On this day...

[Raconteur]

The inside story of Kevin Keegan's 'I would love it' interview: Did it cost Newcastle the title?

 

Newcastle United manager Kevin Keegan delivered a broadside at Alex Ferguson live on Sky

 

Approaching the 20th anniversary of Kevin Keegan’s infamous ‘I would love it’ interview, we are delighted to publish the chapter of Martin Hardy’s excellent Touching Distance that deals with one of the most iconic moments of a memorable season.

 

This is the inside story of the interview that is still remembered to this day.

Newcastle United v Leeds United, 30 April 1996

 

Kevin Keegan – Love Will Tear us Apart

 

The headset was adjusted into position, the red light on the camera flashed, and then the manager of Newcastle United was asked about comments Sir Alex Ferguson had made.

 

Keegan started calmly, but then the fire inside roared into life. He was about to make a piece of television history.

 

Manchester United’s victory over long-term foes Leeds United on 17 April had been scrappy and tight. The Reds had won 1–0 for the eighth time in the campaign. Alex Ferguson did not have a headset on and he did not wave a finger, but his anger looked real.

 

“For some it’s more important to get a result against Manchester United to stop us winning the league than anything else, which to me, they’re cheating their manager,” he said to the camera. “That’s all it is. Of course, when they come to Newcastle, you wait to see the difference.”

 

When the Newcastle team coach pulled into the car park next to the South Stand at Elland Road, it was mobbed. Mostly they were Newcastle fans who waved bits of paper in the air, but some wore the white of Leeds as well.

 

Keegan could not get off the bus such were the numbers. He began signing auto- graphs as Newcastle’s players made their way to the stadium, for such a huge game.

 

There were 5,000 Newcastle supporters in the John Charles Stand at Elland Road. They had barely settled in a fixture in which there was historically no love lost between the supporters of both clubs when a cross came over from the right and Keith Gillespie headed the ball back across the face of the goal and into the top corner of the Leeds net.

 

It was a scrap. Howard Wilkinson had been given everything his struggling players possessed. It was still not enough to stop Newcastle, who were finding resilience at the right time.

 

The gap to Manchester United was back down to three points.

 

Keegan walked down the cinder track with Wilkinson and the pair chatted. He went to his players in the dressing room and said well done.

 

“It’s funny really,” says Terry McDermott. “He came on to the coach, he was going home in his car, he lived over in Yarm, he wasn’t far away and he got on the coach.

 

“I’m just going to do the TV,” he was laughing. We’d won one-nil. He was happy as Larry. “I’m going to shoot,” he said. “I’ve got to do the press and I’ll speak to you later, if not in the morning. I went, ‘OK, mate, see you later’.”

 

Richard Keys and Andy Gray were in the Sky studio. What followed will never be forgotten.

The interview

 

Richard Keys: “Why do you think all that was happening, Kevin, tension on the night?”

 

Kevin Keegan: “I don’t think you can discount it. We just want to keep our hopes alive and a lot of things have been said over the last few days, some of it slanderous. We’ve never commented. We’ve just got on working, trying to pass the ball like we do in training. I think you’ve got to send Alex Ferguson a tape of this game, haven’t you? Isn’t that what he asked for?”

 

Andy Gray: “Well, I’m sure if he was watching it tonight, Kevin, he could have no arguments about the way Leeds went about their job and really tested your team.”

 

Keegan: “And . . . and . . . we . . . we’re playing Notts Forest on Thursday . . . and he objected to that! Now that was fixed up for months ago. We’re supposed to play Notts Forest. I mean that sort of stuff, we . . . is, it’s been . . . we’re bet– we’re bigger than that.”

 

Richard Keys: “But that’s part and parcel of the psychology of the game, Kevin, isn’t it?”

 

Andy Gray: “No, I don’t think so.”

 

Keegan: “No! When you do that, with footballers, like he said about Leeds, and when you do things like that about a man like Stuart Pearce. I’ve kept really quiet, but I’ll tell you something, he went down in my estimation when he said that.

 

“But I’ll tell ya – you can tell him now if you’re watching it – we’re still fighting for this title and he’s got to go to Middlesbrough and get something, and I tell you honestly, I will love it if we beat them. Love it!”

