Hope is Eternal - RIP Ray Kennedy

[belboid]

Ray Kennedy: Former Liverpool and Arsenal midfielder dies aged 70

Former Liverpool and Arsenal midfielder Ray Kennedy has died at the age of 70.

www.bbc.co.uk

Ray was my hero growing up and still one of the few sport stars that I really admire. An absolute legend in the seventies, powering first Arsenal and then the most powerful football team in English history to unbelievable heights.

I'm not sure why he stood out for me from the others. Nothing like as flash as Keegan or Dalglish, not as nippy as Stevie on the Heighway, but he was an absolute workhorse, a rock solid midfielder who would run and run until the 98th minute. There was just no stopping him.

Six titles, six European trophies, a couple of FA Cups. Not a bad haul for a lad from a Northumberland pit village.

I remember my favourite goal of his, a neat pass from Dalglish (in his first season at the club) setting him off down the left, a forty yard run and then...well surely he has to pass. He couldn't possibly score from there, could he? YES HE CAN!!!!

In my head it was scored in a big match, either a Cup semi or in Europe. Only recently did I actually track a video of said goal down and it turns out it was an all but meaningless late in the season match against Villa. Either way, it was a thing of beauty and wonder from the greatest footballer of the seventies.

RIP Ray, a true legend.

 

[Numbers]

Soz mate, didn’t see this before posting on the main Reds thread.

Similar to you I remember him as a legend growing up in the 70s, always loved him.

 

[marty21]

I was pissed off with him when he left Arsenal to join Liverpool, the 9 year old me didn't really understand what was going on. Turned out he made the right move and had a glorious Liverpool career and left an Arsenal team on the decline .

RIP.

 

[Steel Icarus]

An integral part of the team I can still name (in order of number!): Clemence, Neal, Kennedy (A), Thompson, Kennedy (R), Hansen, Dalglish, Case, Johnson, McDermott, Souness.

I remember him very well, he was strong as fuck yet somehow elegant, non-nonsense but a bit dashing, and let's not forget he was a striker at Arsenal before converting to a left midfielder at Liverpool (not really a winger, just like Jimmy Case wasn't really a winger on the right).

RIP Ray, proper legend. Only 17 England caps, my days.

 

[Steel Icarus]

My fave goal of his is at 3 mins of this vid

 

[planetgeli]

Played in one of the first games I ever went to, the first big game I ever went to. Not only played but scored the equaliser with 2 mins to go.

Arsenal 1 Liverpool 1.

Look at that Liverpool team. And Alan Ball, Liam Brady and Malcolm MacDonald all played for Arsenal.

Matchdetails from Arsenal - Liverpool played on Saturday 20 November 1976 - LFChistory - Stats galore for Liverpool FC!

LFChistory.net is all about the history of Liverpool FC. We have got all the match results from 1892 to today along with great player profiles

www.lfchistory.net

RIP.

 

[belboid]

My fave goal of his is at 3 mins of this vid

Mine's at 2:22

 

[Sprocket.]

Outstanding player. Remember his brilliant play at Arsenal the Liverpool.
RIP Ray Kennedy.

 

[Numbers]

Mine's at 2:22

I agree.

State of the pitch, a brutal game back then on brutal pitches yet you get beauty like that.

 

[Pickman's model]

A legend, RIP

 

[Dr. Furface]

Must admit he was one reason why I despised Liverpool so much back then.

And I can think of no greater tribute to his brilliance than that.

RIP

 

[Sprocket.]

A mate forwarded this pic to me just now. Youngsters Ray Kennedy and Charlie George on the town.