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Players Index Page Last Updated
13 December 2018
 
 

Ray Kennedy

Liverpool FC
17 appearances, 3 goals (1 on debut)

P 17 W 8 D 4 L 5 F 26: A 14
*(actual F x: A x)
59% successful
1976-80

disciplined: none
captain: none
minutes played: 1304

Profile
Full name Raymond Kennedy (*Actual for and against are the goals scored
while the player was on the field.)
Born 28 July 1951 at 24 Milbourne Terrace, Seaton Delaval, Northumberland [registered in Northumberland South, September 1951]. To Martin Kennedy and Florence Veronica (née Armstrong).
notes At the age of three, lived at 55 Foremans Row and later Tillmouth Avenue five years later. He attended Seaton Delaval Primary School and Astley Community School.
Married to Jennifer J. Lochey [registered in Northumberland South, December 1971].
Height/Weight 5' 11", 13st. 4lbs [1978].

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990], Ray of Hope & FindMyPast.com
Biographies Ray of Hope: The Ray Kennedy Story - Ray Kennedy and Dr Andrew Lees (Penguin Books, 1994)
 

x. - A Football Compendium, Peter J. Seddon (1999).

Club Career
Club(s) Played schoolboy football with his school team and South Northumberland Boys. After being scouted by Bill Emery, Ray signed schoolboy forms with Port Vale FC in the summer of 1966, but was released by the manager, Sir Stanley Matthews, in March 1967, allegedly for being too slow, but in reality, the Valiants could not afford the 500 pound signing-on fee they would have to pay to sign a schoolboy, Ray was one of ten schoolboys allowed to leave. He returned to Seeaton Delaval and joined New Hartley Juniors FC, it was while playing in another final for the Juniors that he was spotted by the Arsenal FC scouts, the Emerson brothers, after successful trials, Ray signed apprentice forms on 6 May 1968, he signed professional forms on 11 November 1968 and embarked on a successful Arsenal revival under Bertie Mee and coach Don Howe, Arsenal then paid New Hartley Juniors ten guineas. It would not be until September 1969 that Ray made his first-team debut, in the Fairs Cup. Tragically, at the age of 35, and on 4 November 1984, Ray was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.
Youth honours With Astley Comprehensive School, in his final year, 1965-66, they were Blake Cup winners, Kennedy was the captain in the two-legged final.  They also won the school league. In his only season with New Hartley Juinors FC, 1967-68, Ray was a part of the most successful season the team had experienced. Ray had scored 56 goals, his strike partner, England schoolboy international Ian Watts, had scored 86. Winners of the Northumberland FA Junior Cup, the East Northumberland Junior League Cup, the North-East Youth Challenge Cup, the East Northumberland Junior League Charlton Trophy, the Tynemouth Junior League Challenge Cup, the Magpie Trophy and the East Northumberland Junior League.  His first experience with the Arsenal FC youth team was in a tournament in Switzerland, of which Arsenal lost the Final.
Club honours UEFA Fairs Cup winners 1969-70;
Individual honours BBC Match of the Day Goal of the Season 1978-79, Liverpool FC vs. Derby County FC, Football League Division One, 24 February 1979.
Distinctions x

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & Ray of Hope.

England Career
Player number One of six who became the 910th players (915) to appear for England.
Position(s) Midfielder
First match No. 497, 24 March 1976, Wales 1 England 2, a Welsh F.A. centenary celebration match at The Racecourse Ground, Mold Road, Wrexham, aged 24 years 240 days.
Last match No. 545, 15 June 1980, England 0 Italy 1, a European Championship Finals group match at Stadio Comunale di Torino, Santa Rita, Torino, aged 28 years 292 days.
Major tournaments European Championship Finals 1980; British Championship 1975-76, 1976-77, 1979-80;
Team honours None
Individual honours x
Distinctions Ray's grandmother's cousins were the talented Stephenson brother's, George and Clem.

Beyond England
After his release from Port Vale FC in 1967, Kennedy secured his first paying job at JW Welch's, Whitley Bay, as a trainee sugar boiler. At the time of his diagnosis, Ray and his wife were running the Melton Constable public house in Seaton Sluice, Northumberland.

 

Ray Kennedy - Career Statistics
Squads Apps comp. apps Starts Sub on Sub off Mins. Goals goals ave.min comp. goals Capt. Disc.
- 17 11 14 3 2 1304 3 435 min 2 none none
minutes are an approximation, due to the fact that many matches rarely stick to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries and errors.

 

Ray Kennedy - Match Record - All Matches
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts % W/L
Home 7 4 1 2 15 4 +11 2 4 2.143 0.571 64.3 +2
Away 9 4 2 3 10 9 +1 2 4 1.111 1.00 55.6 +1
Neutral 1 0 1 0 1 1 =0 0 0 1.00 1.00 50.0 =0
All 17 8 4 5 26 14 +12 4 8 1.529 0.824 58.8 +3

 

Ray Kennedy - Match Record - By Colour of Shirt
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts % W/L
White 15 8 2 5 25 13 +12 3 7 1.667 0.867 60.0 +3
Red 2 0 2 0 1 1 =0 1 1 0.50 0.50 50.0 =0
All 17 8 4 5 26 14 +12 4 8 1.529 0.824 58.8 +3

 

Ray Kennedy - Match Record - By Type of Match
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L