 

Keys: “Well, quite plainly the message is, it’s a long way from over and you’re still in there scrapping and battling and you’ll take any of these as long as you continue to get the results’.

 

Keegan: “I think football in this country is so honest and so, honestly, when you look abroad you’ve got your doubts. But it really has got to me and I, I, I’ve not voiced it live, not in front of the press or anywhere – I’m not even going to the press conference, but the battle’s still on and Man United have not won this yet!”

 

The reference to Nottingham Forest’s Stuart Pearce was because Keegan had agreed to take Newcastle to the City Ground for his testimonial after the season had finished. The game would take place eight days after the two teams met in Newcastle’s penultimate game of the season. That was enough to irk Ferguson.

 

The first Newcastle fans who were there knew of the outburst was on the Radio Five news. It led the programme. The car park at the back of the John Charles Stand was strangled by traffic trying to get home. Keegan’s tone went up in the car speakers. Nobody said a word. As soon as the piece had finished, there was a roar in that car. ‘Come on!’

 

To supporters it was a rallying cry. Nobody wanted to give up.

What did the players think?

 

As soon as the interview had finished, the players of Newcastle United on the team bus found their mobile phones heating up.

 

“‘Bloody hell, have you heard Kevin?’ that’s what we were told,” says McDermott. “Listen to this. We had the telly on. Jesus Christ, I couldn’t believe it. “I’d love it, love it. This is not finished yet, we can still go and win.”

 

“He was right as rain going into the interview. He wasn’t saying, “I’m going to show that bastard.” We’d just won, he was in good fettle. I was more shocked than anybody.

 

“He phoned me, I said, “What the hell was that?” He said, “Ah, sod him.” At the time he didn’t really like Ferguson.”

 

Keegan was unrepentant.

 

“Where Alex Ferguson annoyed me, it wasn’t anything about Newcastle, it was about football,” he says.

 

“He more or less said other teams wouldn’t try as hard against us as they would against Man United. Call it mind games, call it what you want. It got beyond football that.

 

“It’s insinuating in my mind that teams won’t try and they will throw games. At times it’s hard to go after a match. We’d won that match at Leeds when I did the interview. I had the cans on and I didn’t realise how loud I was shouting.

Read more: The inside story of Phillipe Albert - from Touching Distance

 

“You have to look at it and say it was part of that season, the emotions of that season, the roller-coaster ride.”

 

Ferguson had been on a long lunch with Roy Evans and two journalists by the time he sat at home, in front of his television. He was more concerned about the wrath of his wife, Cathy, than the mood of Kevin Keegan.

 

“I sat in my favourite seat to watch the closing minutes, hoping that Leeds would snatch an equaliser,” he said in his autobiography.

 

“After the final whistle, I started to attempt an explanation of why I was so late and was stopped dead in my tracks by Kevin’s outburst. God, I felt for him. Looking at replays later, I was better able to digest what he said and at first it made me feel a bit guilty.

 

“Then I thought to myself that I had done nothing wrong. I had said something that related to the honesty of the game, which I had a right to do.

 

“I stress again, my words were not directed at Newcastle or Kevin but at Leeds players. I had always got on well with Kevin and had given him some advice in his early days at Newcastle.

 

“Although I was a little disappointed he attacked me, I just put it down to pressure. There was plenty of that still round.”

 

McDermott concurs. “Mind games?” he adds. “Load of b*llocks, absolute b*llocks. Mind games don’t score a goal, a player does. Do you care what your manager says? No you don’t.”

 

Keith Gillespie got off the team bus in Newcastle and went to a nightclub.

 

“We were on the coach and somebody was speaking to a girlfriend,’ he says. “That was when somebody said what had happened. We watched it on the bus. I loved the passion he shows, not many managers would do that. He was so for us winning the league.

 

“Him showing that sort of passion was great for the fans. I know people take the piss about “I’d love it”, but to me it was an absolutely brilliant reaction. I don’t think any of the players would say it put any pressure on us.”

 

Touching Distance, published by deCoubertin books, is available to purchase from www.touchingdistance.com

 

The author, Martin Hardy, has been shortlisted for the best New Writer at the 2016 Cross Sports Book Awards for Touching Distance. Contact the author on twitter @mhardysport.

