Kevin Keegan

[TRon]

You would just never get that joy and excitement about going to a match now as you did then. You just can’t describe how amazing it all was. The excitement building up through the week, the whole day prior to the match and after it. The feeling of supreme confidence that no matter which team was coming to play, you knew you were going to thrash them. Never felt or will feel that kind of thing again. It was unique and an utter joy and privilege to have been a part of. The place was jumping man.

 

100% this. Incredible times....we may not have won anything but by god we had some fun.

 

I remember when we first signed him as a player, I was on holiday in Wales and me and my brother were playing in a park in Porthmadog when we got talking to this kid who was a Liverpool fan. He asked who we supported and when I said Newcastle, he said something like 'you must be happy you've signed Keegan'......we just assumed he was winding us up, as this was just too seismic a thing to believe, so we ran back to the boat we were staying on, and asked my Grandad to put the radio on. Sure enough, the news was confirmed, and as 12 and 9 year olds, we were absolutely delirious, I mean this was just huge news for a club in decline like ours that was dying on it's arse in the 2nd division. I had to wait until 6pm (cheaper calls) and rang my Dad from the phone box and pleaded with him to get us tickets for his debut, something that we never had to do before now. We came home a few days later and the players were doing a signing session at the old club shop in the West Stand car park, so I went across to town with my mate Ian. It was mobbed and Keegan was there with Imre Varadi, John Trewick and Kenny Wharton.....I was wearing my yellow Bukta away top and I was standing next to KK's big Mercedes when he got out 'Is that the away top, horrible that, we'll have to get it changed' he said to me and winked......I nearly passed out, the great man had spoken to me! I ended up getting it signed by all the players, Keegan's autograph beautifully executed on the back. I still have the shirt now 40 years later, and have passed it on to my son to look after

The next couple of weeks were just a blur of excitement leading up to the QPR game and the big day finally came. I went across on the bus with my Dad and brother and there were black and white tops everywhere in town, this was nothing like a normal match day. Fittingly, it was a glorious day and we and we went up to the Hodgson Arms and we sat outside while my Dad had a few pints with his mates, the singing inside and outside the pub was deafening and it was a party atmosphere. When we went to the ground, there were huge queues to the Gallowgate, but we had tickets for the East Stand benches, the first time I had sat at a game. The colour and the noise, everything felt like it had been turned up about 200% from the previous season, there was even a streaker in luminous green socks. Can't really remember much of the game, but had a great view as Keegan ran in and slid the ball under Hucker for the winner.....absolute carnage for the next 5 mins. I managed to watch all of KK's home games as an NUFC player, and even in the twilight of his career, he was light years ahead of anyone else on the pitch. Watching him Waddle & Beardsley for that one season together was incredible.

 

I hope if we do get taken over the first thing anyone does is name recognise Keegan's huge contribution to NUFC; nobody has done more for the club in modern times.

 

Happy birthday KK, you absolute legend.

 

 

This is beautiful thank you for sharing.

 

 

Ditto.

[Scoreboard82]

:lol:

 

Brilliant.

I was up above you in the Gallowgate wing of the Milburn Stand seats.

 

The Leazes wing of the Milburn Stand was the place to be back then. Full of absolute nutcases but they narve made a hell of a racket!

It was great in there back then. IIRC in KKs playing days the away fans would be in the end section of the Leazes, on the other side of the vehicle access bit? Sure i can remember a particularly lively atmosphere v Leeds one day. Think we won 2-1. I later got my 1st S/T in the Milburn centre paddock when Ossie was in charge, Around 1991. Not sure if there still was an East and centre paddock by then or it had been made into one big paddock?

[Wallsendmag]

:lol:

 

Brilliant.

I was up above you in the Gallowgate wing of the Milburn Stand seats.

 

The Leazes wing of the Milburn Stand was the place to be back then. Full of absolute nutcases but they narve made a hell of a racket!

It was great in there back then. IIRC in KKs playing days the away fans would be in the end section of the Leazes, on the other side of the vehicle access bit? Sure i can remember a particularly lively atmosphere v Leeds one day. Think we won 2-1. I later got my 1st S/T in the Milburn centre paddock when Ossie was in charge, Around 1991. Not sure if there still was an East and centre paddock by then or it had been made into one big paddock?

