Newcastle United and Liverpool paid tribute to Kevin Keegan before their Premier League season opener at St James' Park on Sunday, the clubs' first meeting since his death in July. Keegan, who played for both sides before managing Newcastle, was remembered with his family in the directors' box as players wore "Keegan 7" shirts in the warm-up.
A mosaic of more than 500 shirts left outside St James' Park since Keegan's death was unfurled in the centre circle, followed by a Wor Flags display spelling "Keegan 7" in the Leazes End and a "King Kev" tifo in the East Stand. A Gallowgate End banner carried one of Keegan's own lines: "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?'" Supporters joined players in a minute's applause as "one Kevin Keegan" rang around the ground.
Several of Keegan's former players from his first spell as Newcastle manager, between 1992 and 1997, were also present, among them Alan Shearer, Rob Lee, Peter Beardsley, Tino Asprilla, Warren Barton, Shaka Hislop, Lee Clark, Darren Peacock, Steve Watson, Ruel Fox and Steve Howey.
Keegan died in July at 75, having been diagnosed with cancer in January. He made his name at Liverpool after joining from Scunthorpe United in 1971, winning three First Division titles, the European Cup, two UEFA Cups and the FA Cup in six years at Anfield, then had spells with Hamburg, where he won the Ballon d'Or twice, and Southampton. He joined Newcastle as a player in 1982, returned as manager in 1992 to build the club into title challengers, and had a brief second spell in charge in 2008. He won 63 caps for England, scoring 21 goals.