Ray CLEMENCE

Ray Clemence's 61 caps for England put him among the elite, even though he never featured in a World Cup finals and never fully gained status as England's first choice keeper. Peter Shilton's presence at the same time meant that two outstanding, entirely reliable and thoroughly professional goalkeepers were available for selection but a crucial combination of indecision from the coaches and a lack of luck and quality in the team in front of them meant that neither got to show the world stage what they could do until later in their careers, and ultimately Clemence barely at all. His only appearances in a major finals were at the 1980 European Championships, at which England were sorely under the weather, yet when he first burst on to the scene with Liverpool at the beginning of the 1970s the future seemed very positive. Clemence had yet to win any of his numerous honours with the Anfield club by the time Alf Ramsey, reeling over the road accident which had ended Gordon Banks' career a month earlier, threw him in for a debut in the opening qualifier for the 1974 World Cup against Wales at Ninian Park. Clemence, joined as a debutant that night by clubmate Kevin Keegan, kept a clean sheet as England won 1-0 and duly stayed in the side for the return game at Wembley in January 1973 (see photo above), but the resultant 1-1 draw did England and Ray no favours. At the end of that season Clemence had won his first honours with Liverpool but lost his England place to a returning Shilton, whom Ramsey kept in place for the rest of the year as England's place at the World Cup slipped away.

With Ramsey duly dismissed, caretaker boss Joe Mercer brought in Clemence again in the summer of 1974 for a tour of Eastern Europe and he played all three matches, conceding three goals but re-establishing his credentials for the job. This worked a treat as Don Revie's appointment brought about Clemence's first really elongated spell as custodian, playing in three of the four opening qualifiers for the 1976 European Championships without conceding a goal. He had a poor game against Wales during the 1975 Home Internationals when the visitors scraped a 2-2 draw, but was largely a spectator in the next game as England pummelled the Scots 5-1. At the end of 1975, Revie maintained Clemence's status as first choice keeper for the resumption of the European Championship campaign but England crucially lost 2-1 in Czechoslovakia and then failed to beat the Portuguese in Lisbon. They missed out on the finals and Clemence's wait for participation in a major tournament continued. In 1976, Ray Clemence's form was outstanding as Liverpool won domestic and European honours and Revie had little hesitation in keeping his name at the top of his goalkeeping roster. England beat Wales and Northern Ireland in the Home Internationals without conceding a goal before Shilton, frustrated with sitting on the bench and acting as Clemence's warm-up sparring partner, asked Revie not to consider him for selection again. Ray therefore had a clearer run than ever but immediately made his worst England error in the final Home International at Hampden, letting a weak shot from future clubmate Kenny Dalglish slip through his legs and clinch a 2-1 win for the Scots. Flung aside by Revie as an acceptable one-off mistake, Clemence went to the scheduled US Bi-Centennial tournament that summer, playing in an opening 1-0 defeat by Brazil in Los Angeles - his 20th appearance - before giving way to new back-up keepers Jimmy Rimmer and Joe Corrigan - who played a half each - as England came from two down to beat the Italians in New York. (Matthew Rudd)

When the serious business of qualification for the 1978 World Cup got underway in the autumn, Clemence was back in the team, with Corrigan as his new stand by keeper. Although he conceded a goal, he generally had little to do as England destroyed Finland 4-1 in Helskinki. Shilton then reneged on his decision to quit the international scene and was recalled, but Ray stayed between the sticks as England again beat Finland 2-1 at Wembley. The biggest qualifier of the lot loomed in Rome, but some renegade selections by a media-pressured Revie left Clemence and his defence exposed too often and Italy won 2-0. Holland then played England off the park to win a Wembley friendly 2-0, and Ray was a spectator thereafter - firstly because he had next to nothing to do as England beat Luxembourg 5-0 in a World Cup qualifier, then because Revie had to put Shilton back in for the opening brace of Home Internationals because Clemence was celebrating Liverpool's 1977 European Cup win. All England's Liverpool players barring Emlyn Hughes missed the second of these games - a poor 1-0 home defeat to Wales - before Ray returned for the crunch game with the Scots at Wembley. There were no individual errors against the old enemy this time, but the Scots still won 2-1 again, sparking scenes of wild celebration and destruction on the Wembley surface. A summer tour of South America followed and Clemence played in all three matches, each of which ended in draws and yielded just one goal against. The tour was therefore deemed a success, not least because the news of Revie's sudden resignation which was announced in the midst of it. This saw the beginning of the end of Clemence's absolute monopoly on the England goalkeeping jersey, although new coach Ron Greenwood kept him in the team for the remaining two World Cup qualifiers.

