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The Ray Kennedy story has been well documented in books, documentaries and numerous websites, so rather than repeat statistics that can be found elsewhere I will concentrate on today, my first solo meeting with Ray at his home in the North East of England.

Retro Reds Memorabilia was launched over 2 years ago in response to the plethora of fake autographs that had permeated the market. The idea was to work directly with as many of our former players as possible and provide collectors with a low cost service, as well as updating them on players who haven't been in the public eye for a while.

Whilst the likes of Alan Kennedy, Bruce Grobbelaar and Ronnie Whelan are familiar faces on the after-dinner circuit and still turn out for the Liverpool Legends teams, players such as Willie Stevenson, Laurie Hughes and Ray Kennedy have a lower public profile and older fans are always keen to hear what yesterday's heroes are up to.

And so it came about, shortly before knocking Chelsea out of the European Cup for the second time in three years, that Jimmy Case agreed to arrange a signing for us with Ray in May 2007. Very few people had seen Ray in public since his benefit match at Highbury in 1991. Through our previous work with Jimmy and a number of the 1977 European Cup winning team, many of our customers and Liverpool and Arsenal supporters around the world had asked about Ray and asked us to pass messages on to Ray via Jimmy. Ray agreed to sign some photos for us, though he was sceptical that anyone would be interested in them. We posted a number of photos of the signing on our website and it proved to be our most popular signing to date.

Our second signing later that year was soon followed by a meeting with Emilio Zorlakki, an Arsenal supporter with an encyclopaedic knowledge of football matters who works with an on-line Arsenal fan site. Emilio is interested in running a piece on the site about Ray and we agree a series of questions to ask Ray at our next meeting.

Today, Jimmy is in Liverpool recording a documentary on Ray for the LFC TV Channel but Ray has invited me to his home on my own, for the first time, so I find myself preparing for today's meeting with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.

Ray greets me in person at the door and shakes my hand warmly and firmly. "Good to see you," he says. "Do you want tea ?"

I accept a glass of water as Ray clears a table for us to sit at and chat. I notice a giant glass replica European Cup on the table, inscribed with his name and the details of the 1981 victory over Real Madrid. It has a slight crack on one side. "The club gave us all one," he says. And chuckles. "I put it in the dishwasher - oops ! Too hot - cracked it. Never mind..." he taps his temple. "I have all the memories."

I pull out my notebook and the questions Emilio wants me to put to Ray, but as the session progresses I struggle at times understanding some of Ray's answers. Due to his medication, and for additional energy, Ray has an almost constant thirst for lucozade, which recently cost him most of his teeth. At times he slurs a little, but you would have to be a fool to underestimate the strength of mind of this footballing legend. He remains Razor sharp, mentally alert and quick to dispel any notion one might have had of him looking for sympathy. There is no self-pity and no hint of misery and it would be a foolish man to treat him any differently because of his illness. However, this explains why, when we start our interview, the continuity is not quite as fluent as it may have been under different circumstances.

Ray signs a few shirts and photos for us as we talk. Emilio wants me to ask some more obscure questions rather than the obvious ones which he must have been asked a million times.

Q: You trailed Astley 1-3 in the Blake Cup Final. Can you remember what the score was in the return game ?

A : I can't remember to be honest... it was a long time ago. I think we won 2-0, maybe 3-0 though. I have a photograph of the team with the cup, I'll get it for you.

(Ray stands up and returns with a huge box. His father kept scrapbooks of Ray's career, with beautifully mounted photos and press cuttings dating back almost 50 years. One of the earliest pieces is a photo of the boys team Ray played in.)

"We were a good team... a very good team. I think one of the players signed for Swansea." (He chuckles again. He is, of course, referring to himself.)

Q : There are different versions of Stanley Matthews' rejection of you which were harsh. But when you met him again, how did you approach one another ? I seem to remember you showing off to him your European Cup Winners medal. Did Stanley ever show any remorse/regret ?

A : Mr. Matthews was right. I was slow. Very slow. He could beat me in a race and that wasn't good for a striker. He was pleased that I did make it in the end. He really wanted me to do well and he wrote to my parents a lot.

(Ray reaches into his box and pulls out an envelope containing letters from Sir Stan to Ray's parents. They are warm, caring letters, personal letters which begin with Ray arriving at Port Vale and detail Ray's experiences at the club before concluding with what must have been a heartbreaking letter to receive in which he explains that he will be shortly be releasing Ray and wanted his parents to know first so they could prepare him for the inevitable shock. Retrospectively, there is the obvious humour in that Sir Stan hopes Ray will continue to study and find an alternative career. It is clear that Ray bears no hard feelings towards his former boss and respects his decision as being the right one at the time.)

Q : Were you disappointed not to score in the 1971 FA Cup Final ? You did miss some good chances.

