Ray KENNEDY

Ray Kennedy joined Liverpool on July 12, 1974, in a club record £180, 000 deal from Arsenal, where he had made his name as a striker, scoring 71 goals in 212 games and helping the Gunners win the League-FA Cup double in the 1970-71 season. He was the last signing by Bill Shankly who, on the same day that Kennedy arrived at Anfield, shocked the football world by resigning as manager after a legendary 15-year spell at the club. Given his chance in the side by an injury to another forward, John Toshack, Ray marked his debut by scoring the opener in a 3-0 League win at Chelsea on August 31, 1974, and followed this up with the last goal in a 5-2 home win over Tottenham Hotspur a week later. However, he managed only three more goals in his next 14 League games, including the only strike in a 1-0 win at Carlisle United in October, and was replaced by Toshack when the big Welshman regained fitness and returned to the side in mid-December. Kennedy did not appear in any competitive games for another two months and was in and out of the team for the remainder of the season. He finished with five goals in 25 League games, a disappointing return which mirrored Liverpool's below-par season, the Reds making little progress in Cup competitions and finishing runners-up to Derby County in the race for the League title. Ray continued as Toshack's deputy at the start of the following campaign, playing only four of the first 13 League games, scoring twice: in a 3-0 win at Leeds United in August and a 1-0 home win over Sheffield United in September. His Anfield career was stalling and it took a master-stroke from manager Bob Paisley to revive it. Learning that Kennedy had played as a midfielder when at school, he decided to switch him to the left side of midfield for the visit to Middlesbrough on November 1. Liverpool won that game 1-0 and Ray was given an extended run in the side at the expense of Peter Cormack.

Adapting well to his new role, Kennedy played seven successive League games and scored the winner in a 2-1 victory at Newcastle United later that month. A skilful player with good vision and movement to complement his eye for goal, he soon made the position his own, starting the last 18 League games of the season and scoring three goals. The last of these came in a 3-1 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers on May 4, a victory which gave Liverpool a record ninth League championship. Ray picked up the first medal of his Anfield career after making 30 League appearances and finding the net six times, but there was more glory to come very soon. On May 19, Liverpool faced FC Bruges in the second leg of the UEFA Cup Final, Kennedy having been on the scoresheet in the first leg at Anfield on April 28 as the Reds overcame a 0-2 deficit to win 3-2 in an epic encounter. They drew 1-1 in Belgium (with a goal from Kevin Keegan) to win the final 4-3 on aggregate and complete their second League-UEFA Cup double in four seasons. It was the perfect way for Ray to end a highly successful season. After a shaky start to his Liverpool career, he had established himself in the side in a new position and won two major honours. He had also won international recognition, making his England debut (and scoring a goal) in a 2-1 win against Wales at Wrexham in March 1976. (Martin Greensill)

Revelling in his new role, Ray Kennedy was now a permanent fixture in Liverpol's midfield and would miss only five League games in the next five seasons. He played a major role in the Reds' bid for an unprecedented League-FA Cup-European Cup treble in the unforgettable season of 1976-77 (he is pictured above battling for possession with Trevor Francis during the game against Birmingham in August '76), making 61 appearances in all competitions and scoring nine goals. Seven of these came in the League, the most important being the opener in a crucial 2-1 home win over title rivals Ipswich Town in April, part of an unbeaten 11-match run that gave Liverpool back-to-back titles and saw Ray pick up his second successive championship medal. Kennedy also scored important goals in knockout competitions as the Reds progressed to finals of both the FA and the European Cups. He found the net in Liverpool's thrilling 3-1 quarter-final second leg win against French champions St Etienne at Anfield in March (a tie the Reds won 3-2 on aggregate) and struck again the following month in a 3-0 win against Everton in an FA Cup semi-final replay at Maine Road, Manchester. Unfortunately, his hopes of another medal and the club's dreams of the treble were shattered by a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in the Wembley showpiece on May 21. Liverpool regrouped and made amends only four days later in the European Cup Final in Rome against Borussia Moenchengladbach, producing a brilliant performance on the famous night of May 25, 1977, to run out 3-1 winners and collect Europe's most prestigious club trophy for the first time in the club's 85-year history. Kennedy had won his fourth major medal in only three seasons at Anfield.

Ray missed just one League game in the 1977-78 campaign, scoring four goals, including one in a 3-1 home win against Manchester United in February and another in a 3-0 win at Aston Villa in April. Liverpool ended the season with an unbeaten run of 12 League games but failed to complete a hat-trick of League titles, finishing runners-up by eight points to Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest side. Kennedy made 20 appearances in other competitions, including all nine in the League Cup, his only goal being the winner in a 2-1 victory over Arsenal in a semi-final first leg tie in February, Liverpool reaching the final by that aggregate score after a 0-0 draw at Highbury a week later. However, this was another trophy Forest would deny Liverpool, beating them 1-0 in the replayed final at Old Trafford on March 22nd. Ray also made seven appearances in the European Cup, scoring two goals, most importantly the opener (after just six minutes) in a 3-0 semi-final second leg victory at Anfield against old rivals Borussia Moenchengladbach, Liverpool progressing to the final 4-2 on aggregate after losing the first leg 2-1. In the Wembley showpiece on May 10, the Reds overcame another old foe, FC Bruges, by a 1-0 scoreline (Kenny Dalglish scoring the only goal of the game), thus becoming the first British side to retain the European Cup. Ray helped Liverpool's midfield control the game and added another winners' medal to his growing collection. This triumph rounded off another successful season for both club and player, one in which he had made a total of 61 appearances, scoring seven goals. (Martin Greensill)

