Cult Clubs - Newcastle United 'The Entertainers' 1992-1997
Cult Clubs: Newcastle United 'The Entertainers' 1992-1997
Kevin Keegan is known as 'King Kev' on Tyneside. But we will get back to that later...
John Lennon could have written a million songs about love, and none of them would ever have held such a permanent position in musical folklore as “imagine” does.
Martin Luther King spoke a lot about peace and love, but yet he will always be synonymous with having a dream. America was built up into the richest and most powerful nation in the world on the ideology of the American Dream.
Closer to home, Noel Edmonds achieved remarkable success with deal or no deal, after dubbing the tea time classic game show the ‘dream factory’. I could go on but I think you get the point...
A certain Mr Kevin Keegan is perhaps the biggest dreamer English football has ever seen. He dreamed boldly, he dreamed loudly and he dreamed bigger than even the most optimistic of supporters had dared to do before.
For a whirlwind, short lived, sensational spell in the early part of the 1990’s, Kevin Keegan took a side that was rock bottom of the old Second division and gave Newcastle United supporters a glimpse of what life could be like amongst the very top European elite clubs.
Anybody and everybody feels love at some point in their lives, love is a constant. The imagination of love is such a powerful tool to harness. This love of a club is what 'King Kev' used to his advantage. You see if you can capture the imagination, you can make people feel that anything is possible.
To say that Kevin Keegan caught the imagination on Tyneside, first as a player, and then on his return for his first stint in management, doesn’t even begin to tell the story of this footballing romance. It was so intense that it burned out almost as quickly as it sparked, but is still remembered just as passionately more than 20 years on.
Originally brought in during February 1992, as a desperate attempt by the board to stave off relegation to the third tier of English football for the first time in the clubs history, Keegan always had his eyes set on something bigger.
Sir John Hall, the clubs owner had ambitions of his own too of course, and will be remembered for bank rolling the most decorated spell in Newcastle’s recent history. But things weren’t always rosy between the pair. Keegan developed a reputation for playing brinksmanship and on several occasions threatened to leave the club unless he felt he was being completely backed, both in terms of his transfer budgets, but also his management decisions.
He wasn’t just a coach, Keegan was in full control of every aspect of the playing side of Newcastle United. From recruitment and contract negotiations, to staffing issues and even the controversial disbanding of the reserve team. Everything had to be done in his vision.
Surviving by the skin of their teeth, the Magpies would go on to steamroller the new First Division the following campaign and gain promotion to the Premier League as champions. The additions of striker Andy Cole from Bristol City, and central midfielder Rob Lee of Charlton Athletic, would prove to be particularly genius.
That summer, in preparation for a debut season in the top tier, a veteran Peter Beardsley was brought back to his hometown club in order to sprinkle some more attacking flair into the side.
That first season in the top flight was a resounding success. Andy Cole would score 40 goals and be the leagues top scorer as 'The Toon' marched on to a 3rd place finish and secure European football for the following campaign.
That success was probably beyond most supporters wildest expectations, however Keegan continued to dream even bigger. That summer he would bring in Belgian international centre half Philippe Albert and a speedy winger called Ruel Fox. The manager was never just content with what he had.
Keegan also had a ruthless streak. After a fallout with supporters favourite Andy Cole, he sold his star striker to the Magpies biggest rivals at the top of the league - Manchester United. There was uproar in Newcastle at the time, but Keegan never shirked and never shied away from facing the questions that came his way. Instead he took to the steps of St James Park and asked the supporters to trust him, he knew what he was doing.
The side finished that season in Sixth place. Questions would be asked about how Newcastle could possibly replace their best player and the countries most lethal marksman. But Keegan always had a plan.
That summer he embarked on a lavish spending spree which would see him build one of the most iconic teams in Premiership history. French winger David Ginola arrived from Paris Saint Germain, right back Warren Barton became the most expensive defender in English history. Les Ferdinand would also join for a club record £6m from QPR - Newcastle had found their replacement for the irreplaceable.
The first half of the 95-96 season would see Newcastle gain the nickname of “The Entertainers”, one which will now surely always stick with a side that played some of the most outrageous, swashbuckling, brutally mercilously attacking football the country has ever seen. By Christmas they would be 12 points clear at the top and looking odds on favourites for the title.
Everyone knows how the story pans out from there. Newcastle would stutter at key moments in the second half of the campaign, but also luck would fail them. A sensational goalkeeping performance, and a lick of paint on the crossbar would deny them a victory over rivals Man Utd at home, as an inspired Schmeichel kept them at bay, before Eric Cantona hit with a late sucker punch to steal the points. Liverpool would come out victorious in a game remembered as the leagues greatest ever, taking the spoils 4-3 at Anfield on a night that saw Keegan slumped over the advertising hoardings drained by the drama on the pitch. Even the low points of his tenure were breathtaking and unbelievable.
It’s perhaps ironic that for a man that dared to dream bigger than anyone before him, Keegan’s outfit would be beaten to the title by a side that played their home games in the “Theatre of Dreams”, and even more so that this dreamer will always be remembered more by those away from St James Park for his “I’D LOVE IT” rant than perhaps his greatest ever quote:
“I want people to dream about their football club. They should, we should all be dreamers at heart. Some people are the opposite and say “we can’t do that”, but when you ask them why, they can’t give a reason. Well I say, “why not?!” “
In January 1997, Keegan heartbreakingly resigned as Magpies manager citing "I feel I have taken the club as far as i can". He was replaced by former Premier League winning manager Kenny Dalglish.
The memories and tales from that Newcastle side will live on through the generations.