 

[Guest firetotheworks]

“Him showing that sort of passion was great for the fans. I know people take the piss about “I’d love it”, but to me it was an absolutely brilliant reaction. I don’t think any of the players would say it put any pressure on us.”

 

Exactly what Beresford, Ginola, and Howey all said on Time of Our Lives as well.

[Conjo]

Thanks Raconteur

[Robster]

 

[summerof69]

Can’t post it but there a class video from the bbc archive of the welcome for the losing game cup team of 1974

[Greg]

[summerof69]

Thanks Greg

[bigfella]

 

Me and my dad were in the west stand paddock for this,  just to the right of the bit with Supermac and Joe Harvey in the director's box. Absolutely staggering support,  especially considering how embarrassing we'd been in the final.

[Yorkie]

 

Lost for words.

[Magpie]

Twenty six years ago. TWENTY SIX. I am old.

 

[Disco]

An 8 year old Discman getting his legs crushed in the paddock because we weirdly gave Leicester the full Leazes.

[Colos Short and Curlies]

Twenty six years ago. TWENTY SIX. I am old.

 

 

Must be faked, Andy Cole is smiling

[TheGuv]

15 years since we drew 1-1 with Wolves on the last day of the season to finish 5th. How times have changed - a great report by NUFC.com at the time

 

 

Amazing, incredible, unbelievable.

 

Three days after the semi-final of a European Cup competition and with a top four league place up for grabs, Newcastle are booed by a section of their own supporters and then handed a colossal vote of no confidence in the manager and players by a collective walkout at the final whistle.

But when the dust settles on this apparent show of petulance and emotions are checked back enough to allow for a modicum of perspective, then the reasons for this display of social disobedience have been plain to see for months. Since around 4pm on the first day of our season to be exact.

At that juncture, Newcastle fans were filing out of Elland Road after a 2-2 draw from a Sunday afternoon early kickoff, having just seen their side scrape a point from a game they should have won against a piecemeal Leeds side who even at that juncture looked to be in the proverbial - reminiscent of back in August 1988 when losing at Everton......

In our report of Leeds game, we finished by saying, "there's no real evidence of progression from last season at this admittedly very early stage" as well as saying of Bowyer that "this right wing role doesn't seem a good use of his talents." Two statements that have almost been repeated mantra-like ever since.

Can I just say straight away, before keyboards are abused and poison pens picked up, that booing is not something that we subscribe to. The arguments for doing it in certain circumstances are beyond question, whether you choose to throw in the examples of anger expression ranging from the suffragettes to Solidarity in Poland.

 

It's just something that just doesn't come into our heads - a bit like loser's parades. Just give us a quick wave and then everyone can go home and forget about it, don't play the extra extended 12 inch half-paced mix of Local Hero before traipsing out long-forgotten juniors and glum-looking crocks.

We didn't even have the Northumberland Senior Cup to hide behind this year - the only thing we've won was when Shearer's horse was first past the post....perhaps that should have been on the field, a nice bit of manure might have improved things.... 

No, something snapped collectively amongst the crowd on Sunday when Wolves equalised. It had been almost eerily quiet beforehand, aside from the celebration of the Bowyer goal, people too tense, depressed or sullen to try and lift the team.

 

A second goal before the interval might have masked the fraying edges and extinguished any remaining embers of ambition for the visitors, but the same piece of woodwork that had denied Drogba and Terry in the last two games was there at the Leazes end for Shola to bounce his shot off.

 

As it was we left the field for the interval having missed three good chances to augment Bowyer's effort and if the atmosphere wasn't hostile, then there was a certainly an air of apprehension.

 

That had become outright hostility by the time Wolves scored and then festered as Robert embarked upon a series of ludicrous efforts to tackle, win and then keep and pass the ball, to howls of derision. He was eventually withdrawn and replaced via a mixed reception of boos, catcalls and applause, but missing was the old shout of "Hugo Hugo" when the Portuguese midfielder emerged, the booing continuing as he entered the action. Some people were so het up I doubt they knew Chopra was on as well.

 

Amid an atmosphere of total negativity and fractiousness, those on the field became ever more desperate in their efforts and consequently their waywardness. In a word, rattled. Wolves sensed it and in their own half-baked style tried to impose themselves, Ince producing a cameo of his former fiery self with some thuggery and arguing with colleagues.