 

Back in 1991 the Milburn Paddocks were lettered from A to E. A and B were towards the Gallowgate End and D and E were the other side of the players tunnel towards the Leazes End. C Paddock straddled either side of the tunnel I think. Then the Leazes End was split into 3 Paddocks ( F, G and H, away fans were allocated H Paddock by 1991) and then the Gallowgate was 4 Paddocks (J which was "the corner", K which was "the Scoreboard", L and M, M was known as "the old man's corner").

 

It was a dump tbh but I just loved the place!

[Whitley mag]

:lol:

 

Brilliant.

I was up above you in the Gallowgate wing of the Milburn Stand seats.

 

The Leazes wing of the Milburn Stand was the place to be back then. Full of absolute nutcases but they narve made a hell of a racket!

It was great in there back then. IIRC in KKs playing days the away fans would be in the end section of the Leazes, on the other side of the vehicle access bit? Sure i can remember a particularly lively atmosphere v Leeds one day. Think we won 2-1. I later got my 1st S/T in the Milburn centre paddock when Ossie was in charge, Around 1991. Not sure if there still was an East and centre paddock by then or it had been made into one big paddock?

 

Back in 1991 the Milburn Paddocks were lettered from A to E. A and B were towards the Gallowgate End and D and E were the other side of the players tunnel towards the Leazes End. C Paddock straddled either side of the tunnel I think. Then the Leazes End was split into 3 Paddocks ( F, G and H, away fans were allocated H Paddock by 1991) and then the Gallowgate was 4 Paddocks (J which was "the corner", K which was "the Scoreboard", L and M, M was known as "the old man's corner").

 

It was a dump tbh but I just loved the place!

 

Aye the old place used to be edgy as fuck, one of the biggest crimes of the Hall era was up rooting the lads from the old Milburn Leazes wing. Used to always remember ‘we are the goerdie boys’ ringing out constantly from the promotion season. The old East Stand benches used to be good craic aswell, before later ending up in the east stand Gallowgate wing.

 

 

[UncleBingo]

:lol:

 

Brilliant.

I was up above you in the Gallowgate wing of the Milburn Stand seats.

 

The Leazes wing of the Milburn Stand was the place to be back then. Full of absolute nutcases but they narve made a hell of a racket!

It was great in there back then. IIRC in KKs playing days the away fans would be in the end section of the Leazes, on the other side of the vehicle access bit? Sure i can remember a particularly lively atmosphere v Leeds one day. Think we won 2-1. I later got my 1st S/T in the Milburn centre paddock when Ossie was in charge, Around 1991. Not sure if there still was an East and centre paddock by then or it had been made into one big paddock?

 

Back in 1991 the Milburn Paddocks were lettered from A to E. A and B were towards the Gallowgate End and D and E were the other side of the players tunnel towards the Leazes End. C Paddock straddled either side of the tunnel I think. Then the Leazes End was split into 3 Paddocks ( F, G and H, away fans were allocated H Paddock by 1991) and then the Gallowgate was 4 Paddocks (J which was "the corner", K which was "the Scoreboard", L and M, M was known as "the old man's corner").

 

It was a dump tbh but I just loved the place!

 

The E Wing Paddock was a great place to stand late 80's due to it's close proximity to the away fans, went to quite a few night games there. Was carnage in there for the mackems play off.

[Optimistic Nut]

 

3 games in, thank God Srnicek improved as time went by.

[Paully]

Sunday night game and there was a fair bit of bother in town!

 

[Candi_Hills]

Sunday night game and there was a fair bit of bother in town!

 

 

I loved that game. Kev’s team were unlucky and their one touch game was better than ours. He really had a unique ability to get average footballers playing great attacking football.

[Robster]

 

3 games in, thank God Srnicek improved as time went by.

 

Ah bloody hell, i've never seen that season in full since it happened. I'll watch that later.

Srnicek was bloody awful at first Just terrible on crosses

[Ketsbaia]

15 minutes in, I genuinely don't think I've ever seen a worse goalkeeper An incredible list of errors.

[Optimistic Nut]

Yep, he’d have been out of the door midway through the season with social media as it is today.

 

Up to where he got injured and Tommy Wright came in and he’s still no better yet. Roger Tames describing him as, ‘The Controversial Czech’.

