View source for Pat Jennings

{{Short description|Northern Irish footballer}}
{{Other people||Patrick Jennings (disambiguation)}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=February 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}

{{Infobox football biography
|name = Pat Jennings<br /><small>{{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}}</small>
|image = Pat Jennings (2018).jpg
|upright = 0.9
|caption = Jennings in 2018
|fullname = Patrick Anthony Jennings
|height = 1.83 m
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1945|6|12|df=y}}
|birth_place = [[Newry]], Northern Ireland
|position = [[Goalkeeper (association football)|Goalkeeper]]
|youthyears1 = 1956
|youthclubs1 = Shamrock Rovers (Newry)
|youthyears2 = 1961–1963
|youthclubs2 = [[Newry City F.C.|Newry Town]]
|years1 = 1963–1964
|clubs1 = [[Watford F.C.|Watford]]
|caps1 = 48
|goals1 = 0
|years2 = 1964–1977
|clubs2 = [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]]
|caps2 = 472
|goals2 = 0<!-- League goals only, not including Charity Shield goal -->
|years3 = 1977–1985
|clubs3 = [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|caps3 = 237 <!-- League only! -->
|goals3 = 0
|clubs4 = [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]]
|caps4  = 0
|goals4 = 0 
|years4 = 1985–1986 
|clubs5 = [[Everton F.C.|Everton]]
|caps5  = 0
|goals5 = 0 
|years5 = 1986 
|totalcaps = 757
|totalgoals = 0
|nationalyears1 = 1964–1986<ref>{{Cite news|title=Patrick "Pat" Jennings – Century of International Appearances|publisher=The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/jennings-intl.html}}</ref>
|nationalteam1 = [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland]]
|nationalcaps1 = 119
|nationalgoals1 = 0
}}

'''Patrick Anthony Jennings''' (born 12 June 1945<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/northern-ireland/64127898 'New Year Honours: Pat Jennings 'absolutely delighted' with CBE']. BBC News, 30 December 2022, accessed 30 December 2022</ref>) is a Northern Irish former professional [[Association football|footballer]] who played as a [[Goalkeeper (association football)|goalkeeper]]. He is widely recognised as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the sport<ref>{{Cite web |last=Corkhill |first=Barney |title=World Football's Top 10 Goalkeepers of All-Time |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/125572-greatest-ever-football-top-ten-goalkeepers-of-all-time |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pat Jennings National Football Museum Hall Of Fame profile |url=https://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/halloffame/pat-jennings/ |access-date=2023-11-07 |language=en-US}}</ref> and was nominated for the [[Ballon d'Or]] in [[1973 Ballon d'Or|1973]], [[1975 Ballon d'Or|1975]] and [[1985 Ballon d'Or|1985]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/europa-poy.html|title=European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or")|author1=Rob Moore|author2=Karel Stokkermans|date=21 January 2011|website=[[RSSSF]]|access-date=10 June 2025}}</ref>

He played 119 international matches for [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland]] in an international career which lasted for over 22 years. During his career, Jennings played for [[Newry City F.C.|Newry Town]], [[Watford F.C.|Watford]] and in the top division with [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] and [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], winning the [[FA Cup]] with both of the north London [[North London derby|rivals]]. In total, Jennings made [[List of men's footballers with the most official appearances|over 1,000 top level appearances]], and despite being a goalkeeper, he scored from play in the [[1967 FA Charity Shield]].

== Club career ==
=== Newry Town & Watford ===
After playing for a local under-18 side in Newry at the age of 11 (named Shamrock Rovers, not to be confused with the Dublin club of the same name),<ref>{{cite web |title=Suoerstars brought fame and glory to Newry street |url=http://www.newrymemoirs.com/stories_pages/chapelstsuperstars_1.html |website=Newry Memoirs}}</ref> Jennings concentrated on [[Gaelic football]] until he was sixteen years old, when he made his football comeback with his hometown side [[Newry City F.C.|Newry Town]]. After impressing with the team he moved to English [[Football League Third Division|Third Division]] side [[Watford F.C.|Watford]] in May 1963. Jennings again impressed in his first season in England, playing every league game for his club, and making two international appearances that season. He was signed by [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] for £27,000 in June 1964.<ref name=WhosWho/>

