Former Everton midfielder Tony Kay has spoken publicly for the first time about the devastation of being banned from football for life after a betting scandal. Kay, who turned 80 this week, was jailed for four months and handed a lifetime suspension in 1965 for accepting a £50 bribe to influence the result of a match while playing for Sheffield Wednesday.
Speaking at a tribute night organised by Ronny Goodlass's Health Thru Sport charity, Kay admitted he was more devoted to football than to his marriage or family. 'I loved the game. It's why it hurt so much for it to be taken away at 27,' he told the audience at the Devonshire House Hotel.
Kay's crime was agreeing to a teammate's suggestion to bet £50 on his own team to lose against Ipswich. However, he was named man of the match in the game, and he maintains he never attempted to fix the result. Despite this, the Football Association imposed a lifetime ban, ending his career at its peak.
Now, more than five decades later, Kay says he feels at ease with the world. He was presented with an award on the night and revelled in the continued appreciation from Everton fans. The event also saw the launch of the Howard Kendall Appreciation Award, presented by Kendall's widow Lily to Ronny Goodlass for his charitable work.
Meanwhile, the Everton Heritage Society will dedicate the unmarked grave of Billy Scott, the club's first FA Cup-winning goalkeeper, in a ceremony at Anfield Cemetery on May 17. Scott, who died in 1936 aged 54, kept a clean sheet in the 1906 FA Cup final and played 289 games for Everton.