 

He was never world-class but turned into a top 8-10 Premier League keeper in the end. Amazing turnaround.

[Wolfcastle]

Remember hearing talk of Srnicek's goal kicks going nearly to the other end of the pitch from reserve games as an initial impression.

 

That Man City game, always remember the "There's only one Kevin Keegan" chant (from us) early on, if not at kick-off,  blending into "There's only one Bobby Robson" which was perfect and profound. Like 'thanks we love you, but were with Sir Bobby now'

[Optimistic Nut]

Andy Ansah scoring against us for Southend. Went on the star as Assistant Manager in Sky One’s Dream Team. God we were bad.

[Optimistic Nut]

Had no idea that we started that season as favourites to go up too.

[Wallsendmag]

 

3 games in, thank God Srnicek improved as time went by.

 

Ah bloody hell, i've never seen that season in full since it happened. I'll watch that later.

Srnicek was bloody awful at first Just terrible on crosses

 

Used to play in tracksuit bottoms when he first arrived as well.

[Wandy]

Prior to Keegan arriving in the February, that 91/92 season was incredibly grim. A different kind of grim to that which we are currently experiencing, but exceptionally grim all the same.

[Wandy]

I still remember being in the Gallowgate corner when David Kelly's shot hit the net in that Portsmouth game. Not sure if I have ever celebrated a NUFC goal as much as that. It came at a point in the game when I had all but accepted that we were heading for the 3rd divison.

[Thomson Mouse]

Thank you to Disco[/member] for the reference to the Ten out of Ten video.

Was great watching that back.

Cannot remember that 4-0 cup win against Leicester !

 

Was the Anglo-Italian mind.

Got a lift to it by a mates dad and he was bit keen that we got out early to avoid the rush, pulled a pretend toilet trip and snook back in to catch Mickey Quinn's goal.

Later honed the technique to skive whole lessons at school and kill time at work.

 

Few weeks later my art-teacher tutor mocked up a laminated black and white birthday card with Keegan's face superimposed on a figure. Probably the material possession I've had and lost that I most miss now.

Gonna watch the Bristol City home-coming match this week. It really was a genuinely messianic feeling that week and that game to a kid just felt like something massive was happening the afternoon after I heard the news and all week.

 

I went to every home game that season including the Anglo Italian Cup games. We played Leicester, Ascoli and Cesena at home in the competition. Ascoli game was mental. David Kelly got sent off for King fu kicking one of their players and I somehow ended up on the pitch during all the chaos immediately after that. Only 9k or so there but it just went crazy. The Cesena match I remember because I took an inflatable hammer with me for some reason and it was confiscated at the turnstile. Was the lowest crowd I've ever been in at SJP (circ 4,600) and I remember a cat just strolling around an almost deserted Gallowgate end during the 2nd half.

 

Pretty sure we played Grimsby in the AI cup as well?

 

Seem to remember being there and sitting down in the away end with fish and chips and Quinny playing. Few months later in May you couldn’t move.

 

:lol:

 

Brilliant.

I was up above you in the Gallowgate wing of the Milburn Stand seats.

 

The Leazes wing of the Milburn Stand was the place to be back then. Full of absolute nutcases but they narve made a hell of a racket!

It was great in there back then. IIRC in KKs playing days the away fans would be in the end section of the Leazes, on the other side of the vehicle access bit? Sure i can remember a particularly lively atmosphere v Leeds one day. Think we won 2-1. I later got my 1st S/T in the Milburn centre paddock when Ossie was in charge, Around 1991. Not sure if there still was an East and centre paddock by then or it had been made into one big paddock?

 

Back in 1991 the Milburn Paddocks were lettered from A to E. A and B were towards the Gallowgate End and D and E were the other side of the players tunnel towards the Leazes End. C Paddock straddled either side of the tunnel I think. Then the Leazes End was split into 3 Paddocks ( F, G and H, away fans were allocated H Paddock by 1991) and then the Gallowgate was 4 Paddocks (J which was "the corner", K which was "the Scoreboard", L and M, M was known as "the old man's corner").

 

It was a dump tbh but I just loved the place!

