Ray Kennedy
BORN JULY 28, 1951 - DIED NOVEMBER 30, 2021, AGED 70
RAY Kennedy was a medal machine in the 1970s and 80s, winning every domestic honour with Arsenal and Liverpool.
At Arsenal he was a key player in the side that won the League and FA Cup double in 1971 and he helped Liverpool achieve spectacular success after arriving at Anfield in 1974.
He was instrumental in Liverpool winning three European Cups and five First Division titles.
Manager Bob Paisley described him as one of Liverpool’s greatest players but also said he was underrated.
On the pitch he was an imposing, muscular figure on the left side of midfield.
Solid on the ball with flashes of genius, he had a wonderful first touch and had a habit of scoring important goals.
Born in the pit village of Seaton Delaval in Northumberland, his father Martin was a coal miner and his mother Veronica a housewife. Stanley Matthews, while managing Port Vale, spotted his talents as a schoolboy but let him go when he was 16 as he felt he was too slow. Arsenal scouts spotted him playing centre-forward for an amateur side and gave him his debut in 1969.
Their faith was rewarded when his brilliant header clinched the 1970-71 title at Tottenham. He was a key figure in the FA Cup final when Arsenal beat Liverpool 2-1 to scoop the double.
He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1984 and said it explained symptoms of fatigue from his Arsenal days.
He ran a pub in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear but fell on hard times after his marriage to Jennifer collapsed. He sold his medals and England caps to pay for his care and supported the Parkinson’s Disease Society.