I’m really saddened to hear the news of Kevin Keegan’s death. I guess we all began to worry when we heard the news of his cancer. My thoughts are with his family and close friends. I met Kevin a few times and was in various meetings with him too. He was a genuine football legend and when you were in his presence you could feel his aura. To mark his passing I’ve decided to include something here on his first season at Manchester City. Kevin was obviously so much more than City’s manager and his time as a player and time at other clubs/England as manager probably deserves more focus but, as I’m a City fan, I feel it’s right to pay tribute by focusing on his time at City. Here goes…
Kevin joined City in 2001, only three days after the departure of Joe Royle. At first supporters were uncertain how to greet the former European Player of the Year. They knew he was passionate about football and his record in club management was good. He had helped re-establish Newcastle United as a leading club, and had started to create momentum at Fulham, before he took on the England role. Fans also knew he might move on if he ever felt he was unwelcome, or his approach was failing. Fortunately, the appointment was to be the catalyst for a great season and an important era.
Early in 2002 chairman David Bernstein looked back at the decisions leading up to Keegan’s appointment during an interview with Noel Bayley: ‘When I heard Kevin Keegan was possibly available my personal view – shared by my colleagues – was we just had to go for him. We had a lot of applications for the job when Joe went. It was a very tight timescale, but we did have a lot of applications.
‘We didn’t look at the others frankly. I thought we were incredibly fortunate getting hold of Kevin. I thought that his reputation had been affected by the England experience, but that was our gain. That was completely irrelevant to his ability to manage. What he had done at Newcastle and Fulham – and particularly at Newcastle – was quite incredible, and I felt that what this club needed was someone of that stature, someone who had ability, but also glamour and that energy that Kevin has got which, among other things, would have the ability to bring in players to the Club while we were not in the Premier League, which is not the easiest thing to do. Kevin has shown that he can bring in the right players and motivate them. Energise them. Look after them, and get the best out of creative players, and that was my view when we took him on. It’s very early days still, but the impact has been made.’
Following his arrival Keegan attended a Fans’ Forum and outlined his reasons for taking on the job: ‘This truly is a massive club and it’s my job to turn it around. The new stadium is a fantastic incentive for us – not only to get back in the Premiership but to win something as well. It takes very little force to join a club like this. It’s a fantastic opportunity. I’m ready for it.
‘I’ll be judged on what happens from now on. I’ve got a lot to prove to myself. I’ve had other opportunities, but this is the only one that appealed. I’m not a fool. I have a real chance here. Hopefully, I can build a successful outfit that people will really want to be part of, and I think that’s my strength. I think I’ve already proved that twice at League level at Newcastle and Fulham, and I’m pretty confident that, given that bit of luck everybody needs, we can do it here.’
Immediately Keegan set about improving the staff. He brought in his former manager Arthur Cox as Chief Scout, and signed former England star Stuart Pearce. Keegan desperately wanted Pearce to be his captain: ‘He was actually going to quit playing and clean out his horses at home when I saw him this summer, but I told him this club needed a leader. He says more than me in the dressing room and what he says is probably more important as well.’
Pearce said at the time: ‘I had always said that I would not drop out of the Premier League, but this was too good an opportunity to miss. If I was going to drop out of the top-flight it could not have been to a bigger club than Manchester City. It is my sort of club and has my sort of supporters – passionate and knowledgeable about the game.’
He made his debut in the opening match with Watford, as did Israeli Eyal Berkovic. Keegan: ‘Berkovic was a £5.75 million player only two or three years ago, but I bought him for £1.25 million. He is a key signing because we mustn’t settle for mediocrity.’
That was an important line: ‘We mustn’t settle for mediocrity.’
Both Pearce and Berkovic shone in the opening match. Watford, managed by Gianluca Vialli, were perceived as strong promotion candidates and so it was important City started their season in the right manner. Pearce was fired up from the start. According to Matt Dickinson in The Times: ‘One feared for Watford from the moment Stuart Pearce led City on to the pitch and performed a little war dance before kick-off.’
City won the match 3-0 with both Berkovic and Pearce scoring. The other scorer was Shaun Goater, proving once again he would be an important team member. The result convinced the media City were already on the right track. Journalist Matt Dickinson: ‘Keegan has found a natural home amid the unrelenting fervour of Maine Road. Place your mortgage on Manchester City winning promotion to the FA Barclaycard Premiership. What happens after that is anybody’s guess, but even Keegan’s arch-doubters would not bet against him riding an open-top bus through Manchester in May.’
Under Kevin City were exciting to watch and, more importantly, they delivered that season. The Blues entertained game after game and, while Keegan’s City had the ability to concede goals, they also scored an incredible number. It’s no exaggeration to say that if City conceded three than fans would still feel Kevin’s City could score four. That season of 2001-02 became the last truly entertaining seasons at Maine Road. Wolves and West Brom (who had for much of the season been a serious threat) were no longer perceived as a threat to promotion by April and then when the Blues were at home to 21st-placed Barnsley on 6 April 2002 (three games remaining) the League Championship was within reach.
On the eve of the Barnsley match Ali Benarbia was asked about the challenge facing the Blues if promoted. He responded: ‘If? There is no “if”. I know we’ll go up and win the Championship against Barnsley. No problem for us.’ For supporters used to decades of Blue inconsistency the confidence expressed felt refreshing. The Blues had rarely made life easy for themselves, and the impact of Keegan and his staff had supporters walking tall in a similar manner to the early days of the Mercer-Allison partnership.
