- World Club ChampionshipIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
runners-up medal 1981
* Swansea City (1982–1983) 42 appearances, 2 goals
- Welsh CupWelsh CupThe Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
winners medal 1983
* England
(1976–1980) – 17 caps, 3 goals