Kevin Keegan, who died aged 75, had a three-act relationship with Newcastle United that was gripping from start to finish. As a player and twice as manager, he transformed the club, making it more vivid and exciting, but each stint ended in tear-stained exits due to boardroom tensions.
Keegan's Playing Days and Emotional Ties
Keegan joined Newcastle from Southampton in 1982 for £100,000, a bold move by manager Arthur Cox backed by a sponsorship deal with Scottish & Newcastle. At 31, Keegan was a two-time Ballon d'Or winner in the latter stages of his career, but he felt destined for Newcastle. His father Joe, a miner and fervent Newcastle fan, had told him stories of Hughie Gallacher and Jackie Milburn, and his grandfather Frank had saved 26 lives in the West Stanley pit disaster in 1909. Keegan scored on his home debut against QPR and hurled himself into the Gallowgate End, saying, "I wanted to show the fans I was one of them. I wanted to stay for ever."
Promotion and First Exit
Newcastle finished seventh that season and, with Peter Beardsley signed from Vancouver Whitecaps, won promotion the following season. Keegan then retired, fearing his legs were no longer swift enough for the top tier. His testimonial against Liverpool ended with him departing in a helicopter from the pitch, with Roy Orbison's 'It's Over' playing. A 13-year-old ballboy named Alan Shearer was among those waving goodbye.
Managerial Return: From Relegation to Title Contenders
In February 1992, Keegan returned to manage a team in danger of relegation to the third tier. He ordered and paid for a full fumigation of the training ground and led Newcastle from second bottom to safety in his first 16 games. The next season, propelled by Rob Lee and Andy Cole, they won the second-tier title and finished third in their first Premier League season, with Beardsley back. Thousands turned out to watch training sessions at Durham University, and assistant Terry McDermott bought sandwiches from Marks & Spencer for the squad.
The 'Entertainers' Era and Heartbreak
In January 1995, Keegan confronted angry fans after selling Andy Cole to Manchester United for a record £7m, telling them to "trust his judgment." Newcastle finished sixth in 1994-95, then challenged for the title in 1995-96 with Les Ferdinand and David Ginola. They led by 12 points in January but were reeled in by Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, inspired by Eric Cantona. Keegan brought Shearer home for a world-record £15m, but tensions with the board and Ferguson took their toll. On 8 January 1997, Keegan resigned, with the Evening Chronicle dubbing it "Black Wednesday." Players were "visibly shaken."
Third Stint and Sad Finale
After managing Fulham, England, and Manchester City, Keegan retired in 2005 but returned in January 2008 when owner Mike Ashley convinced him to replace Sam Allardyce. However, tensions with director of football Dennis Wise arose when Wise signed Xisco without Keegan's knowledge and attempted to sell Michael Owen behind his back. Keegan resigned on 4 September 2008 after a three-day standoff. In October 2009, a tribunal upheld his claim of constructive dismissal, and Newcastle were ordered to pay him £2m. The third exit was a sad finale to an exhilarating drama.