England needed a cricket score against Luxembourg to give themselves a chance against Italy but only won 2-0, and the brilliant victory by the same scoreline against the Italians was ultimately meaningless, though Clemence had little to do. He was approaching 30 and was still entirely inexperienced in the ways of a major finals. It was in 1978 that Ron Greenwood's infamous indecision over his best goalkeeper started to show. With no World Cup finals to enjoy, Clemence was forced to give way to Shilton three times through the calendar year, with Shilton's form in Nottingham Forest's stunning League campaign earning him more right to ply his trade on the international stage more frequently. Though opinion was divided everywhere as to who was best, this didn't stop Greenwood earning regular criticism over his inability to pick one keeper and stick with him. That said, Clemence was still in goal when the campaign to qualify for the 1980 European Championships got underway at the end of the year, though conceding three against Denmark wasn't his finest hour, and he was grateful for the four England scored at the opposite end. A 1-1 draw with the Republic of Ireland in Dublin followed and there became more of a sense that his grip on the England gloves was starting to loosen. In 1979, he again featured in all the qualifiers - except one. Of his four games, England won them all and Clemence didn't concede, but Shilton was given a chance in the qualifier against Northern Ireland in Belfast at the end of the year and England won 5-1. (Matthew Rudd)

Ray Clemence was in goal as England finally secured a place in a major finals with a 2-0 win over the Republic at Wembley, but no longer was his name cast in the teamsheet's stone. Shilton and, to a lesser extent but still four caps' worth, Corrigan were also being given regular outings. For the tournament in Italy itself, Clemence was a delighted debutant in a major finals at the grand age of 31 years and ten months (and earned his 50th cap) as England fought out a 1-1 draw with Belgium. Clemence conceded a 25 yard shot for the opposition goal almost immediately after Ray Wilkins had given England the lead. For the now crucial second group game, against the hosts in the Turin cauldron, Greenwood broke Clemence's spirit by calling up Shilton. England lost 1-0 and needed to win their final game against the Spanish and hope results went their way elsewhere. Every player did his job, with a recalled Clemence vindicating Greenwood's U-turn by saving a penalty from Tardi, but the 2-1 win was not matched by a kind result between Italy and the Belgians, and England were out. Clemence had finally taken part in a major finals and had become the first England goalkeeper to save a penalty during such but the end had come too soon and too dismally, making qualification for the 1982 World Cup all the more necessary. By now there was a distinctive cat-and-mouse game being played by Ron Greenwood over who should be England's goalkeeper. Shilton and Clemence equally alternated the first six games after the European Championships, which included four World Cup qualifiers. Sadly for Ray, England lost all three of the matches in which he featured, including a qualifier in Romania which ended 2-1 to the hosts (see photo above, Ray wearing an unusual jersey which he had to borrow due to a colour clash).

Corrigan was picked twice for the 1981 Home Internationals before Greenwood picked Clemence for three qualifiers in a row amidst the joy of another European Cup vistory for Liverpool. Shilton's club form was unwavering but Forest were declining, yet as the keeper at the better performing club Clemence still struggled to dominate the games he was given. England lost two of the qualifiers - in Switzerland and Norway - and won the other in Hungary, and for a while it looked like the World Cup dream had ended but for a freakish set of results elsewhere in England's group. Ultimately, a win over Hungary at Wembley in the last game would do it, and Greenwood picked Shilton. He kept a clean sheet and played outstandingly as England won 1-0 and booked their place. The preparatory period in 1982 was not pleasant for Clemence, with only two caps coming his way; Shilton and Corrigan also got two each and Greenwood now needed to make a decision. He knew who his third choice keeper was but as for his first and second, this was still a mystery to all, not least Clemence and Shilton themselves. Ultimately, Shilton got the nod because he had been in better club form - Ray had just completed a disjointed opening season at Tottenham Hotspur - and he played in all five of England's games, conceding just one goal, as England went out in the second group phase on the strength of goalless draws against West Germany and Spain. Greenwood's departure afterwards heralded the arrival of Bobby Robson who instantly settled on Shilton, while reassuring Clemence that he had a future as part of the squad if he wanted it. Ray gamely and humbly turned up for squad after squad without getting a game before Robson threw him in for his 61st cap in a qualifier for the 1984 European Championships - a campaign already rendered dead in the water thanks to a poor defeat by Denmark. England won 4-0 against Luxembourg and Clemence did barely nothing. By the time England were preparing for their 1986 World Cup qualification group, Ray had decided that he no longer needed international football and retired from the England scene, subsequently keeping goal to a high standard for Spurs until he was 40. (Matthew Rudd)