Benarbia’s confidence proved valid later that night; promotion was assured when Wolves were defeated 1-0 at Millwall. The following day, a 1pm kick-off meant supporters arrived bright and early for a day of celebration, and what a celebration. Maine Road was awash with blue and white as ecstatic fans waved their flags and banners and anticipated the Championship. One supporter told Paul Connolly of The Times: ‘I can’t believe it. There’s nothing that can go wrong. We’ve already been promoted – we could field a veterans’ team and still go up! And the sun’s bloody shining.’
Despite this refreshing situation the atmosphere was a little muted at the start. Perhaps fans were still nervous of City’s past reputation and were fearful of a last-minute failure to secure the Championship. If they were concerned then Darren Huckerby was quickly on hand to reassure them with a twelfth minute strike and another twenty-four minutes later.
Barnsley pulled one back shortly before half-time but a double for Macken and a third for Huckerby gave City a 5-1 lead by the 70th minute. The fourth goal had been the best. Player of the Year Ali Benarbia sent a great pass to Huckerby who proceeded to move quickly forward. Huckerby returned the ball to the Algerian while he continued to move into a goalscoring position, then Benarbia passed back to the ex-Coventry man, who sent the ball crashing into the net. And that was when the celebrations began in earnest.
The cry of ‘Champions’ bounced around the old stadium, as it had done around St. James’ Park in 1968. Throughout the final minutes the fans cheered every player, every move, every moment of the match. Then, when the final whistle blew, the roar was incredible as the Blues finally achieved their first major success since 1976.
The players performed a lap of honour, while Kevin Keegan seemed to delight in bowing to each of the stands in turn. He clearly enjoyed the moment although afterwards he tried to put City’s achievement into perspective: ‘I am not one for getting carried away with celebrations because all we have done so far is return the club to its rightful place.’
He did, however, acknowledge the supporters’ need to celebrate: ‘The Barnsley game gave me an insight into the depth of feeling for this club. You all wanted to say ‘Thank You’ to the players. I sensed many of you had desperately wanted a day like that for years.’
He was right, and City’s promotion felt like a major success, especially as they would receive the League Championship trophy as a result. So many of City’s promotions in the modern era had come via desperate last game of the season victories or draws, but this success was different. Keegan: ‘There have been a few false dawns here, and the fans have to trust us this isn’t going to be another.’
The supporters were as convinced as Keegan that this side was better equipped than those promoted during the previous twenty years. For many weeks the Blues had been destined to go up. It may have only become a formality in the final couple of weeks, but City were head and shoulders above the rest. This success was thoroughly deserved. Interestingly, a few of Keegan’s predecessors were quick to criticise with the most vocal being Alan Ball: ‘I couldn’t take the club forward because they were in terrible financial difficulties. I had to bear the brunt of what was going wrong by losing my job. Joe Royle had the same thing. He got them promoted but once he got to the big time, they didn’t have the money to stay there. Kevin’s going to find the same thing.’
The criticism may have backed the neutrals’ view of City’s position, but in truth Keegan’s side was already in better shape than any created by Ball or Royle. In addition, City had made it clear Keegan would be supported financially. With a move to the new stadium on the horizon the Blues were keen to attract the best. Before the season’s end goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel arrived at Maine Road, while rumours of future major purchases were circulating.
The final away game of the season ended in a 3-1 victory at old foes Gillingham, allowing the Blues to set a new record of 39 points away from home. There was also confirmation the League Championship trophy would be presented at the final match of the season against Portsmouth. Another incredible day that can be read about elsewhere on this site.
This promotion, the last experienced by the club, set the mood and tone for everything that has followed. Without Keegan’s period in charge the Blues may not have achieved the modern day successes. Of course, anything was possible in the years that followed (and it wasn’t all plain sailing!) but the fact is that staying out of the Premier League could’ve changed everything negatively.
As for Kevin, he stayed at City until March 2005. City suffered a 1-0 home defeat by Bolton Wanderers on 7 March 2005, and the game ultimately led to a significant change to the then 12th placed Blues. Years later, in an interview I did with him the former City chairman John Wardle told me that Keegan took him to one side: ‘There were nine games left and Kevin said “John, I can’t do any more for you”. I didn’t believe him. I thought it was a joke at first but with Kevin you knew when he was being serious. He said, “I know when I’m done and it’s only right that you put somebody else in”. I sat there shell-shocked. He said that if I wanted him to recommend someone he would. He then recommended Stuart Pearce.
‘Stuart had already left Carrington, and we had to call him back. I spoke with him, then Kevin talked with him. It was like a handover. Kevin packed his bags and left. We never saw him again at the training ground. That’s Kevin. Once he makes a decision to move on, he moves on. Obviously, it stunned me on the day, but I have to stress that I cannot speak highly enough about Kevin Keegan. He’s a real football person and he also cares about people.’
Keegan was hugely popular with fans and they recognised that he had been responsible for the second stage in City’s redevelopment following the disastrous mid-nineties.
It is fair to say that Keegan’s time brought a great deal of pride back to the Club. Director Dennis Tueart felt that bringing Keegan in during 2002 was absolutely the right move for the Club. He told me: ‘I knew he wouldn’t stay for years and years because I knew him. He said to me in 1975 that he would never stay anywhere longer than about five years. People told us he wouldn’t stay but I said if he can have control for a couple of years and get us out of this division then that’s fine. That’s what we needed. Let’s manage first things first and get out of this division. If we can’t do that then what hope? So it was no surprise to me when he eventually left us.’
Kevin Keegan was a remarkable footballer and a truly important Manchester City manager.
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