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Hall of Fame | Stuart Kennedy profile

06 October 2016

STUART KENNEDY

The long summer of 1976 is one that many who were around at the time will remember. It was one of the hottest on record. About that time at Pittodrie, Aberdeen manager Ally MacLeod began to revolutionise his team. This included the sign of a player who went to become arguably AFC's greatest ever right back. This player was also a real leader on and off the park and the part he played in the club’s success of the early 80s should never be underestimated or forgotten. 

The RedMatchday team look back at the career of Stuart Kennedy, who will be formally inducted into the Aberdeen FC Hall of Fame next month:

After several months in charge at the end of his first season, manager Ally MacLeod brought in several players as he put his own mark on the Aberdeen team. Ally was aware of the need to fill the right back spot vacated by the retiring Jim Hermiston and MacLeod identified young Stuart Kennedy of Falkirk as his prime target. Already an established Scotland U-23 international, Kennedy was prised away from Brockville for a £40,000 fee in the summer of 1976.

The Dons had been through a tough spell and had just escaped relegation in the first season of the Premier League.

MacLeod set about improving matters and along with Kennedy he took in keeper Ally McLean and Dom Sullivan to supplement the returning of Joe Harper earlier in the year. It was a new look Aberdeen in many ways and although the Pittodrie fans got a first glimpse of Kennedy in an Anglo-Scottish Cup tie against Dundee Utd, his senior debut came in a League Cup match against Kilmarnock several days later.

With Willie Miller missing, it was the returning Joe Harper that was captain for the day and he duly obliged the Aberdeen support by opening the scoring in only four minutes. Aberdeen went on to win with ease and Arthur Graham added a second to open the Dons season in a positive fashion. It was certainly Kennedy that looked the part as his foraging runs down the right soon made him a firm favourite with the Pittodrie faithful.

His sheer pace and power of recovery was soon in evidence and it was clear that MacLeod had landed a real bargain in Kennedy. That early season form continued as Aberdeen swept to the top of the league and went on win the League Cup completing a remarkable transition in only six months. Kennedy of course played a huge part in that success as the League Cup came to Pittodrie after a 21-year absence.

Two years later an ambition was realised when Stuart was capped for the first time against Bulgaria at Hampden on 22nd February 1978. The Scots won 2-1 and there was no doubt that Kennedy would bolster the growing Aberdeen contingent in the national side. The fact that he won eight caps was not down to his ability, but the fact that Stuart had to compete with the likes of Danny McGrain and Sandy Jardine for a place in the national side. In an era when it was popular for Old Firm players to be selected, Kennedy was better value than his eight international appearances. That included being part of the Scotland side in the ill-fated World Cup of 1978 in Argentina although Kennedy remained one of the few positives from the tournament.

By 1978 Kennedy found himself playing under three Aberdeen managers in as many years when Alex Ferguson took over (Ally MacLeod and Billy McNeill being the other two). There was no doubt that Kennedy flourished under Ferguson, relishing and responding to the Dons boss often hard line approach. Never known for his scoring prowess Kennedy nevertheless scored the goal against Hibernian in the League Cup semi final that sent Aberdeen through to Hampden, a rare deep ‘cross’ which flew in to the top corner.

A year later a league championship medal duly came and then further success followed in the Scottish Cup. It was in the heated atmospheres of the likes of Ibrox, Parkhead and Hampden that Kennedy truly flourished as he relished the challenge of taking on the Old Firm. Fearless to the last, Kennedy faced his greatest challenge in 1983 as the Dons made their way to an historic ECWC win in Gothenburg. It was in the second leg tie against Waterschei in Belgium that Kennedy was injured and that ultimately cost him a starting place in Sweden and eventually forced his early retirement from the game.

At the time it looked an innocuous injury, Stuart got his studs caught in the running track around the pitch, but it turned out to be a lot more serious than first thought.

Despite being unable to play, manager Ferguson listed Kennedy among the Aberdeen substitutes so he was able to feel part of the team during what was to become the Dons finest hour. The tremendous gesture highlighted the mutual respect between the two Aberdeen legends and Ferguson looked upon Kennedy as an example for his players;

“Stuart Kennedy epitomised what Aberdeen was all about back then and what the team needed.

“He was as dedicated a professional as I had come across. He was already a firm favourite at the club before I took over at Pittodrie and I knew I could rely on him when things got tough. It was an absolute tragedy that Stuart was injured in Belgium.

“Typically he went about his business as he always had done, although he hated being injured. Kennedy was the true professional and one of the best players I had ever worked with.”    

Stuart recalled his time at the club with a passion that has never deserted him;

“It was Ally who signed me and I was delighted to come to Pittodrie. It was a great challenge and I knew that they were a huge club with potential. Ally was persuasive and I soon settled. Winning the League Cup so early in my Aberdeen career was a huge boost and we really took it on from there.

“Willie Miller was a great player to play with and we were always our harshest critics. We had to be, as we knew that only by beating the Old Firm in their own backyard would we be successful.

“Nobody else could do it, so we had an attitude about these games and we had a tough mentality as well. It was never easy but Fergie was a master at getting us prepared for these games. Once we had been through that, we knew that we could take on any side. Some of the European nights were special and I was aware that the Aberdeen support was right behind me. I think it worked both ways as I dedicated myself in being as fit as I could possibly be and to be part of a special side that Aberdeen were back then remains a personal highlight.

“I was also proud and honoured to play for Scotland and that was also personal goal that I had reached. The game has changed a lot. I was probably only booked about four times in my whole career. For a defender that was quite rare. I doubt if that would be the case these days.”
 

STUART KENNEDY | FACTFILE

Date of Birth; 31st May 1953
Born; Grangemouth
Signed; July 1976
Aberdeen Career; 1976-1983
AFC Shirt Worn; 2
Aberdeen Appearances; 333
Aberdeen Goals; 9
International; 3 U-23 appearances, 8 Full Caps
World Cup; 1978
Other Clubs; Bothkennor YM, Falkirk.
Honours; European Cup Winners Cup 1983; Premier League; 1980, Scottish Cup 1982, Scottish League Cup 1976.

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