WCP

 2 2 0 0 7 0 +7 0 2 3.50 0.00 100.0 +2
WCF 0 0 0 0 0 0 =0 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.00 =0
World Cup 2 2 0 0 7 0 +7 0 2 3.50 0.00 100.0 +2

ECP

 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2.00 0.00 100.0 +1
ECF 2 0 1 1 1 2 -1 1 0 0.50 1.00 25.0 -1
European Championship 3 1 1 1 3 2 +1 1 1 1.00 0.667 50.0 =0
British Championship 6 2 0 4 8 9 -1 1 2 1.333 1.50 33.3 -2
Friendly 6 3 3 0 8 3 +5 2 3 1.333 0.50 75.0 +3
All 17 8 4 5 26 14 +12 4 8 1.529 0.824 58.8 +3

 

Ray Kennedy - Match Record - Tournament Matches
World Cup Preliminary Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
WCP 1976-78 2 2 0 0 7 0 +7 0 2 3.50 0.00 100.0 +2
WCP All 2 2 0 0 7 0 +7 0 2 3.50 0.00 100.0 +2
European Championship Preliminary Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
ECP 1978-80 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2.00 0.00 100.0 +1
ECP All 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2.00 0.00 100.0 +1
European Championship Finals Tournament
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
ECF 1980 2 0 1 1 1 2 -1 1 0 0.50 1.00 25.0 -1
ECF All 2 0 1 1 1 2 -1 1 0 0.50 1.00 25.0 -1
European Championship
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
EC 1978-80 3 1 1 1 3 2 +1 1 1 1.00 0.667 50.0 =0
EC All 3 1 1 1 3 2 +1 1 1 1.00 0.667 50.0 =0
British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1975-76 3 2 0 1 6 2 +4 0 2 2.00 0.667 66.7 +1
BC 1976-77 2 0 0 2 1 3 -2 1 0 0.50 1.50 0.00 -2
BC 1979-80 1 0 0 1 1 4 -3 0 0 1.00 4.00 0.00 -1
BC All 6 2 0 4 8 9 -1 1 2 1.333 1.50 33.3 -2
All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
WC 2 2 0 0 7 0 +7 0 2 3.50 0.00 100.0 +2
EC 3 1 1 1 3 2 +1 1 1 1.00 0.667 50.0 =0
BC 6 2 0 4 8 9 -1 1 2 1.333 1.50 33.3 -2
All 11 5 1 5 18 11 +7 2 5 1.636 1.00 50.0 =0

 

Ray Kennedy - Match History
 Club: Liverpool F.C. - 17 full appearances

manager: Don Revie - 9 full capsx

Age 24
1 497 24 March 1976 - Wales 1 England 2, Racecourse Ground, Wrexham Fr AW Start 70 10
2 498 8 May 1976 - Wales 0 England 1, Ninian Park, Cardiff BC AW Start 10
3 499 11 May 1976 - England 4 Northern Ireland 0, Wembley Stadium, Wembley HW Start 6
4 500 15 May 1976 - Scotland 2 England 1, Hampden Park, Glasgow AL Start 6
Age 25
5 508 30 March 1977 - England 5 Luxembourg 0, Wembley Stadium, Wembley WCP HW Start 4
- 509 28 May 1977 - Northern Ireland 1 England 2, Windsor Park, Belfast BC AW squad/unused sub?
6 510 31 May 1977 - England 0 Wales 1, Wembley Stadium, Wembley HL Start 11
7 511 4 June 1977 - England 1 Scotland 2, Wembley Stadium, Wembley HL Start off 67 11
8 512 8 June 1977 - Brazil 0 England 0, Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, Rio tour AD sub 70 ?
9 513 12 June 1977 - Argentina 1 England 1, Estadio Camilo Cichero, Buenos Aires AD sub ht ?
- 514 15 June 1977 - Uruguay 0 England 0, Estadio Centenario, Montevideo AD squad/unused sub
 

manager: Ron Greenwood - 8 full capsx

Age 26
10 515 7 September 1977 - England 0 Switzerland 0, Wembley Stadium, Wembley Fr HD Start 10
11 516 12 October 1977 - Luxembourg 0 England 2, Stade Municipal, Stad Lëtzebuerg WCP AW Start 90 5
Age 28
12 536 22 November 1979 - England 2 Bulgaria 0, Wembley Stadium, Wembley ECP HW Start 10
13 538 26 March 1980 - Spain 0 England 2, Nou Estadi del FC Barcelona, Barcelona Fr AW Start 10
14 539 13 May 1980 - England 3 Argentina 1, Wembley Stadium, Wembley Fr HW Start off 72 11
15 540 17 May 1980 - Wales 4 England 1, Racecourse Ground, Wrexham BC AL Start 6
- 541 20 May 1980 - England 1 Northern Ireland 1, Wembley Stadium, Wembley HD squad/unused sub
- 542 24 May 1980 - Scotland 0 England 2, Hampden Park, Glasgow AW
16 544 12 June 1980 - Belgium 1 England 1, Stadio Comunale di Torino, Torino ECF ND sub 70 18
17 545 15 June 1980 - England 0 Italy 1, Stadio Comunale di Torino, Torino AL Start
- 546 18 June 1980 - Spain 1 England 2, Stadio San Paolo, Napoli NW squad/
unused sub

Notes

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CG