Every now and again we are all guilty of sticking on the rose tinted spectacles but when it comes to reminiscing the Kevin Keegan era in Newcastle, you will not find too many people that have too many bad memories.
They are mainly all good, the feel good factor couldn't have been any higher for much of his tenure.
OK there were ups and downs, we nearly went into Division Three and we lost the title by a whisker but if most of us had the choice we'd go through it all again.
Keegan to a lot of people will always be Mr Newcastle.
And although we are still trying to deliver what even the Messiah could not - a trophy - you can't stop people from remembering the good times.
After a miserable week on Tyneside following the 3-0 defeat against KK's old club Liverpool, the former Toon manager raised the roof at the Lancastrian Suite in Dunston and just like he'd wooed the crowds of the 1990s, he managed to do it all over again last night.
Before Keegan and Beardo started the talk-in alongside the evening's host Graeme Forster of www.grass.uk.com many fans reflected on some of the greatest performances by KK.
There were too many to mention Man U 5-0, Spurs 7-1, Liverpool 3-0 or 2-0 at Anfield, 3-2 at Highbury, 6-1 v Wimbledon, 3-1 Nottingham Forest, 5-0 in Royal Antwerp the list went on and on.
On our table was Rob Lee the man who had netted a hat-trick of headers in Belgium and who had made the journey from London just to hear the great man speak for a couple of hours - which summed up just what he meant to so many different people, Lee sat engrossed in the talk in all of the way through.
And John Beresford was happy to be on the end of the Micky taking when it came to the Aston Villa game back in 1996 when KK famously hauled off Bez following a bust-up.
Keegan rattled off plenty of old stories and could do little to stop cries of: "Come back Kev" and "We were brilliant Kevin" but after walking on stage to a rip roaring applause that could have been heard at St James's Park, it was if Toon fans were trying to start a new revolution.
Indeed supporters seemed to be in every nook and cranny of the 850 seater centre with many standing on their seats in order to get the best view.
Geordie legend Peter Beardsley was there too and wasn't left out with chants of: "There's only one Peter Beardsley"
Yet even Pedro - as much of a true Geordie legend he is - knew only too well the pulling power of Newcastle's most charismatic manager.
Keegan was open enough with the crowd and spoke of how a madcap plane journey to Bristol resulted in the signing of Andy Cole.
Cole of course the scorer of 41 goals in all competitions as Newcastle were christened The Entertainers by Sky and romped to a third place finish in their first season in the Premier League - would that happen today? I doubt it look at the state of Derby County and Sunderland to work that one out - but that was the sort of thing that KK was capable of.
Keegan also spoke of how he would not of changed a thing in 1996 as United watched a 12 point lead slip, the ex-Toon captain felt had he switched to a defensive style in the closing stages and lost the title the fans would have been furious.
And besides there is no comparison when it comes to playing crisp attacking football or watching 10 men behind the ball is there?
Only Sir Bobby Robson has come any where near re-capturing the type of football Keegan produced and by introducing the Entertainers KK raised the bar extremely high - too high for some of the biggest names in football.
KK was joined by not only one the greatest players to don the black and white shirt but also Entertainers like Lee, Paul Bracewell and Beresford on a night of thrills and spills for the supporters who were lucky enough to get into the building.
KK and Beardo must have signed an autograph or posed for photo with everybody that turned up and left the stage to a standing ovation.
And after confirming he would have "loved it" if we had have pipped Man U for the title in 1996, Keegan was gone again.
And while he may have gone back to his Soccer Circus in Glasgow, he was gone but not forgotten.
For most Toon fans we just can't stop remembering.
*WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE KEEGAN MEMORY?
« Previous | Home | Next »

