Everton legend Howard Kendall's funeral takes place in Liverpool
Thursday 29 October 2015 16:27, UK
Everton legend Howard Kendall's funeral has taken place at Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral.
Around 1,700 people attended the service to celebrate the life of Kendall, who died earlier this month at the age of 69 - with thousands more listening to loudspeakers outside the catherdral.
Watched by large crowds, the funeral cortege made its way past Everton's Goodison Park ground, pausing by the statue of Dixie Dean statue before arriving outside the cathedral just before 1pm.
Among the mourners were former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham MP, England and Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney, former snooker world champion John Parrott, the current Everton playing squad and retired players Martin Keown, Robbie Fowler, David Weir, Andy Gray, Peter Beardsley and Jamie Carragher.
Kendall's coffin was carried into the cathedral to Elton John's "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" before mourners heard eulogies from Joe Royle, Graham Stuart and Peter Reid.
There was also a reading from Duncan Ferguson and a personal tribute from Everton chairman Bill Kenwright.
Reid was a key member of Kendall's great Everton team of the 1980s and later worked with - and then succeeded - him as manager of Manchester City.
He said: "He was just a really warm human being and that's why we're here. I was just proud to play for him, and then I was lucky enough to work with him on the other side at Manchester City to get an insight of a man who had a great knowledge of the game.
"The memory that sticks with me is the first trophy, the FA Cup final, walking down the steps and just seeing him smile, and that will live with me forever."
Adrian Heath was a player Kendall signed three times, and the former Everton midfielder said: "Obviously it's a sad day and last weekend when I found out the news I was devastated because nobody's done more for me in my career than this man.
"I'm sure there'll be a few tears but I know there'll be some laughter this afternoon because we had some incredible days on and off the field with Howard. He was a very larger-than-life character.
"I was with him at five different clubs and every time, whenever we'd start reminiscing after a game, it inevitably came back to Everton. This club meant everything to him.
"The amount of people that turn up today will show how much he was loved."
Kendall became the youngest player to feature in an FA Cup final when he played for Preston North End aged 17 against West Ham in 1964, before joining Everton three years later.
He quickly became an integral part of Harry Catterick's 'School of Science' team of the late 1960s, forming a superb midfield alliance with Colin Harvey and Alan Ball which became known as the "Holy Trinity" and is fondly remembered by the club's supporters to this day.
As a manager, he won two league titles, an FA Cup and a European Cup Winners' Cup during his first of three spells at Goodison Park and he also managed several other clubs, including Blackburn, Manchester City, Notts County and Sheffield United.
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