49 Facts About Ray Kennedy

Raymond Kennedy was an English footballer who won every domestic honour in the game with Arsenal and Liverpool in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Ray Kennedy scored 148 goals in 581 league and cup appearances in a 15-year career in the English Football League and won 17 caps for England between 1976 and 1980, scoring three international goals.

Ray Kennedy initially struggled at the club, but after manager Bob Paisley converted him to a left-sided midfielder he went on to help Liverpool to become the dominant club of English football from 1975 to 1982.

Ray Kennedy was a strong player with an excellent first touch, intelligence, and all round ability.

Ray Kennedy was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in November 1984.

Ray Kennedy remained reliant on charity to fund his medical expenses, and was forced to sell his medal collection and caps in 1993.

Ray Kennedy was born on 28 July 1951 in Seaton Delaval, a former pit village in Northumberland, to Martin and Veronica Kennedy, a coal miner and housewife respectively.

Ray Kennedy was the eldest of four children: Trevor, Michael, and Janet.

Ray Kennedy was spotted playing schoolboy football by a scout at Port Vale, and began training at Vale Park after manager Stanley Matthews came to the Kennedy home to persuade him to sign schoolboy forms at the club.

However at the age of sixteen Matthews felt Ray Kennedy was "too slow to be a footballer".

Ray Kennedy was considered to be too big and clumsy to be a professional, and groundskeeper Dennis Dawson said he was the only man at the club to see any potential in the youngster.

Ray Kennedy was released by the club after being told that he would never make it as a professional.

Ray Kennedy returned to his native north-east in March 1967 and started working in a sweet factory whilst playing as an amateur for New Hartley Juniors, where he built a successful attacking partnership with former England schoolboy international Ian Watts.

Ray Kennedy was spotted by Arsenal playing for New Hartley Juniors, and though the scouts initially gone to the game to watch his striker partner Watts, Ray Kennedy had impressed enough to win an apprentice contract with Arsenal in May 1968.

Ray Kennedy then signed professional forms with the club in November 1968.

FC Koln at the quarter-final stage, though after their draw with Lazio in the First Round Ray Kennedy was attacked by some of the Lazio players in an Italian restaurant, and in the ensuing brawl police pulled a gun on teammate Eddie Kelly; Ray Kennedy later said he was targeted by the Lazio players due to his "cheeky face".

Ray Kennedy had missed a number of good chances throughout the match, though he later pointed out that "nobody really remembers anything bad if you win".

Ray Kennedy scored 19 goals in 55 appearances to finish as the club's top goalscorer for the second successive season.

Ray Kennedy ended the season in good form, though Mee had already decided to move him on and replace him with Brian Kidd.

Shortly after the move Ray Kennedy got back in touch with his estranged wife, and the pair began living together in Ainsdale.

Ray Kennedy featured just 25 times in the league as Toshack formed an effective combination with Kevin Keegan up front, and started to become frustrated and disillusioned in the club.

Ray Kennedy began to face problems off the pitch, resulting in both he and Jimmy Case being arrested after they attacked a hotelier who had confused Ray Kennedy with his namesake Alan.

Ray Kennedy later said "it was a good friendship" but "we were bad for each other".

Liverpool finished two points clear of second-place Manchester United in the league, with Ray Kennedy claiming nine goals in 56 appearances.

Ray Kennedy was replaced in the team by Ronnie Whelan.

Ray Kennedy became injured with niggling hamstring problems in mid-season, and after one increasingly rare performance he was described by the local press as seemingly "unwilling to work and his usual composure on the ball was lacking".

Ray Kennedy's declining physical abilities were actually due to Parkinson's disease, though he would not be diagnosed with the condition until after his retirement.

Ray Kennedy was placed on the transfer list in March 1983, and Swansea went on to be relegated into the Second Division.

Toshack was sacked in October 1983 and Ray Kennedy agreed to have his contract terminated.

Ray Kennedy signed with Mick Docherty's Hartlepool United of the Fourth Division in November 1983.

Hartlepool were forced to apply for re-election at the end of the season, and Ray Kennedy was promoted to player-coach for his help in boosting support for the club's re-election campaign.

Ray Kennedy won six England under-23 caps, following his first appearance in a win over Wales at the County Ground on 5 January 1972.

Ray Kennedy played in British Home Championship games against Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, before he was dropped for the next seven games.

Ray Kennedy travelled with the squad for the 1977 tour of South America, and that year claimed two more international goals in qualifying games against Luxembourg.

Ray Kennedy then dropped out of the England picture under new manager Ron Greenwood.

Ray Kennedy was named in the squad for UEFA Euro 1980 in Italy, playing against Belgium and Italy before he was dropped for England's final group game against Spain.

Ray Kennedy retired from international football on 17 caps in March 1981, citing dissatisfaction with the England hierarchy.

Ray Kennedy stated that "I feel more pride in the red jersey of Liverpool than the white shirt of England" and that "I am resigning here and now as Greenwood's bridesmaid".

Ray Kennedy was a strong player with average speed, good technical ability, and an excellent first touch.

Ray Kennedy had a good temperament, and could not be provoked by harsh opposition challenges.

Ray Kennedy was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease by a specialist on 4 November 1984.

Ray Kennedy gave permission for his image to be used to promote a public campaign to increase awareness of the disease.

Former Liverpool teammate Ray Clemence recalled how Kennedy "worked hard and played hard".

Ray Kennedy's prescribed L-DOPA medication became less effective and he became increasingly isolated.

Ray Kennedy's condition improved when he began injections of apomorphine.

Ray Kennedy was reliant on the Professional Footballers' Association to pay his medical expenses, and his divorce as well as business and tax problems wiped out his savings.

Ray Kennedy published his autobiography Ray of Hope in 1993, co-authored by Dr Andrew Lees, who at that time treated Kennedy for Parkinson's disease.

Ray Kennedy remained a favourite amongst Liverpool supporters decades after leaving the club, and was voted in at No 25 on the 2013 poll '100 Players Who Shook The Kop'.

Ray Kennedy died on 30 November 2021, at the age of 70.