Jim Kennedy

Who was Jim Kennedy?

Jim Kennedy was a Scottish footballer, who played for Celtic, Greenock Morton and Scotland Grandfather to aspiring center half Kevin Campbell who attained the title of Player of the year 2012.

Jim Kennedy, footballer Born: 31 January 1934 Died: 2 December 2003, aged 69

SELDOM has there been a more wholehearted footballer than Jim Kennedy, of Celtic and Scotland. It was perhaps fitting that he ended up as the supporters’ liaison officer at Celtic Park, for that was what he was first and foremost - a Celtic supporter. He was one of the few fans who got the opportunity to do what he always aspired to do, and that was to play for his beloved Celtic.

Born in 1934 in Johnstone, he grew up watching the awful Celtic teams of the period during the Second World War and immediately afterwards.

After the war, he gained a real benefit from the two years’ National Service that had to be carried out by every young man - it convinced him that he was no bad football player.

On his return from National Service, he played for Johnstone Glencairn and the prestigious Duntocher Hibs before getting the move in late 1955 that he dreamed of - to Glasgow Celtic.

He stayed a part-time player for several years, and such was the chaotic set-up at Parkhead in the late 1950s that it was only in the latter part of the 1959-60 season that he emerged as the regular left-back, partnering Dunky McKay in what became a solid full-back partnership - the Celtic team’s line-up started Haffey, McKay and Kennedy ....