Newcastle United lost its heart and soul the day they messed Kevin Keegan about
The moment that Mike Ashley, Derek Llambias and Dennis Wise thought they knew more about how Newcastle United works as a football club, a community, a business and a way of life than Kevin Keegan - was the exact moment that Newcastle United had its heart and soul ripped out of it.
You don't need me to regurgitate the findings of the Premier League Manager's Arbitration Tribunal - you can see that elsewhere on this website.
To see the exact work of Mike Ashley to date, simply have a look at the latest Premier League table - that is fact not opinion.
This club turned into a joke a long time ago and long before the findings of the KK compensation row exposed just how much of a laughing stock we've become.
In fact the only thing that is going for Newcastle United now are the supporters who pay their hard-earned cash to watch a team playing in what many of us know as the old Second Division.
Never mind the fact that Newcastle are top of the table at the moment - we shouldn't be here to start with.
The club failed when sports shop owners and casino owners started to try to talk football - and that could have involved any manager, not just Kevin Keegan, ask Sam Allardyce that.
But what a mess.
Keegan claimed that he typed in the name of Ignacio González on Google at the time that Dennis Wise wanted to sign the player and he couldn't find out anything about him.
From a personal point of view I always suspected all was not quite right with Gonzalez, especially after the player arrived at Newcastle just hours after signing for Valencia from Danubio.
And as the only newspaper journalist to have interviewed the player at that time, I was even more staggered when he told me he had arrived carrying an injury to his heel, hence his two brief appearances for the club.
And every time I asked Joe Kinnear about the player, when he eventually remembered who he was, he would simply give me the thumbs down gesture.
Well type in the name of Ignacio González now and over two million results come up on a similar search!
Basically, the player has became infamous because of everything surrounding Keegan-gate.
And don't get me started on the penultimate straw that broke the camel's back in Xisco!
Then follows Joe Kinnear, relegation, the disgraceful treatement of Alan Shearer and the dusting off of For Sale signs that still remain in the ground.
We've also had Keith Harris, the man entrusted in selling the club, lead us up the garden path with sale talk that was never going to get off the ground.
And claims from several bidders who insist that whenever they get near buying the club, the door is slammed in their face.
Then there was the managing director streaking naked on the pitch for a laugh.
It all leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth.
In short Kevin Keegan walked out on the club because a bunch of amateurs were trying tell him how to run a club he's already dragged off its hands and knees back in 1992.
The former England manager had walked out because he was being told to do by a failed League One manager in Dennis Wise.
Can you really blame him?
Keegan is not fault-less but Wise had been quoted in saying: "I'm here to help Kevin - he has the final word"
All of it causes a real stink on Tyneside and if anything shows that this club is completely in the wrong hands at the moment.
Chris Hughton has done an oustanding job in keeping a sinking ship afloat but if the conclusion of the Keegan case can help the club find owners who know what they are doing - hopefully we will never sink to such levels of ridicule again.
Then again anything is possible.
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Lee Ryder - Proudly born and bred on Tyneside, the Chronicle's chief sports writer has followed the fortunes of the club over the last three decades as a Toon fan and football writer.
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Nice one Lee
Surely the below statement has to be plastered all over the front pages of the Chronicle and Journal
5.2 The Club admitted to the Tribunal that it repeatedly and intentionally misled the press, public and the fans of Newcastle United
Spot on Lee, it's been proved now beyond doubt, Ashley and his cronies are cynical liars and cheats who have not a shred of common decency or integrity. Their reputation has been destroyed by this saga.
I hope now that this is over the club can be sold and we will be rid of these lying manipulative scum from our club.
Yes, nice one Lee,Now can everybody get off KingKev's back the man loves the club.His loyalty should never have been in doubt.Hang your heads in shame the 50%of you that doubted the man 2 times he has been shit on by the club. I for one dont grudge you a penny of the compensation.
Long Live King Kev
Lee,
You didn't even mention one of the most embarrassing acts by these heinous individuals.
All sale enquiries should be sent to info@nufc.co.uk!
What an absolute joke!
Can we not now claim against the fat shopkeeper for: deconstructive ownership, slandering supporters, lying, bringing the game into disrepute and wearing the shirt without proper authority?
