King Kev's Back

Lovers of the beautiful game are thrilled. Bare-chested Newcastle fans are ecstatic. Mike Ashley, Newcastle's billionaire owner, is relieved. So, as that great sportsman George Costanza would say, what's not to like?

Kevin Keegan was one of the all-time great Championship managers. He took three clubs into the Premiership. When Newcastle were promoted they scored nearly 100 goals and with 96 points. The only snag is that once there he never won anything. In his glory days at Newcastle in the mid-1990s, he is best remembered for losing -- 4-3 to Liverpool, losing a 12-point lead to Manchester United in 1996 and, famously, losing his cool to Fergy. In four seasons under Keegan, Newcastle came 3, 6, 2 and 4. Dalglsih and Gullit both took Newcastle to Wembley; Keegan never got them past the Quarter-Finals of any cup competition. It's true that they averaged over 70 goals a season, with Shearer, but they also let in more than a goal a game. That's what made them so exciting. There would always be goals, but who knew at which end? Think of Newcastle under Keegan and you will think of their forwards -- Shearer, Beardsley and Ferdinand, Ginola and Tino Asprilla.

What made this happen was a mix of Keegan's enthusiasm and John Hall's money. Attendances were pretty low (in the mid 30,000's through the Keegan years) so buying Les Ferdinand (£6m), Asprilla (£7.5m), Ginola, David Batty and Shearer (a record £15 m) needed Hall's millions. Ten years ago Newcastle could buy big players like Ferdinand and Shearer. Today the financial competition is awesome. If you're a top British or European player where are you going to go? Chelsea, Arsenal, Man Utd -- or Newcastle? Do you want to play in the Champions League, win medals, be paid a fortune or go to Newcastle, in the almost certain knowledge that as soon as the going gets tough, King Kev will be off and, like Ginola and Ferdinand, you will be sold straightaway by his tough-nosed successor? Football has moved on in the last ten years and Keegan won't have a season in the (old) 2nd Division to settle in. No wonder Shearer's smiling.