=== Tottenham Hotspur ===
Jennings spent thirteen years at [[White Hart Lane]], where he played in 472 league games for Spurs, and 591 in all competitions. He won the [[FA Cup]] in 1967, the [[Football League Cup|League Cup]] in 1971 and 1973, and the [[UEFA Cup]] in 1972.<ref name=spursprofile/> He also scored once, in the 1967 [[FA Community Shield|Charity Shield]], from his own area, kicking the ball from his hands and sending a large punt down the field that bounced over [[Manchester United]] goalkeeper [[Alex Stepney]] and into the net.<ref name=goal/> In 1973 the [[Football Writers' Association]] named him as its footballer of the year.<ref name=RSSSF/> Three years later he won [[Professional Footballers' Association|PFA]]'s version of the [[PFA Players' Player of the Year|award]] – he was the first goalkeeper to receive this accolade, and to this date remains only one of two, along with [[Peter Shilton]].<ref name=peers/>

=== Arsenal ===
On 6 August 1977,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-01 |title=on-this-day-in... |url=https://www.arsenal.com/history/on-this-day-in...}}</ref> he was transferred to Tottenham's arch-rivals, [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], with Tottenham, who had just been relegated, thinking he was nearing the end of his career. However, Jennings saw off rivals for the goalkeeper's jersey to play for Arsenal for another eight years. Whilst at [[Arsenal Stadium|Highbury]], he helped Arsenal to four Cup finals in three successive years; the FA Cup final in 1978, 1979, and 1980, as well as the [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup|European Cup Winners Cup]] final that year. However, Arsenal only managed to win the second of these finals, a 3–2 victory against [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]. In total, Jennings made 327 appearances for Arsenal, 237 of them in the League, between 1977 and his eventual retirement from first-team club football in 1985.<ref name=arsenalprofile/> On 26 February 1983, he became the first player in [[Football in England|English football]] to make 1,000 senior appearances, celebrating this milestone with a clean sheet in a goalless league draw for Arsenal at [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/arsenal-history-on-this-day...-february-26|title=Arsenal history: On this day... February 26|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305144925/http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/arsenal-history-on-this-day...-february-26|archive-date=5 March 2016}}</ref> Jennings played his final game in the league for Arsenal against [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]] on 25 November 1984,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Soar |first=Phil |title=The Illustrated History of Arsenal |publisher=Hamlyn |year=2011}}</ref>{{page needed|date=June 2025}} and he was eventually replaced by [[John Lukic]] as the first choice keeper. A farewell match for Jennings was played against Tottenham Hotspur 8 May 1985 at Highbury.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-01|title=thearsenalhistory|url=http://www.thearsenalhistory.com/stat/aftlu.htm|access-date=20 November 2021|archive-date=2 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202213854/http://www.thearsenalhistory.com/stat/aftlu.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>Testimonial Match programme 1985.</ref>

=== Later career ===
After his retirement, Jennings returned to Tottenham Hotspur, playing mostly in their reserve side to maintain his match sharpness for Northern Ireland's 1986 World Cup campaign. His final appearance for Tottenham was in the [[Football League Super Cup]] against Liverpool in January 1986. He was also briefly on [[Everton F.C.|Everton]]'s books, having been signed as goalkeeping cover for the [[1986 FA Cup Final]] against [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]], [[Neville Southall]] having been injured playing for Wales.<ref name=ifaprofile/>

== International career ==
[[File:Netherlands v Northern Ireland, 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (Rotterdam, 1976) - Pat Jennings.jpg|thumb|right|Jennings defending his goal against the Netherlands (1976)]]
On 15 April 1964, whilst playing for Watford, Jennings made his [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland]] debut in a [[British Home Championship]] match against [[Wales national football team|Wales]]. Northern Ireland won the game 3–2, with [[George Best]] also making his international debut. Jennings made four appearances in Northern Ireland's best-ever performance at the [[1982 FIFA World Cup|1982 World Cup]], conceding only one goal in the three [[1982 FIFA World Cup#First group stage|first group stage]] games — including a 1–0 victory with ten men against hosts Spain — before letting four past him against eventual group D winners France in the [[1982 FIFA World Cup Group D#Matches|second group stage]] games.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}

Despite retiring from club football in 1985, Jennings played his final international game at the [[1986 FIFA World Cup]] on his 41st birthday, making him the World Cup's oldest-ever participant until [[Roger Milla]] broke his record at 42 in 1994, who also had his record broken by [[Faryd Mondragón]] at 43 years in 2014 and [[Essam El Hadary]] at 45 years in 2018, the latter two goalkeepers, like Jennings. The match was Northern Ireland's final group game, a 3–0 defeat against [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]].<ref name=ifaprofile/> In total, Jennings participated in the qualifying stages of six World Cups between 1966 and 1986.<ref name=six/>

== Retirement ==
Following his retirement Jennings has worked as a goalkeeping coach. He has worked at Tottenham in this capacity since 1993. In 2003 Jennings was inducted into the [[English Football Hall of Fame]] in recognition of the skills he demonstrated in the English league. His son, also named [[Pat Jennings Jr.|Pat]], is also a goalkeeper, having played for [[League of Ireland]] clubs [[University College Dublin A.F.C.|University College Dublin]], [[Derry City F.C.|Derry City]], [[Shamrock Rovers]] and [[NIFL Premiership]] club [[Glenavon F.C.|Glenavon]].