Ray Kennedy would again feature prominently as Liverpool sought to regain the League title in the 1978-79 campaign. He grabbed a brace in a 5-0 home win over Derby County in October, part of a superb start to the season which saw the Reds drop only one point in their first eleven League games. This rich vein of form opened up a healthy lead in the title race and they continued to impress, heading the table throughout the season and claiming a record 11th League championship after brushing aside Aston Villa at Anfield on May 8, Ray scoring the opener in a comfortable 3-0 win. Liverpool's superiority was in no doubt as they amassed a top flight record of 68 points (under the two points for a win system) and conceded just 16 goals, a record for all four divisions of the Football League. Kennedy was an ever present in the League that term, scoring 10 goals, including a brace in a 4-1 win at Bolton Wanderers in May, and also played in 12 Cup ties, his only goal coming in a 3-0 win over Southend United in an FA Cup 3rd round replay at Anfield in January. However, Liverpool failed to reach the final of any of the three knockout competitions they were involved in, departing early from the European and League Cups and losing in the semi-finals of the FA Cup (1-0 to Manchester United in a replay at Everton's Goodison Park ground). Ray ended the season on a personal high, though, as his goal in a 2-0 win at Derby in February (when he nonchalantly rounded the goalkeeper to score after a sweeping end-to-end move) was voted BBC TV's 'Goal of the Season'.

Ray made 40 League appearances in the 1979-80 campaign, scoring a very handy nine goals. His best run of goalscoring form came in October-November, when he found the net in four consecutive games. These were a 2-2 draw at Everton and a 4-1 win away to Brighton and Hove Albion and the home wins over Manchester City (4-0) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-0). Somewhat surprisingly, Kennedy was not the club's top scoring midfielder that season, Terry McDermott hitting eleven as Liverpool fired in a total of 81 goals to claim back-to-back League titles, giving Ray his fourth championship medal in five seasons. He made 16 appearances in other competitions but failed to find the net, Liverpool taking an early exit from the European Cup (beaten 4-2 on aggregate in the first round by Soviet side Dynamo Tbilisi) and losing in the semi-finals of both domestic knockout competitions, to Arsenal in the FA Cup and Nottingham Forest in the League Cup. (Martin Greensill)

Ray Kennedy continued in fine form during the 1980-81 term, a marathon season which saw him play 62 of Liverpool's 63 games. He missed just one League game, scoring eight goals, including one in a 3-0 home win against Crystal Palace on the opening day of the season, August 16, a pleasing start as Liverpool went for a hat-trick of championship titles. However, injuries and a lack of goals from the strikers (midfielder McDermott topscored in the League with 13 goals) meant that for the first time in a decade the Reds failed to mount a challenge for the League championship, ending up in 5th spot, nine points behind champions Aston Villa. Kennedy made 21 appearances in other competitions, scoring five goals. The most important of these came in a European Cup semi-final second leg tie away to Bayern Munich in April 1981, Ray's 20-yard low drive - unusually, with his right foot - giving Liverpool a 1-1 draw and putting them through to the final on the 'away goals' rule after a 0-0 draw in the first leg at Anfield. Having already overcome West Ham United to lift the League Cup for the first time in their history (with a 2-1 win in the replayed final at Villa Park on April 1), the Reds now had the chance to win their second trophy of the season and regain the European Cup. This they duly achieved with a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in Paris on May 27, left back Alan Kennedy (no relation to Ray) scoring the only goal of the game to give Liverpool a third triumph in Europe's premier club competition in five seasons.

The 1981-82 season would prove to be Ray's last in a red shirt. He played in all but one of the first 16 League games, scoring in a 3-3 draw at Brighton in October and a 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest in December, but his final appearance came in the World Club Championship game in Tokyo, Liverpool losing 3-0 to the Brazilian side Flamengo. The Reds had started the season in mediocre form, slipping to mid-table in the League in December, and manager Bob Paisley realised the need to freshen things up. Ronnie Whelan, a young Irishman destined to be a star for club and country, took over Ray's place on the left of midfield and quickly made the position his own with a string of fine displays. Whelan's emergence signalled the end of Kennedy's illustrious career at Anfield and, in January 1982, he moved to Swansea City for £160, 000. A central figure in a golden era for the club, Ray had played a total of 393 games, scoring 72 goals, and won 10 major honours in eight seasons, including five League championships and three European Cups. (Martin Greensill)