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Ray Clemence, who died at the age of 72, was simply one of the best goalkeepers of the post-war generation, with a brilliant record of successes in Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur that stands as a monument to his talent.
Skegness-born Clemence was a key component of Liverpool’s great teams under Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley in the 1970s and early 1980s who swept them all away at home and abroad, before leaving Anfield for enjoy more success at White Hart Lane.
And despite Clemence winning an impressive 61 games for England in an 11-year international career, that tally could have been much higher had it not been for Peter Shilton’s presence as a rival, with a coach, Ron Greenwood, at often unable to decide between the two, preferring a policy of alternation that actually disguised indecision.
Clemence pursued a managerial career at Barnet and was also part of the Spurs coaching staff before becoming a vital member of England’s coaching staff, but it was as a superbly agile, dependable and highly decorated goalkeeper who will secure his place in history. and for what will be remembered forever.
The young Clemence was discovered by Liverpool manager Shankly playing for Scunthorpe United, as was his future Liverpool and England teammate Kevin Keegan, and signed a £ 18,000 contract in June 1967.
Clemence was initially a backup for veteran Tommy Lawrence, but became the first choice after Shankly decided to switch to Anfield’s great old guard after a dire FA Cup quarter-final loss at Watford, who then fought close to the foot of the old Second Division. , in February 1970.
It was the beginning of a career that ensured that Clemence is currently regarded as Liverpool’s best goalkeeper, his greatness emphasized by both honors and longevity.
The seeds of Shankly’s second great Liverpool were sown in the immediate aftermath of the Scotsman’s decision to dismantle the successful 1960s team, and the first signs of what was to come were seen when they reached the final of the 1971 FA Cup. , only to lose. the double winner of Arsenal.
Liverpool sorted things out for years to come with Clemence as the unrivaled last line of defense, possessing the invaluable quality of overcoming long periods of inactivity while retaining their focus to make the vital save to win the match numerous times.
Shankly’s team won the title and the UEFA Cup in 1972-73, a feat they repeated in 1975-76, victories in Europe came over Borussia Monchengladbach and Club Bruges, two teams that would play an even more significant and glorious role. in the history of Clemence and Liverpool. later in the decade.
The FA Cup was sealed with a sweeping 3-0 victory over Newcastle United in 1974 before the grand prize, Liverpool’s Holy Grail, was finally claimed in 1977 with a 3-1 victory in the Cup final. of Europe on Borussia Monchengladbach in Rome.
In that historic season, Liverpool had won the title once again, but then lost the FA Cup final to Manchester United on Saturday before the European Cup final. Clemence’s uplifting of spirits by conducting a thunderously defiant song in the immediate aftermath of the Wembley defeat played a significant role in demonstrating her leadership qualities and optimism.
Clemence was often more enthusiastic about playing off goal than he was in his usual position in practice at Melwood, reveling in his role as an impromptu physical striker who rocked his teammates in those sessions, but he was a perfectionist when it came to what I laughed. Business and Shankly, with typical frankness, insisted that he was the best in the world and would not tolerate any argument that contradicted that opinion.
He won two more European Cups, against Club Brugge in 1978 at Wembley and Real Madrid in Paris in 1981, before surprising Liverpool and their supporters by deciding to leave to join Spurs weeks after that triumph.
His personal trophy count when he left Liverpool was five titles, three European Cups, two UEFA Cups, the FA Cup and the League Cup in 665 first-team games.
In season one, after severing those long-standing ties with Anfield, Clemence was on the receiving end of the successes he had previously enjoyed at Liverpool, defeated by his former club in the League Cup final. However, he received a very enthusiastic reception from his beloved Kop, captured by Party of the Day cameras, when he first returned in May 1982.
Liverpool’s 3-1 victory on that exciting day confirmed another title, but this time the player who had enjoyed all the old glories was a watching outsider, as Bruce Grobbelaar, who had been signed in 1981 to compete with Clemence. , had assumed his previous position. in goal.
The Tottenham number one didn’t have to wait long for another celebration of his own, as a member of the team that won the FA Cup ten days later, victorious in a replay against Queen’s Park Rangers at Wembley.
The title eluded a good Spurs team but there was more glory when they won the 1983-84 UEFA Cup on penalties against Anderlecht, Clemence on the bench after injury as Tony Parks saved the match-winning penalty at White Hart Lane.
Clemence was in goal for the dramatic 1987 FA Cup final in which the Spurs lost 3-2 to Coventry City, before an Achilles tendon injury suffered in Norwich City that same year ended their race.
He was rightly considered to be in the group of the world’s best goalkeepers for much of his time at the top, but his career in England, which began in a World Cup qualifying match against Wales in November 1972, was parallel to that of Shilton, a contemporary. of equal stature.
It also coincided with the failure of England to qualify for the successive 1974 and 1978 World Cups. When the 1982 World Cup came around, coach Greenwood, finally forced to choose after years of indecision, even alternating in the European Championship. 1980 in Italy, he opted for Shilton. leaving Clemence as an unused substitute.
He made his last international appearance in November 1983 in Luxembourg at the age of 35. He captained England in a friendly against Brazil in May 1981, the first goalkeeper to lead his country since Frank Swift in the 1940s.
Clemence spent several years on the Spurs coaching staff after retiring, working alongside former Liverpool teammate Doug Livermore with the first team, and was also at Barnet as a coach.
In the later years of his career, he was a familiar, popular and influential figure in the England setup as a specialist goalkeeping coach and coach, for several years under managers Glenn Hoddle, Kevin Keegan, Sven-Goran Eriksson, Steve McClaren, Fabio Capello and Roy Hodgson.
Clemence, who received the MBE for his services to football in 1987, was highly respected by England’s coaches and players for his expertise and quiet advice, as well as his own stellar career, and retired in 2013.
He will be remembered as one of the most significant figures in Liverpool Football Club history, as well as for a long career that also saw him play and work with great distinction for Spurs and England.