Jennings and his family have lived for many years in [[Broxbourne]], [[Hertfordshire]], where his son attended [[The Broxbourne School]] along with the sons of fellow Spurs players [[Chris Hughton]], [[Osvaldo Ardiles]] and [[Ray Clemence]]. He is still associated with Spurs and hosts Corporate Hospitality fans in the Pat Jennings Lounges at White Hart Lane<ref name=ifaprofile/> and Windsor Park, Belfast.

== Personal life ==
Jennings married Eleanor Toner, a singer from Newry, in 1967.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-pat-jennings-goalkeeper-of-tottenham-hotspur-jan-1967-gets-married-28230473.html|title = Stock Photo – Pat Jennings Goalkeeper of Tottenham Hotspur, Jan 1967 gets married to singer Eleanor Toner at St Mary's, Holly Place NW3}}</ref> They have four children: Mairead, Siobhan, Ciara and [[Pat Jennings Jr.|Patrick Junior]], a goalkeeper.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/pat-jennings-i-had-a-fantastic-career-with-tottenham-arsenal-and-northern-ireland-but-my-one-regret-is-that-george-best-never-played-in-a-world-cup-38010515.html|title = Pat Jennings: 'I had a fantastic career with Tottenham, Arsenal and Northern Ireland but my one regret is that George Best never played in a World Cup'|newspaper = Belfasttelegraph}}</ref> Jennings is Catholic.<ref>Interview: Pat Jennings; Ben Szreter, Cherwell, April 25, 2014</ref>

== Honours ==
Jennings was appointed [[Member of the Order of the British Empire]] (MBE) for services to association football in the [[1976 Birthday Honours]];<ref>UK list: {{London Gazette |date=4 June 1976 |supp=y |issue=46919 |pages=8029  }}</ref> he was promoted to [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire|Officer of the same Order]] (OBE) in the [[1987 New Year Honours]] for services to football, particularly in Northern Ireland,<ref>{{cite web |title=1987 New Year Honours |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/50764/supplement/10 |website=[[The London Gazette]] |access-date=12 January 2023}}</ref> and promoted further to [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the [[2023 New Year Honours]] for services to association football and charity.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=63918|supp=y|page=N10|date=31 December 2022}}</ref>
On 8 November 2023, Jennings unveiled a statue in his honour in Kildare Street, Newry.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pat Jennings unveils statue in his home city |url=https://www.irishnews.com/sport/2023/11/08/news/pat_jennings_unveils_statue_in_his_honour_in_home_city_of_newry-3758340/ |website=Irish News |date=8 November 2023 |access-date=8 November 2023}}</ref>

'''Tottenham Hotspur'''
*[[FA Cup]]: [[1966–67 FA Cup|1966–67]]<ref>{{cite book |first1=Leslie |first2=Jack |last1=Vernon |last2=Rollin |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1977–78 |year=1977 |publisher=Brickfield Publications Ltd |location=London |isbn=0354-09018-6 |page=491}}</ref>
*[[Football League Cup]]: [[1970–71 Football League Cup|1970–71]], [[1972–73 Football League Cup|1972–73]]
*[[FA Charity Shield]]: [[1967 FA Charity Shield|1967]]
*[[UEFA Cup|UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League]]: [[1971–72 UEFA Cup|1971–72]]

'''Arsenal'''
*FA Cup: [[1978–79 FA Cup|1978–79]]

'''Northern Ireland'''
*[[British Home Championship]]: [[1979–80_British_Home_Championship |1979–80]], [[1983–84_British_Home_Championship|1983–84]]

'''Individual'''
* ''Rothmans Golden Boots Awards'': 1973, 1974<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/1969-70-british-team-of-the-season.1794502/ |website=BigSoccer |date=31 July 2011 |title=1969-1970 British Team of the Season |access-date=17 April 2024 }}</ref>
* [[FWA Footballer of the Year]]: [[1972–73 in English football|1972–73]]
*[[Ballon d'Or]] nominee: [[1973 Ballon d'Or|1973]], [[1975 Ballon d'Or|1975]], [[1985 Ballon d'Or|1985]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/europa-poy.html|title=European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or")|author1=Rob Moore|author2=Karel Stokkermans|date=21 January 2011|website=[[RSSSF]]|access-date=10 June 2025}}</ref>
* [[PFA Players' Player of the Year]]: [[1975–76 in English football|1975–76]]
* [[PFA Team of the Year (1970s)|PFA First Division Team of the Year]]: [[PFA Team of the Year (1970s)#First Division|1973–74]], [[PFA Team of the Year (1970s)#First Division|1975–76]]
* [[World Soccer (magazine)#Eric Batty's World XI|World XI]]: 1973
* [[FWA Tribute Award]]: 1986
* [[Football League 100 Legends]]: 1998
* [[English Football Hall of Fame]]: 2003

