Hail to the King...

The passing of Kevin Keegan brought some unexpected feelings last week.

Obviously there was sadness with the news, a flood of nostalgia and thoughts of those moments we all remember.

For me there was an acknowledgement of where I am now and what it means.

I’m a Newcastle fan and I’m a Newcastle fan largely because of Kevin Keegan. It’s mainly his fault.

Being in Belfast during the 90s we didn’t get a lot of glamorous visitors. Big events and stars came but once the obligations were done they very quickly headed to the airport. Belfast wasn’t the weekend visit spot it has become back then sadly.

August 1994 Newcastle United came to visit. They were the opposition at a testimonial game for Billy Bingham. He had stepped down as manager in November of 1993 after failure to qualify for Italia ‘90 and USA ‘94.

The game itself hasn’t lingered long in my memory despite a 2-5 win for Newcastle and my Dad leaning in to tell me that seeing both George Best and Kevin Keegan on the pitch at the same time was a privilege that few could ever say they had seen.

The impact of the game though remains.

I became a Newcastle fan that night.

I made my choice and I did so with very little knowledge of the game itself but because of what I experienced. Dazzled by star power and the passion of the travelling Geordie faithful I made my decision.

From there things were always a case of coming close.

The league, the sale of Andy Cole to a hated rival, the protest and how Keegan dealt with it, that post match interview, Keegan slumped over the hoarding at Anfield thanks to Stan Collymore. Shearer signing and the masses coming to welcome home one of their own.

I was invested. I was all in.

Even during the Ashley era and the second coming of Kev. Despite the fall out from James Milner being sold to Villa and the inevitable departure of Keegan, without a helicopter this time, I was on board.

The ups, the downs (literal and figurative) I was as passionate as any.

Recent seasons thought I’ve become a little detached. The current ownership and my moral compass are out of sync. The Carabao Cup win brought tears and since then I’ve almost felt on the verge of walking away because this relationship doesn’t feel like it once did.

When the news of Keegan’s passing broke I remembered what he meant to me. The entertainment, the thrill of the chase, the joy and the disappointment, the ecstasy and the agony and why this club all those miles away still matters to me.

Distance was irrelevant , I felt every ball kicked, every tackle won and every goal conceded. He was THE personality in a sea of bland managerial interviews. He felt everything and as a consequence we did to. I never wanted to beat Man Utd more than after that ‘I would love it’ interview. Keegan made me feel connected.

There over 6000 at Bingham’s testimonial that night in Windsor Park. Sometimes I wonder if anyone else became a Newcastle fan that night as a a consequence. I have nothing but gratitude for Kevin Keegan and what he did all those years ago.

What do I do now?

I think the right thing to do is say here quite simply thank you and to the club I decided to follow that night, maybe it’s time to try and reconnect.

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