Death of former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Alan Kelly

FORMER Irish international goalkeeper Alan Kelly Snr died yesterday, following an illness.

Kelly was born in Dublin in 1936 and was capped 47 times between 1958 and 1973. Kelly captained his country for a 1972 World Cup qualifier against the Soviet Union and managed Ireland in 1980 for a home game against Switzerland.

His son Alan Kelly Jnr was capped 34 times by Ireland and is the current Republic of Ireland senior team goalkeeping coach.

Kelly started his career in the League of Ireland before moving to Preston North End where he made a club record 514 appearances and became a legend at Deepdale, where the Town End was named in his honour in 2001. “We have lost one of Ireland’s greatest ever goalkeepers,” said FAI president David Blood.

FAI chief executive John Delaney said: “Alan Kelly wore the Irish jersey with pride and always served his country with distinction.”