A : Did I ? I can't remember. (Ray chuckles again. I think he is deliberately forgetting.)

Q : You really can't remember ? Or you choose not to remember ?

A : Maybe if we lost it would have been painful. We won the match. We won the double. You have to win the double to realise just how good it is. Nobody really remembers anything bad if you win. Like nobody remembers anything good if you lose. Jimmy (Case) scored one of the best goals ever in the FA Cup Final (Liverpool V Man Utd 1977), but people don't remember that because we lost. I missed some but we had won the double and there was no need to be disappointed. I have only good memories. All good memories, from Arsenal and Liverpool and England. I think I did OK in the end.

Q : Did you ever feel nervous before big games ? Did this change as you got more experience ?

A : Yes, nervous sometimes, but it became easier, yes... both teams were good, maybe the best in the world at the time, it was good to see Sammy Nelson, Frank McClintock or Jimmy Case, Graeme Souness in the team with you... you always felt you were going to win. Arsenal or Liverpool. That stopped you being too nervous.

Q : What was it like to play against Arsenal ? You scored against them too ... 1978 League Cup Semi-Final...

A : You just have to do it... by 1978 it was a different Arsenal team to the one I played in... by then I was just Liverpool, two very different teams... but I got a slight twinge when we beat them... sad for them and the fans, but obviously delighted for us and our fans. It's difficult... hard to explain... The fans were always good though.

Q : Someone called you a 'semi-final man' for your incredible record of scoring in so many semi's. Coincidence ? Did you feel any difference compared to a Cup Final ?

A : No, not at all, not at all. It was just one of those things. It was always good to score, but for us it was always about winning, that's all we had to do and everyone was happy. If you score in the semi-final it means you can play in the final and someone else gets the chance to score in the final and win the cup, so every goal is as important. Even in the first round.

Q : In your opinion, what were your best games for Arsenal and Liverpool ?

A : Arsenal V Spurs were always good, but winning the double against Spurs, definitely the best. Liverpool... Rome... 1977 European Cup Final. My favourite. We lost the FA Cup at the weekend after winning the league... but when we went to Rome we knew we were going to win. We were ready. I enjoyed that more than any other. I think I played OK, but we won... we were superb !

Q : And your favourite goals ?

A: Ohhh... that's hard... maybe Wolves V Arsenal... a cracker... 20 yards and a right footer... and Liverpool V Derby County ... we won 5-0 I think, 1978...

Q : Regarding your illness... how different is your treatment and medication today to when you first became ill ?

A : I rattle now. (Ray laughs, indicating how the dosage has changed.) At first I just had the one tablet a day... now I have one hundred... well, maybe 20 or so...

Q : Do you meet up with others who have Parkinson's ?

A : Only at the doctors. And this guy... (He delves back into the box and passes me a photo from his book.) ... I met him once. Used to fight more than me. (It is, of course, the photo of Ray with Mohammed Ali.)

Q : Do you manage to get out much ? Holidays ?

A : Not really... mainly to the doctors, dentist, stuff like that... can't go too far at the moment...

Q : Apart from Jimmy, do you keep in touch with ex-colleagues ?

A : Not much... Alan Kennedy is OK, he did some stuff... Graeme Souness when he was up here... people are a long way away...

Q : Do you have any hobbies ?

A : I like reading... auto-biographies especially... sports and others...

Q : Do you still follow football on TV ?

A : I do yes...

Q : What do you think of Rafa and Arsene's current teams ?

A : They are good teams they have... Arsenal play beautiful football, this season they have been very good to watch... Torres is also very good at Liverpool, very classy, they need someone like him... they are on the way back, I know...

Q : Who will win the Champions League quarter final ? Arsenal or Liverpool ?

A : No idea. Either can win. Very very even in this cup... I hope whoever wins will win the Cup though...

As mentioned at the start, a number of my questions and answers have to be omitted, but we continued a chat for another 3 hours, interspersed with calls from Jimmy to see how we were getting on. I was prepared for a short session, but Ray appeared very comfortable with how things progressed and was genuinely surprised at the level of interest there still is in his career and well-being.

He signs some photos of him and Jimmy with the European Cup in 1977 and nods encouragingly. "Batman and Robin they used to call us... Good photo" he tells me. Then pauses. "Good game too..."

We wrap up a while later, still talking football and the imminent matches between Arsenal and Liverpool in the Champions League. As I pack my shirts and photos away and prepare for the long journey south, I ask Ray if he'd like to leave a message for the Liverpool and Arsenal fans who will eventually read this.

He thinks for a moment and gives me the thumbs up.

"Yes... thank you for remembering me..."

Ray... as long as we both play in red, you'll never be forgotten... and you'll never walk alone.

(c) Retro Reds Memorabilia / Robert McCluskey / Emilio Zorlakki 2008

Please contact : bob@retroreds.co.uk for reproduction permission.

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