 

Yeah, season ticket in 1991 in D paddock was 56 quid. Pretty sure A and E were general admission

[Thomson Mouse]

I still remember being in the Gallowgate corner when David Kelly's shot hit the net in that Portsmouth game. Not sure if I have ever celebrated a NUFC goal as much as that. It came at a point in the game when I had all but accepted that we were heading for the 3rd divison.

 

That day was amazing, the tension in the ground was something I’ve never experienced again

[TRon]

Prior to Keegan arriving in the February, that 91/92 season was incredibly grim. A different kind of grim to that which we are currently experiencing, but exceptionally grim all the same.

 

I remember being strangely fascinated by that season, it was Ardiles as manager right? It was weird because he was not only trying to bring that diamond formation to Newcastle but he was doing it with kids. I actually really admired what he was trying to do, but it was suicidal to do it with YTS kids and unheard of signings....who were also kids.

[Thomson Mouse]

Prior to Keegan arriving in the February, that 91/92 season was incredibly grim. A different kind of grim to that which we are currently experiencing, but exceptionally grim all the same.

 

I remember being strangely fascinated by that season, it was Ardiles as manager right? It was weird because he was not only trying to bring that diamond formation to Newcastle but he was doing it with kids. I actually really admired what he was trying to do, but it was suicidal to do it with YTS kids and unheard of signings....who were also kids.

 

Yeah it was. To be fair to Ardiles, Smith had spent a fair bit before him and failed, Aediles didnt have a lot to play with.

[Wandy]

:lol:

 

Brilliant.

I was up above you in the Gallowgate wing of the Milburn Stand seats.

 

The Leazes wing of the Milburn Stand was the place to be back then. Full of absolute nutcases but they narve made a hell of a racket!

It was great in there back then. IIRC in KKs playing days the away fans would be in the end section of the Leazes, on the other side of the vehicle access bit? Sure i can remember a particularly lively atmosphere v Leeds one day. Think we won 2-1. I later got my 1st S/T in the Milburn centre paddock when Ossie was in charge, Around 1991. Not sure if there still was an East and centre paddock by then or it had been made into one big paddock?

 

Back in 1991 the Milburn Paddocks were lettered from A to E. A and B were towards the Gallowgate End and D and E were the other side of the players tunnel towards the Leazes End. C Paddock straddled either side of the tunnel I think. Then the Leazes End was split into 3 Paddocks ( F, G and H, away fans were allocated H Paddock by 1991) and then the Gallowgate was 4 Paddocks (J which was "the corner", K which was "the Scoreboard", L and M, M was known as "the old man's corner").

 

It was a dump tbh but I just loved the place!

 

The one and only thing that I really envied the Mackems for in the 80s was that they had a roof over their home end. If the Gallowgate had a roof in those days the noise coming from it would have been unreal. Thats one of the main reasons I loved going to all of the away games back then as the away end would usually have a cowshed-style roof and the noise we generated in all those games was off the scale.

[TRon]

Prior to Keegan arriving in the February, that 91/92 season was incredibly grim. A different kind of grim to that which we are currently experiencing, but exceptionally grim all the same.

 

I remember being strangely fascinated by that season, it was Ardiles as manager right? It was weird because he was not only trying to bring that diamond formation to Newcastle but he was doing it with kids. I actually really admired what he was trying to do, but it was suicidal to do it with YTS kids and unheard of signings....who were also kids.

 

Yeah it was. To be fair to Ardiles, Smith had spent a fair bit before him and failed, Aediles didnt have a lot to play with.

 

Alan Thompson came through that season, I think there was one or two others who were canny as well. He also signed a couple of forwards who were quite pacy but crap  but can't for the life of me remember the names. Gary Brazil maybe, although not sure if that was a Smith signing, but there was another one who's name escapes me.

[Optimistic Nut]

I’ve heard Walker’s name before but honestly can’t remember or remember seeing Gavin Maguire’s name before, that seemed to play a couple of games at centre-back. Commentator says he made a similar cock up against Germany for Wales that week...looking at his Wiki he never played for Wales again.

 

Also a goal we conceded in one of Kilcline’s first games in that video, slowest I’ve literally ever seen a footballer running.

 

[HaydnNUFC]

Sunday night game and there was a fair bit of bother in town!

 

 

7pm kick off on a Sunday for a Keegan return, mental.