Alan Kennedy

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Alan Kennedy
Alan Kennedy.jpg
Alan Kennedy in 2008
Personnel
Surname Alan Phillip Kennedy
birthday August 31, 1954
place of birth SunderlandEngland
position Full-back (left)
Men's
Years station Games (goals) 1
1972-1988 Newcastle United 158 0(9)
1978-1985 Liverpool FC 251 (15)
1985-1987 Sunderland AFC 54 0(2)
1987 Beerschot VAC
1987 Hartlepool United 5 0(0)
1987 Grantham Town 3 0(0)
1987-1988 Wigan Athletic 22 0(0)
Northwich Victoria
1988-1990 Colne Dynamoes
1990-1991 Wrexham AFC 16 0(0)
1991 Morecambe FC 10 0(0)
AFC Netherfield
Radcliffe Borough
AFC Barrow
National team
Years selection Games (goals)
1974-1976 England U-23 6 0(0)
1978-1980 England B 7 0(2)
1984 England 2 0(0)
1 Only league games are given.

Alan Phillip Kennedy (born August 31, 1954 in Sunderland ) is a former English football player and was particularly active in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the then very successful time of Liverpool FC . He scored important goals in several crucial situations.

Athletic career

The way to professional football: Newcastle United

The talent of Sunderland at the Wearside -born left full-back was not originally in the AFC Sunderland recognized, Kennedy instead that local rivals Newcastle United joined. There the only 19-year-old reached his first sporting climax in 1974, when he and his team were in the final of the FA Cup and lost 3-0 to Liverpool at Wembley Stadium . Two years later he found himself in the same place again in one of the English League Cup final and this time lost 2-1 to Manchester City .

He had previously made his debut in the first team on March 10, 1973 at St. James' Park against Stoke City at the age of only 18 . His status as the crowd favorite, which he was able to acquire early on due to his combative style of play, he underlined again when he scored the only goal to win 1-0 in the 1976/77 season in the home game against Middlesbrough, which rivaled Newcastle United lap. Among the ranks of "Boro" was Graeme Souness, a future teammate of Kennedy at Liverpool FC, and Phil Boersma, a former member of the club, who later became Souness' right-hand man when he was coach.

Promotion to top player: Liverpool FC

After the departure of Alec Lindsay , Liverpool FC had a latent weak point on the left side of their defense, which was usually never completely eliminated with the use of the "right feet" Phil Neal , Alan Hansen and Joey Jones . After winning the second European Cup in the club's history in 1978, coach Bob Paisley decided that the problem should be finally solved and signed Kennedy for 300,000 British pounds from Newcastle. On August 9, 1978 this came in Anfield in the 2-1 championship win against Queens Park Rangers for his first use and put his first goal on September 9 in the away game against Birmingham City at St. Andrews Stadium , which Liverpool FC could win 3-0.

Kennedy became a regular player in the further course, won the English championship in 1979 and defended this title another year later. When he arrived, there had been confusion about Ray Kennedy , who was not related to him or who was related by marriage and who was already a member of Liverpool FC. However, both should eventually develop a good teamwork on the left wing over three seasons.

During the 1980/81 season Ray Kennedy had to pause most of the season due to an injury, but then returned in time for the final of the League Cup against West Ham United . There he scored the goal in extra time to make it 1-0. Since West Ham was able to equalize, however, the encounter had to be decided in a replay, which Liverpool FC again won 2-1. The greatest moment in Kennedy's career came at the end of the season when he and his team faced Spanish representatives Real Madrid in the final of the European championship competition in Paris . In the even game with only a few chances to score, Kennedy made the decision in the last ten minutes of the game when he penetrated the penalty area after a throw-in over the left side and converted over the opposing goalkeeper to the 1-0 winner. This enabled Liverpool FC to secure its third title win in the highest European club competition in its history.

In the following years Kennedy kept his regular place on the left defensive position and in 1982 again won both the English championship and the league cup. A year later, he again demonstrated his talent for decisive goals when he scored the interim 1-1 win in the league cup final against Manchester United with a 2-1 win. Kennedy was also able to defend the English championship in the same year and had won this competition for the fourth time.

When the English title was won again in 1984 - and with it three league titles in a row and Kennedy's personal fifth championship - the left defender was still a key figure in the team. Kennedy's impressive collection of titles ended with winning the league cup and the European national championship competition in the same year. He sealed the final victory against AS Roma in the European Champions Cup with his converted penalty kick on penalties .

During the last full season 1984/85 he was used regularly at Liverpool FC, but he could not win any other trophies. In September 1985, coach Kenny Dalglish sold him when Jim Beglin, a young Irish defender, increasingly claimed the role of left full-back. Kennedy moved to his home country for Sunderland AFC , which had just been relegated to the second-rate Second Division .

In the course of his playing career, Kennedy always had to set aside possible ambitions in the English national team , since with Kenny Sansom the left-back of Arsenal FC seemed to have a real monopoly on this position. Kennedy only came to a total of two internationals. He had made his late debut at Wembley against Northern Ireland on April 4, 1984 at the British Home Championship , where Tony Woodcock scored the only goal to win 1-0.

Back home: Sunderland AFC

Kennedy made his debut at the club from his hometown in the first leg of the second round game of the League Cup against Swindon Town at home in Roker Park . The game won the "Black Cats" on September 24, 1985 3-2 and on February 8, 1986 Kennedy scored his first two goals for the club in a 2-2 at home against Carlisle United .

He completed the remainder of the season as a regular player, but began the first five games of the 1986/87 season as a substitute behind Frank Gray and was only back in the starting lineup for the sixth game of the season against Hull City . At the time, AFC Sunderland was in the midst of a sporting downturn, finished the season on a weak 20th place in the table and had to tremble in an elimination game to stay in the second division. After Gray and Kennedy had mostly shared the position during the current seasons, Kennedy's experience was decisive for his use in the important play-off games against Gillingham FC . A 3-2 defeat at Priestfield Stadium was followed by a 3-2 loss after 90 minutes at Roker Park, which required extra time . In this Gillingham FC equalized to 3: 3 and although Sunderland AFC could still score the goal to 4: 3, Gillingham prevailed due to the away goals rule and replaced the Black Cats in the second division.

The last career stations

After two seasons in Sunderland, Kennedy first joined the fourth-rate club Hartlepool United before leaving the British Isles to pursue brief engagements in several European countries (Husqvarna (Sweden), Beerschot VAV (Belgium) and Club 1903 (Denmark)). He then returned to England to compete in the amateur field for Northwich Victoria and Grantham Town. In the 1987/88 season he made his comeback in English professional football and played for Wigan Athletic in the third division. Two subsequent years in amateur football for the Colne Dynamoes followed in the 1990/91 season a final return to the Football League when he played for the Welsh club AFC Wrexham in the fourth division Fourth Division . He ended his career for good at the age of 40 after slowly winding down at amateur clubs Morecambe FC, Netherfield AFC, Radcliffe Borough and Barrow AFC.

After the end of his sporting career, Kennedy mostly appeared as an expert from Sky Sports - along with other television stations. He also writes a column for the official website of Liverpool FC and runs a football school.

successes

Web links