John Kennedy

They buried it in here:

https://www.celticfc.com/news/2025/october/29/celtic-fc-coaching-staff-update/

 

Callum McGregor




Can I ask you about John Kennedy as well? He's been here for such a long time. What's your reaction to him leaving? Will he leave a big hole in the club?

Absolutely. I think Kendo's contribution over the last 25 years that he's been at the club has been incredible. Assistant manager to three, four, or five different managers, and has always been the one constant for the players and the staff, everyone at Lennoxtown, everyone at the stadium.

He took a lot of responsibility, and someone I have huge admiration for, working over the last 10 years with a really close personal and professional relationship, and he was someone you could rely on in difficult times.

So, he's been amazing. I also don't think he got the credit that he deserved to be at this club for such a long time and do the job that he did. It was outstanding, and it is a big hole that will need to be filled.

I think it's right to acknowledge how big a part of the success he was because he was absolutely first class. I think he'll be hard-pushed to find a better assistant manager. He was really top-level.

 

Would be nice if he had a thank you banner or something like that made for him, for the next match or next home match.

 

Doubtful that will happen a lot of the supporters comments on twitter were mainly glad to see the back of him. Seemed to always get the blame when things were going wrong and not much credit when we were winning everything in front of us. Never heard a bad word said about the guy from any player or manager either. Hope he goes on to do well wherever he ends up.

 

It's bizarre how some fans have a chip on their shoulder about him and never let it go, the fact that Ange tried to take him and Strachan with him to Spurs when he left should have told even the biggest wierdos in our support that he's actually a competent coach.

 

He wasnt board plant then like folk had been saying for years

 

I do think him leaving is the right thing for us and him and no because he wasn't a good coach. We just need a real freshness across a lot of areas. Fresh faces and fresh ideas..

He's been treated disgracefully though..

 

Was one of biggest critics myself.

But * * this is just new levels of tragic the way we operate and "handle" exits like this.

I may not of been anywhere near his biggest fan by by christ he is some one that really deserves a proper send off.

 

He deserves it. An incredible length of service he has given as a player and coach to the club. Truly remarkable in the modern age really for anyone to be at the one club so long.

 

When a person of the class Kennedy is as well as his length of service to Celtic is treated the way he was this week thats all you need to know about who Desmond and his board cronies and who they are. To say they have no class is a massive understatement.

 

That’s a shame. Deserves loads of respect.

 

Ajer singled him out for praise when he left too.

 

Ronny Deila done an interview that threw Kennedy under the bus, blaming a poor defence on him before saying but ultimately he’s the manager. And that interview stuck majorly to Kennedy.


He still to this day gets called the defensive coach, as assistant manager. Can remember him getting it stinking as the defensive coach, the only time we actually had a coach in that role - in Kolo Toure. Easy to mix them up though.

Has Celtic acknowledged him leaving officially? 27 years here, extremely successful coach over different managers and teams. I’ve not checked in the last day or two, so might have missed something but its been weird to me it’s been silent. Do we know how he left? Was he told to go as part of Rodgers staff, did he also tender resignation in support of Rodgers? There’s a fuckload more to the stuff in the background and Rodgers leaving than we’ll ever know unfortunately.

 

They posted a couple of paragraphs on the club website.

 

It seems incredibly petty that his 25 yrs of service to the club were glossed over in a couple paragraphs and it took Cal to give him a proper send off.

You combine that with DD’s ridiculous statement, all the talk from ex-players and representatives of other clubs about the blundering way we handle transfers and it all strongly points to the unprofessional, amateurish bunch we have running things. Get them gone.

 

James Forrest




With O'Neill's return came Brendan Rodgers' unexpected departure. The 52-year-old resigned as Celtic manager on Monday evening. "I've had Rodgers two different spells now, and some of my best football has been under him," admits Forrest "What he's done for me has been great over the years."

Along with Rodgers, John Kennedy left Parkhead for good after over 25 years of service to Celtic as a player, scout, assistant coach, and interim manager. "I've known him for so many years," continued Forrest. "I don't think anyone at the club can say a bad word about him. I think what he's done, maybe people don't see on the outside what he does every day.




For me as well, anything off the pitch or on it, if you ever needed or had a problem, you could go to him, and it wouldn't go anywhere as well, and I think that's big in football.

"So definitely sad, but these things do happen in football, and you do need to move on, but loads of great memories with them, and you can look back on it positively."