Then, apparent salvation. From the far end of the ground there was mixed opinion over why we were awarded a spot kick, but no doubt that the ball was on the spot and that the man placing it there was en route to his 29th goal of the season.

 

Only there was a doubt. A colossal doubt. Not for one second did I believe Al would score and the same line was repeated time and time again when asking fellow drinkers after the match. Who knows why? Maybe we are just fated to foul up, very publicly.

Under those strained circumstances, the announcement from the "I was only obeying orders" PA man of a post-match tramp round the field just further stirred up the emotions of people who had seen enough.

Seen enough: bad play, boring games, questionable tactics, unenjoyable wins, players not trying, fellow fans not getting involved, people walking out, inaccurate newspaper articles, patronising player interviews.

 

Ten months of slowly fermenting frustration, now mutating into sheer bloody disappointment once more. 

 

I think it's safe to say that not one person walked out of this ground thinking about Boro winning the tinpot league cup, but in a way that's part of the problem. We may mock, but we cannot even excel to that extent. Generations of fans are now reared on disappointment.

 

Bobby and Co. may have cringed and griped at the booing, but they should reflect that it was typically British - in other places they would have waved handkerchiefs, (like his beloved Barca) hoyed cushions or bottles or come on the field and attacked those held to account.

(Long gone from proceedings, television footage later confirmed that Robert had taken part in the post-match cortege, filming his own personal long march with a camcorder - maybe he just wanted to gather evidence in case someone came out of what remained of the crowd and smacked him one.)

 

Partizan Belgrade is seen as a watershed for the club in recent times, but the seeds of discontent were sewn at Elland Road and the countless other homes of second-rate clubs that we underachieved in all season.

 

That feeling was crystalised on Thursday, when we were potentially ten minutes away from a UEFA Cup final. One goal would have put us level with Marseille and made for a nervous end to the game amongst the citizens of the Velodrome. But we never looked like getting it and continued to play in an unconvincing, dispiriting manner right to the end.

And here on Sunday it all fell down. Would 50,000 fans cheering themselves hoarse at the end of this game have sent the team off in better shape to win those last two games? It would have been nice to find out, but I doubt it - things like that don't seem to matter to that lot on the field anymore, expect when tossing off bland platitudes in interviews. After all, it didn't work at Wembley did it?

Never mind that we were without certain players. We've been without Bellamy and Woodgate as much as we've seen them and the contributions of Jenas and Dyer overall this season could be recorded on the back of a Bacardi Breezer bottle top. 

On Thursday and Sunday, we had a team on the pitch composed of professional footballers acquired at great expense, cosseted, well-remunerated and with the potential to be the focus of adulation for decades to come. Just ask Bob Moncur.

 

Once again though as Jim Bowen would say, we got close enough to see what we could have won, before tossing it all away. We failed to beat a tinpot, tosspot team from Wolverhampton yet again and you wonder why people get upset?

Paying through the nose to sit (and stand) through a mind-bogglingly mediocre campaign doesn't leave one well-disposed to sympathising with the people appointed to carry your hopes and dreams, who week after week do a good impression of rubbing your face in the muck. And knowing that the rest of the league barring one team are utterly bloody ordinary just makes it worse.

 

Bobby may wail about bleeding black and white and pin on his toon army medals, but he was many, many miles away when we suffered in near-silence the tribulations of the Dalglish and Gullit eras. It's a mite unfair, but those on the field on Sunday bore the brunt of successive failed administrations and countless regrettable signings in recent decades.

Thanks for trying Bobby, but it's defeated you, like all the rest. We've cheered you, we've supported you and now we just plain don't believe you anymore. And neither do the players. We got close, we've almost failed. Again.

We'll now trudge off to Hampshire and Merseyside with whatever the opposite of hope in our hearts is. But not boo.

[Yorkie]

Hmm, still a pretty controversial take in hindsight imo. Only lost once at home after August and participated in an exciting European campaign which helped to remedy the Partizan fiasco; probably earned them a better send off. They beat Abromivich Chelsea Version I only a week prior to that Wolves game, too.

