Farewell to North East football legend
LIVERPOOL’S European Cup winning stars travelled to join with family and friends at the Tyneside funeral of footballing legend Ray Kennedy, who passed away aged 70 after fighting Parkinson’s Disease for half his life.
A trio of players who shared in Ray’s finest moments of an epic career - great mate Jimmy Case, Phil Thompson and Terry McDermott - were in the congregation at Tynemouth Crematorium.
Later a celebration of Kennedy’s life was held at New Hartley Social Club, near his home in the village where he began playing the game with New Hartley Juniors.
“Hundreds lined the main street in Seaton Delaval before we all moved on to New Hartley where Ray started playing, lived and died,” said John Mailey, who runs the current NH Juniors and whose dad John Snr was instrumental when Ray played in their colours.
“The club was decked out with his colours and memorabilia including scarfs of his other former clubs Swansea and Hartlepool, which had been sent up by fans.”
Brother Trevor, an ex-New Hartley captain, and sister Janet spoke at the funeral as did his son Dale, who also played for his dad’s old club. Liverpool’s anthem ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ by Gerry Marsden was played as the congregation left the church.
Ray hit the heights early in his professional career, winning the League and FA Cup double with Arsenal in 1971 shortly after leaving Tyneside.
He will always be associated with Liverpool’s trophy-laden campaigns of the late 70s and early 80s but in fact Kennedy made 212 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 71 goals. The North London club called him “a teenage striking colossus” whose “goals led the club to one of the game’s greatest achievements.
Upon joining Liverpool on the day Bill Shankly quit he was converted from a centre-forward into a left sided midfielder by another North East legend Bob Paisley.
In all Ray played 393 times for Liverpool lifting an incredible 11 major trophies across an eight-year spell including five league titles and the European Cup on three occasions. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1986 but battled on with determination and dignity.
I knew Ray well and many who were privileged to be called a friend did much to help him in his later years, none more so than former Liverpool team-mate Graeme Souness, who when Newcastle manager helped organise the conversion of Ray’s house in New Hartley to accommodate his specific needs.
A truly great player with Arsenal, Liverpool and England, Ray Kennedy never forgot his Tyneside roots and returned to the area when his playing days were over to live amongst his own people.
His send-off proved that they had never forgotten him either.