Kevin Keegan captured the imagination on Tyneside. He won the hearts and minds of supporters. He gave them a dream, and in return they made him their King
Rob Danson 2018
Kevin Keegan is known as 'King Kev' on Tyneside. But we will get back to that later...
John Lennon could have written a million songs about love, and none of them would ever have held such a permanent position in musical folklore as “imagine” does.
Martin Luther King spoke a lot about peace and love, but yet he will always be synonymous with having a dream. America was built up into the richest and most powerful nation in the world on the ideology of the American Dream.
Closer to home, Noel Edmonds achieved remarkable success with deal or no deal, after dubbing the tea time classic game show the ‘dream factory’. I could go on but I think you get the point...
A certain Mr Kevin Keegan is perhaps the biggest dreamer English football has ever seen. He dreamed boldly, he dreamed loudly and he dreamed bigger than even the most optimistic of supporters had dared to do before.
For a whirlwind, short lived, sensational spell in the early part of the 1990’s, Kevin Keegan took a side that was rock bottom of the old Second division and gave Newcastle United supporters a glimpse of what life could be like amongst the very top European elite clubs.
Anybody and everybody feels love at some point in their lives, love is a constant. The imagination of love is such a powerful tool to harness. This love of a club is what 'King Kev' used to his advantage. You see if you can capture the imagination, you can make people feel that anything is possible.
To say that Kevin Keegan caught the imagination on Tyneside, first as a player, and then on his return for his first stint in management, doesn’t even begin to tell the story of this footballing romance. It was so intense that it burned out almost as quickly as it sparked, but is still remembered just as passionately more than 20 years on.
Originally brought in during February 1992, as a desperate attempt by the board to stave off relegation to the third tier of English football for the first time in the clubs history, Keegan always had his eyes set on something bigger.
Sir John Hall, the clubs owner had ambitions of his own too of course, and will be remembered for bank rolling the most decorated spell in Newcastle’s recent history. But things weren’t always rosy between the pair. Keegan developed a reputation for playing brinksmanship and on several occasions threatened to leave the club unless he felt he was being completely backed, both in terms of his transfer budgets, but also his management decisions.
He wasn’t just a coach, Keegan was in full control of every aspect of the playing side of Newcastle United. From recruitment and contract negotiations, to staffing issues and even the controversial disbanding of the reserve team. Everything had to be done in his vision.
Surviving by the skin of their teeth, the Magpies would go on to steamroller the new First Division the following campaign and gain promotion to the Premier League as champions. The additions of striker Andy Cole from Bristol City, and central midfielder Rob Lee of Charlton Athletic, would prove to be particularly genius.
That summer, in preparation for a debut season in the top tier, a veteran Peter Beardsley was brought back to his hometown club in order to sprinkle some more attacking flair into the side.
That first season in the top flight was a resounding success. Andy Cole would score 40 goals and be the leagues top scorer as 'The Toon' marched on to a 3rd place finish and secure European football for the following campaign.
That success was probably beyond most supporters wildest expectations, however Keegan continued to dream even bigger. That summer he would bring in Belgian international centre half Philippe Albert and a speedy winger called Ruel Fox. The manager was never just content with what he had.
Keegan also had a ruthless streak. After a fallout with supporters favourite Andy Cole, he sold his star striker to the Magpies biggest rivals at the top of the league - Manchester United. There was uproar in Newcastle at the time, but Keegan never shirked and never shied away from facing the questions that came his way. Instead he took to the steps of St James Park and asked the supporters to trust him, he knew what he was doing.
The side finished that season in Sixth place. Questions would be asked about how Newcastle could possibly replace their best player and the countries most lethal marksman. But Keegan always had a plan.
That summer he embarked on a lavish spending spree which would see him build one of the most iconic teams in Premiership history. French winger David Ginola arrived from Paris Saint Germain, right back Warren Barton became the most expensive defender in English history. Les Ferdinand would also join for a club record £6m from QPR - Newcastle had found their replacement for the irreplaceable.
The first half of the 95-96 season would see Newcastle gain the nickname of “The Entertainers”, one which will now surely always stick with a side that played some of the most outrageous, swashbuckling, brutally mercilously attacking football the country has ever seen. By Christmas they would be 12 points clear at the top and looking odds on favourites for the title.
Everyone knows how the story pans out from there. Newcastle would stutter at key moments in the second half of the campaign, but also luck would fail them. A sensational goalkeeping performance, and a lick of paint on the crossbar would deny them a victory over rivals Man Utd at home, as an inspired Schmeichel kept them at bay, before Eric Cantona hit with a late sucker punch to steal the points. Liverpool would come out victorious in a game remembered as the leagues greatest ever, taking the spoils 4-3 at Anfield on a night that saw Keegan slumped over the advertising hoardings drained by the drama on the pitch. Even the low points of his tenure were breathtaking and unbelievable.
It’s perhaps ironic that for a man that dared to dream bigger than anyone before him, Keegan’s outfit would be beaten to the title by a side that played their home games in the “Theatre of Dreams”, and even more so that this dreamer will always be remembered more by those away from St James Park for his “I’D LOVE IT” rant than perhaps his greatest ever quote:
“I want people to dream about their football club. They should, we should all be dreamers at heart. Some people are the opposite and say “we can’t do that”, but when you ask them why, they can’t give a reason. Well I say, “why not?!” “
In January 1997, Keegan heartbreakingly resigned as Magpies manager citing "I feel I have taken the club as far as i can". He was replaced by former Premier League winning manager Kenny Dalglish.
The memories and tales from that Newcastle side will live on through the generations.
Kevin Keegan captured the imagination on Tyneside. He won the hearts and minds of supporters. He gave them a dream, and in return they made him their King
Rob Danson 2018
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