[HaydnNUFC]

Hmm, still a pretty controversial take in hindsight imo. Only lost once at home after August and participated in an exciting European campaign which helped to remedy the Partizan fiasco; probably earned them a better send off. They beat Abromivich Chelsea Version I only a week prior to that Wolves game, too.

 

From what I've heard (as I was only 3 going on 4 year old at the time ) was that a large section of fans had had enough after the performance in Marseille and that being our 15th draw in a season which the football became a bit dour. Whether that was down to Sir Bobby, the people above him or the players' performances I don't know.

[Disco]

Some fair rubbish in that IMO.

 

But the authors will likely be delighted booing foreign soft cunts hasn’t gone out of fashion and nor has bemoaning players that cost money. They’ll still be yearning for the heroes of yesteryear who were real British men and would be wildly out of place in the modern game. They got exactly what they wished for too.

 

I don’t remember it being that bad at all. And I used to regularly travel up for games from the south coast that could have easily been sacked off. I still think a portion of fans don’t want success because they want to be able to reminisce about a past that didn’t exist whinging as they do so about how it’s not as good as it used to be. Same people who were pro Pards and are ambiguous against Ashley as in the 70s you used to have to bathe in piss at half time or whatever bollocks.

[WarrenBartonCentrePartin]

It was just apathy from what I recall. My mate and I stayed for the lame lap like, cos we were 15 and had nowhere else to be. You could take the game as a microcosm - we failed to kill off a shit side and it felt like it'd been the story of the season.

 

The blame lay - and still lies - with Shepherd and the board. We'd been in the CL the season before, finished third only signed Lee Bowyer. A proper chance to kick on and we well and truly fucked it.

 

Said it in the other thread when we were discussing the worst strikers/midfielders/defenders - we got into the CL with a below-par back four. We were punching.

[Guest]

We won 2 out of 19 games away from home and for much of the season were battling with Charlton & Aston Villa around the top 5/6 places. Obviously now we’d be chuffed with 5th but from where we should have been, it was a below average season. We were only close to 4th for so long because Liverpool weren’t at their best either. I think 60 points would have got CL football that season.

[WarrenBartonCentrePartin]

We won 2 out of 19 games away from home and for much of the season were battling with Charlton & Aston Villa around the top 5/6 places. Obviously now we’d be chuffed with 5th but from where we should have been, it was a below average season. We were only close to 4th for so long because Liverpool weren’t at their best either. I think 60 points would have got CL football that season.

 

Should've beaten Southampton in the midweek afterwards, too.

[Disco]

We won 2 out of 19 games away from home and for much of the season were battling with Charlton & Aston Villa around the top 5/6 places. Obviously now we’d be chuffed with 5th but from where we should have been, it was a below average season. We were only close to 4th for so long because Liverpool weren’t at their best either. I think 60 points would have got CL football that season.

 

Should've beaten Southampton in the midweek afterwards, too.

 

Alan fucking Blayny. Twat.

 

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Twenty six years ago. TWENTY SIX. I am old.

 

 

❤️

[WarrenBartonCentrePartin]

We won 2 out of 19 games away from home and for much of the season were battling with Charlton & Aston Villa around the top 5/6 places. Obviously now we’d be chuffed with 5th but from where we should have been, it was a below average season. We were only close to 4th for so long because Liverpool weren’t at their best either. I think 60 points would have got CL football that season.

 

Should've beaten Southampton in the midweek afterwards, too.

 

Alan fucking Blayny. Twat.

 

At least Leandre Griffit went on to be a raving success with Union Royale La Louvière Centre

[Guest neesy111]

Hmm, still a pretty controversial take in hindsight imo. Only lost once at home after August and participated in an exciting European campaign which helped to remedy the Partizan fiasco; probably earned them a better send off. They beat Abromivich Chelsea Version I only a week prior to that Wolves game, too.

 

From what I've heard (as I was only 3 going on 4 year old at the time ) was that a large section of fans had had enough after the performance in Marseille and that being our 15th draw in a season which the football became a bit dour. Whether that was down to Sir Bobby, the people above him or the players' performances I don't know.

 

 

My dad said fans had enough of too many near misses, that Marseille performance was pitiful mind.

[Guest neesy111]

That was the moment we should have moved Robson upstrairs as well, some of his decisions that season were utterly bizarre.

[Guest]