This so called owner has been nothing but a spoilt child in a creaking but still entrancing sweetshop, desperate for attention, lacking in intelligence and social graces and hocking the club like it was just one of his seedy sports direct franchises.
I really hope that the serious fraud cops pin him for shady business dealings and send him away for a while (shortly after he has sold the toon to a responsible guardian).
All the best too KK.
Well done,but not before time Lee.I believe you should have been going after these HOOLIGANS much harder&at timely intervals not just in your BLOG&where has all the transfer monies gone,maybe you could find out&give we the supporters something else less to think about&more good reading.
Hi lee,
Great blog. Spot on with everything. Could you pelase answer me a couple of quetions though?
1. How does this statement make you and your co-workers feel?
"5.2 The Club admitted to the Tribunal that it repeatedly and intentionally misled the press, public and the fans of Newcastle United"
2. Surley a club shouldn't be allowed to be a player just for 'commercial and financial reasons'?
3. Do you not feel disgusted as i do that derek llambias has just lied, lied and lied again to us all? Do you think we ever would of got to this state if Chris Moat had stayed in charge?
Cheers lee
I'm glad that this is all out in the open, and that KK is getting some of the financial compensation he deserves for all the strife @ NUFC.
I'm equally as pleased that the amount of the award will most likely not jeapordize the sale of the club(as I know we all feared the spectre of administration, and the virtual assurance of another year or more in fizzy-pop football leagues.)
Ashley yet again has proved his asshattery.. Sooner he's gone, the better.
An absolute decimation of any credibility this cancerous regime tried to cling on to. The outrageous press still trying to rubbish KK's name by claiming he was after 25M, why do people give them the time of day. I for one have never been back to SJP from the day KK was effectively sacked. I won't be going back until this fat fool is long gone. If only he had been made to pay 25M and it would be live on TV as he handed over the readies. Would make up for all the pain we've suffered in his incapable hands. There is still the odd dream where KK is still in charge and we are sitting comfortable in the PL and playing the kind of football which made it unbearable waiting for Saturday to come. Best of luck KK and thank you for time of my footballing life (3 times round)
''The Club admitted to the Tribunal that it repeatedly and intentionally misled the press, public and the fans of Newcastle United"....If ever a few words summed up the current regime those are it!!...How any true Newcastle supporter (or anyone with an ounce of common sense) could believe that KK wanted to send the club into administration for claiming 25 million is beyond words. Anyone who ever met or spoke to the man knows that he loves the club as much as any of us. He is and always has been open and honest with everyone connected with the club (remember him facing the fans after selling Andy Cole??) This proves that ALL that has been written in the tabloids the last year from 'club sources' has been 100% BS all designed to discredit a Geordie Icon who understands the club, fans and players more than anyone out there. Good luck Kev...Good riddance Ashley & Co...Good luck Houston & the 11 in Black n White tomorrow. HOWAY THE LADS!!
Being a native son of Newcastle I continue to watch the train wreck and how the rich guys form the south ridicule us and treat us like idiots. The problem is we show up every week regardless so they take us all for granted.
Good to see you come out and state firmly how you feel, Lee.
All these anti-Keegan 'fans' coming out of the woodwork can obviously not read. Anyone who reads the report can see clearly where the bulk of the blame lies.
"He's a great player, honest Kevin, look him up on You Tube." Is it any wonder we went down with muppets like that running the show.
It defies belief.
The mainstream media are being utterly contemptible in trying to stitch Keegan up and sadly even some of our own fan are buying it.
Lee i posted last week that MA had been down the cop shop to give a statement yet it seems you've not looked into it?? any reason? my nightmare also seems to be true, MA took us down on purpose, its part of his 5yr plan to take as much money ot of the club as possible. i would say hes not got much bottle so hes given dewick lambsarse a job as he has connections on the wrong side of the law/ or maybe right side? either way its obviously protection?
glad KK has won i'm sure hes not too bothered about the money 25m was never even spoke about and they paid that little divit off with 1.5m so whats 2m?
