There are some moments in football that remind you the game is about far more than just three points, and the planned tribute to Kevin Keegan before Newcastle's Premier League opener against Liverpool looks like being one of them. The two clubs are in discussions about how best to honour the man before they kick off their league seasons at St James' Park on Sunday 23rd August, and honestly, it is hard to think of a more fitting occasion to do it.
Keegan, of course, means everything to both sets of supporters. Liverpool fans watched him become one of the best players in the country during the 1970s, winning league titles and European Cups in that iconic red shirt. Then Newcastle fans got the other side of the story, first as a player who helped drag the club back up the football pyramid, and then as the manager who turned St James' Park into one of the most electric atmospheres in English football during the 1990s. The man genuinely loved that club, and that club genuinely loved him back.
To have this tribute at St James' Park specifically feels right. That ground was his home in a way that goes beyond just playing or managing there. When Keegan was in the dugout for Newcastle, they were genuinely exciting to watch, and even as a Manchester United fan who remembers the title race of 1996, you have to respect what he built on Tyneside. The famous "I would love it" rant is still one of the greatest pieces of football television ever made, and he meant every single word of it.
Both clubs getting together to make this happen is a lovely touch. It would have been easy for each side to do their own thing separately, but sharing the moment before a competitive game shows real class from everyone involved. Football does this sort of thing well when it tries, and this is definitely one of those times it is trying.
Keegan deserves a proper send-off from the two clubs where he made his biggest mark, and it sounds like that is exactly what he is going to get. Let me know your thoughts.