== See also ==
* [[List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps]]
* [[List of men's footballers with the most official appearances]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name=arsenalprofile>{{cite web|url=http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/gunners-greatest-players-10.-pat-jennings|title=Gunners' greatest players – 10. Pat Jennings|publisher=[[Arsenal F.C.]]|access-date=30 August 2010|date=7 July 2008}}</ref>

<ref name=goal>{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/1456226.stm|title=Barthez plays the field|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=30 August 2010|date=25 July 2001|first=Phil|last=McNulty}}</ref>

<ref name=ifaprofile>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishfa.com/international/squad-profiles/profile/297/legends-of-the-game/pat-jennings/|title=Pat Jennings|publisher=[[Irish Football Association]]|access-date=30 August 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613193535/http://www.irishfa.com/international/squad-profiles/profile/297/legends-of-the-game/pat-jennings/|archive-date=13 June 2011}}</ref>

<ref name=peers>{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/1287470.stm|title=Only here for the peers|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=30 August 2010|date=20 April 2001}}</ref>

<ref name=RSSSF>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/engpoy.html|title=England&nbsp;–&nbsp;Players Awards|access-date=18 March 2008|website=[[RSSSF]]|date=4 October 2007}}</ref>

<ref name=six>{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=174639/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228060125/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=174639/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 February 2008|title=FIFA players statistics: Pat Jennings|publisher=[[FIFA]]|access-date=30 August 2010}}</ref>

<ref name=spursprofile>{{cite web|url=http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/history/hall_of_fame/patjennings.html|title=Pat Jennings 1964–1977|publisher=[[Tottenham Hotspur Football Club]]|access-date=30 August 2010}}</ref>

<ref name=WhosWho>{{cite book|last=Jones|first=Trefor|year=1996|title=Watford Football Club Illustrated Who's Who|isbn=0-9527458-0-1|pages=131 and 279|publisher=T.G. Jones }}</ref>}}

== Further reading ==
* Jennings, Pat (1983). ''Pat Jennings: An Autobiography''. London, Willow Books, {{ISBN|0-00-218069-3}}.

== External links ==
{{s-start}}
!colspan="3" style="background:#C1D8FF;"| [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup records]]
|-
{{s-bef | rows=2 |before=[[Dino Zoff]]<br />40}}
{{s-ttl | title=Oldest Player<br />41 | years=12 June 1986 – 28 June 1994}}
{{s-aft | after=[[Roger Milla]]<br />42}}
{{s-ttl | title=Oldest Goalkeeper<br />41| years=12 June 1986 – 24 June 2014}}
{{s-aft | after=[[Faryd Mondragón]]<br />43}}
{{s-end}}
* {{NFT player|id=20122}}
* {{Soccerbase}}
*[http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player/patjennings.html Pat Jennings], Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/football_legends/11914.shtml BBC Archive Collections:Football Legends – Pat Jennings]

{{Navboxes
| title = Northern Ireland squads
| bg        = #009E60
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| list1 = 
{{Northern Ireland squad 1982 FIFA World Cup}}
{{Northern Ireland squad 1986 FIFA World Cup}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards
|bg = gold
|fg = navy
|list1 =
{{1973 World Soccer World XI}}
{{1973–74 Football League First Division PFA Team of the Year}}
{{1975–76 Football League First Division PFA Team of the Year}}
{{PFA Players' Player of the Year}}
{{FWA Footballer of the Year}}
{{FWA Tribute Award}}
{{Football League 100 Legends}}
{{Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Hall of Fame}}
{{English Football Hall of Fame}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jennings, Pat}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Arsenal F.C. players]]
[[Category:Association footballers from Newry]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:English Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:FIFA Men's Century Club]]
[[Category:Gaelic games players from County Down]]
[[Category:Men's association footballers from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Men's association football goalkeepers]]
[[Category:Northern Ireland men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Shamrock Rovers F.C. guest players]]
[[Category:Tottenham Hotspur F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players]]
[[Category:Watford F.C. players]]
[[Category:UEFA Europa League–winning players]]
[[Category:UEFA Golden Players]]
[[Category:1982 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:1986 FIFA World Cup players]]