I'm glad this has come out, even if it does prove that the 'southern' press that went on and on about Ashley being a crook and how Wise's role diminished Keegan's turned out to be right and we turned out to be paranoid about their anti-NUFC views.
I agree with John, however, that it took you a long time to really criticise the regime.
Please can someone give mikey mouse (MA) a bloody nose
Think of it this way, KK Asks 2m, ashley pays, KK asks 8m, ashley pays, KK asks ridiculous amount despite having 2m clause in his contract, ashley wont pay, tribunal, truth comes out, KK Gets his name cleared and is vindicated.
(quoted from a messageboard elsewhere)
And it makes total sense to me... will KK please take a bow - you are an honourable man.
I am so please KK has been vindicated over that fat piece od lard MA. anyone who knows KK, knows he is hinurable nas loves NUFC; it made me sick to hear those so called TOON FANS, buying into the Ashley lies, and the media, aka Skysports and their local mouthpiece ( we all know who) back the Ashley regime and trying to blacken KKs name.
No other decent manager in the Premiership would have put up with what that bunch were doing at SJP, and KK was right to walk, imagine if he had just accepted all the rubbish DW brought in, whose back would the fans have been on,? KKs of course becasue he was the manager. Mr Ashelys model for the club didnt work too well at Spurs did it. Good on you King Kev , I would have you back here tomorrow.
You could see once he had the team palying football, that the magic was starting again.
I am over the moon that KK has been exonerated.
Chris Hughton is an honourable man and I really admire the way he has gone about the job, but Keegan should still be manager and whoever takes over [eventually!]should invite him back.
Lee,
How do the local journalists feel about Sky's David Craig? Their coverage of the saga has been disgraceful. Our home attendances may be impressive but they are not going to do us much good because Ashley is going nowhere...
I can`t understand why the people of Newcastle feel so strongly about Keegan. Over his career he has always chased the pound signs.....and this is exactly what he has done on his latest visit to the club (he understands and loves!!). hmmm- 2 Million quid for a few months work.Nice if you can get it....
I wonder if the Newcastle mugs (oopps sorry) supporters will ever learn?
Somehow I don`t think so.
Tony Hopper and anyone else who still thinks Keegan is just a greedy opportunist.
Aye, 2m quid is nice money if you can get it, but the reality is that you can and do get it if you are a Premier League player or manager. Keegan was merely operating in the current market, which I agree is crazy. The money he was awarded in a neutral court of arbitration was for constructive dismissal in that currently inflated market. What was Owen on --- about 5m p.a.?
First time I have read anything by you since your absolutely disgraceful reporting of these awful people who have almost destroyed the club.
Welcome and not before time.
Great article Lee, well said.
We are top of the league as we were in October 1992, however its incredible what a different feel there is between the two seasons. Ashley has broken the harmony and good feeling needed to capture the imagination and galvanise the troops as KK did in 92.
KK has done more for the club than anyone else in my memory of supporting the club (mid 80s onward). Supporting a side should be about feeling you are going somewhere together not this disjointed chasm between ownership and fanbase.
I'd trade that 92 feeling for that 09 feeling anyday. Anyone disagree with that?????? No thought not.
To Tony Hopper and anyone else who's trying to slander Keegan. Keegan knew he was only going to get 2 million, that was in his contract. The fact is ashley was so desperate to stop him going to court he offered him more to keep quiet. It is testament to the man that he turned down the chance to walk away with an extra million just so he could expose this ar£ehole for the crook he really is.
Fact: Keegan was asked to sign a player he had never seen. Fact: Keegan was never given the opportunity to see him. Fact: No-one else at the club had seen him. Fact: no-one else proposed to see him before he was signed. Fact: KK could not find him on the internet. Fact: All he saw was a blurred image on youtube. Fact: He was asked to sign the player as a favour to 2 South American agents. Fact: He said he wanted nothing to do with it. Fact: He walked, we went down. Fact: After the judgment, he said in a statement that no offer was received. Denis Wise said on tele that there was an offer. I know who I believe.
Fact: KK is not perfect but has exceptional motivational skills and a love of the toon. He never significantly slipped up in the transfer market. He gave us some of the best times of our life. He should be our next manager and whether he is or not we should all say thank you to him from the bottom of our hearts.