HUGHESY retweetledi
When Kevin Keegan left Southampton for Newcastle United in the summer of 1982, he was dropping out of the First Division to join a club that had just finished ninth in the Second Division.
Keegan had been voted PFA Player of the Year, scored 30 goals that season and was still the captain of England.
Newcastle were struggling financially and had not played in the top flight for four years.
But for Keegan, the move went much deeper than football.
His father Joe had been born into a family with strong connections to the North East and spent his life supporting Newcastle.
When Kevin was growing up in Armthorpe, Joe would tell him stories about Hughie Gallacher and Jackie Milburn.
“He used to talk about Newcastle United all the time.”
“He would have loved to have seen me play in the black and white stripes.”
Joe sadly died from cancer in 1976.
He had watched his son win league titles with Liverpool, lift the UEFA Cup and become one of the best players in England.
But he never got to see him play for Newcastle.
Six years later, when the opportunity came, Keegan knew it was something he wanted to do.
“I always felt that at some stage in my career I would play for Newcastle.”
“It was like coming home.”
Keegan had won the European Cup with Liverpool, twice been named Footballer of the Year and had just enjoyed the highest-scoring season of his career.
Now he was joining a Second Division club for £100,000.
For Newcastle supporters, it barely seemed believable.
Keegan was unveiled at the Gosforth Park Hotel and the headline in the local newspaper was simply:
“HERE HE IS.”
His first game came against Queens Park Rangers at St James’ Park.
Before kick-off, people kept trying to explain what the reception was going to be like.
“Whatever you think it’s going to be, you’re not going to believe what it’s like tomorrow.”
Keegan had heard that sort of thing before.
“I’m thinking, I’ve played at Liverpool, I’ve played in a European Cup final in Rome, I’ve played at Wembley.”
“Never knew anything like it.”
The noise came from every side of the ground.
Newcastle had struggled to attract 10,000 people for their final home match of the previous season.
For Keegan’s debut, more than 35,000 were inside St James’ Park.
With the game still goalless, Terry McDermott sent the ball across the penalty area and Keegan arrived to score at the Gallowgate End.
He ran behind the goal and threw himself into the supporters.
“I just wanted to stay there forever.”
That afternoon was the beginning of the relationship Keegan had gone to Newcastle looking for.
He had joined the club his father loved.
And once he felt what it meant to the people waiting for him there, one thought stayed with him.
“You can’t let them down.”
#football
English
