Remembering Ray Kennedy: From the Candy Factory to the Crash

Ray Kennedy, a name that doesn’t ring many bells for today’s football fan. Liverpool is the most decorated club in England with 20 league titles, six European Cups, and three UEFA Cups. Arsenal is one of the island’s top clubs with 14 English league titles, but only two European honors. One player was part of Arsenal’s first European triumph, brought them a league title after 20 years with his own boots, and Cooked the winning goal in Liverpool’s first European Cup victory. That’s Kennedy, the man behind these great moments, born 74 years ago today.

Raymond Kennedy was born on July 28, 1951, in the village of Seaton Delaval in Northumberland, Northeast England. He started his career at Port Vale, but retired from professional football at just 16 after the legendary manager Stanley Matthews, “The Wizard,” told him he wasn’t cut out for pro football. Kennedy went to work in a sweet factory, playing only for amateur teams. The story could have ended there, but in 1968, his career took another turn. An Arsenal scout who watched him play summoned him to the prestigious London club, which, like today, hadn’t won a league title in about 15 years.

A year after being spotted, he made his debut against Glentoran in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Kennedy and his teammates reached the final that year against Belgium’s Anderlecht. In the first leg, Arsenal trailed 3-0, and Kennedy scored to set the score at 3-1. In the return leg, the Gunners won 3-0 and claimed their first-ever European title. That same season, Arsenal made it to the final against Anderlecht. Kennedy played a key role in the first leg, reducing the score to 3-1. The second leg ended in a 3-0 victory for Arsenal, securing the Gunners their first European title thanks to the goal difference.

In the 1970/71 season, his second, the young striker missed only one game all season, scored 26 goals, and won the club’s first league title in 19 years, scoring the championship-clinching goal. He added an FA Cup, bringing Arsenal their first Double and only the second in England in the 20th century. He was the club’s top scorer that season. He kept tearing up nets at Arsenal until the 1973/74 season but didn’t win more titles. Kennedy scored 71 goals in 213 appearances for Arsenal.

He was signed by Liverpool for £180,000, the last signing of the legendary manager Bill Shankly, who resigned that same day, replaced by Bob Paisley. Paisley shifted him from striker to attacking midfielder, where he played for the next decade. In his debut against Chelsea, he scored, and he kept scoring big from his new midfield role. The team trophies came too. In the 1975/76 season, he won the league and Liverpool’s first UEFA Cup. Just like with Arsenal in the Fairs Cup, he scored in the final, the first goal, and Liverpool won 4-3 on aggregate against Club Brugge.

He kept winning titles and scoring goals. He won the European Cup in 1977 and 1978, with the peak moment coming in the final against Real Madrid in 1980/81. Kennedy Cooked the only goal of the match, bringing Liverpool their third European Cup in just a few years. To this day, it’s Real Madrid’s last loss in a European final.

In 1981, he left Liverpool with 72 goals, five league titles, a UEFA Cup, and three European Cups in eight years. He moved to Swansea City for £160,000. His time at Swansea wasn’t great; manager John Toshack accused him of not trying hard enough. But it turned out he was suffering from Parkinson’s. He tried to continue his career at Hartlepool United but was forced to retire just before his 33rd birthday.

Kennedy tried coaching at Sunderland but left soon after and stepped away from football. His life spiraled afterward. He assaulted his wife, who left him after 15 years. Financial struggles from medical treatments and the divorce forced him to sell his trophies, medals, shirts, and other memorabilia. Arsenal and Liverpool fans raised money for him. In a 2006 fan poll, Kennedy was voted 28th on the list of Liverpool’s 100 greatest players. He passed away on November 30, 2021.

What other peaks would he have reached without Parkinson’s?