The Kevin Keegan tribute at St James’ Park on Sunday did what almost nothing else in English football can: it put Newcastle United and Liverpool supporters on the same side. Keegan’s family watched from the directors’ box as both sets of fans applauded the former England captain ahead of the Premier League season opener. Keegan, who played for both clubs before managing Newcastle, died last month aged 75 following a battle with cancer. A number of his former players from that first spell in charge on Tyneside were also in attendance.
The tribute at St James’ Park
Newcastle and Liverpool met for the first time since Keegan’s death, and both teams and both ends of the ground joined the applause before kick-off. His family sat in the directors’ box, alongside familiar faces from the Entertainers side he built in the 1990s. It was a rare moment of shared feeling between two supporter bases that agree on very little.
The reason the tribute carried across both sets of fans is straightforward. Keegan is one of a small group of figures with genuine standing at Anfield and on Tyneside, and neither claim to him is sentimental. He delivered trophies at one and a fundamental identity at the other.
What Keegan gave Liverpool
Between 1971 and 1977 Keegan won three First Division titles, two UEFA Cups and the 1977 European Cup with Liverpool, lifting the last of those in his final appearance for the club. He arrived from Scunthorpe as a lower-league signing and left as the most marketable footballer in England, which tells you how steep the curve was.
He then did something almost no English player of that era did: he left. The move to Hamburg in 1977 brought a Bundesliga title in 1979 and back-to-back Ballon d’Or awards in 1978 and 1979, making him the only English player to win the award in consecutive years.
What Keegan gave Newcastle
Keegan signed for Newcastle in 1982 when the club was in the second tier and helped drive promotion back to the First Division in 1984. That two-year spell as a player is why his return as manager in 1992 landed the way it did on Tyneside.
As manager between 1992 and 1997 he built the side known as the Entertainers, a team that attacked relentlessly and led the 1995-96 Premier League title race by a substantial margin before Manchester United reeled them in. Thirty years on, that season is still the most discussed near-miss in Premier League history.
England, and a legacy that outlasts the trophies
Keegan captained England and later managed the national team, taking charge between 1999 and 2000. He also managed Fulham and Manchester City, winning promotion with both, and returned to Newcastle for a short second spell in 2008.
His managerial record never matched his playing honours, and he would have said so himself. What survives instead is a style of football and a way of talking about it that made him one of the most quoted figures the English game has produced. Sunday’s applause at St James’ Park was for all of it.
FAQ
Why did Newcastle and Liverpool pay tribute to Kevin Keegan together?
Keegan played for both clubs, at Liverpool from 1971 to 1977 and at Newcastle from 1982, before returning to manage Newcastle. Their Premier League opener at St James’ Park was the first meeting between the sides since his death.
When did Kevin Keegan die?
He died last month at the age of 75 following a battle with cancer.
What did Kevin Keegan win as a player?
Three First Division titles, two UEFA Cups and the 1977 European Cup with Liverpool, a Bundesliga title with Hamburg in 1979, and back-to-back Ballon d’Or awards in 1978 and 1979.
What was the Newcastle Entertainers side?
It was the nickname for the Newcastle team Keegan managed between 1992 and 1997, known for its all-out attacking football. They led the 1995-96 Premier League title race before Manchester United overhauled them.
Did Kevin Keegan manage England?
Yes. He captained England as a player and later managed the national team from 1999 to 2000. He also managed Fulham, Manchester City and Newcastle.
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