The Keegan Revolution – F2

• 1993 Promoted to the Premiership as Division 1 Champions
  Pld 46 W29 D9 L8 F92 A38 Pts 96

“This painting illustrates the rise back into top flight football. Starting at the bottom, the pile of coins with Sir John Halls portrait represents the clubs new funds and a sword for Sir John. The other Saviors sword belongs to Keegan and on each sits a magpie sitting back on its perch representing stability as we survive the drop into the 3rd division. The cup is for winning the championship, the crown is for King Kev and the magpie pointing up again represents promotion. The shooting stars coming in this time are to show the start of the buying in of the next generation of great players”.

Newcastle not only found one savior, but two, as Sir John Hall and Kevin Keegan joined forces to salvage Newcastle’s reputation. When Kevin Keegan returned to Tyneside to replace Ossie Ardiles as manager on a short term contract on 5 February 1992, taking what he claimed to be the only job that could tempt him back into football, United were struggling at the wrong end of the old Second Division. Sir John Hall had all but taken control of the club and he needed a minor miracle to stop the Magpies from falling into the league’s third tier for the first time in their history.

If Sir John was to transform the near bankrupt club they simply had to survive relegation. Just as before, Keegan’s mere presence captivated the region. United’s disgruntled supporters became excited, expectant ones over-night. They packed St James Park again and United confirmed their Second Division survival with a win on the last day of the season.

Hall now turned his attention to a masterplan to develop Newcastle United into one of the superclubs of Europe. Kevin Keegan stayed on as manager and both swung into action.

The club’s finances were transformed, St James Park redeveloped into one of Europe’s finest club stadiums, now accommodating over 52,000. Keegan brought in new players, including many international superstars. It was the start of an exciting five years under his guidance. The initial modern St James’s Park held just over 36,000 all-seated spectators, but this was a great deal less than such an ambitious club required, and in 1995 Hall announced that he was considering the possibility of moving the club to a new 50,000-seat stadium at Castle Leazes. However, the relocation never happened and the decision was made to expand the club’s existing stadium instead.

Spearheaded by the prolific striker Andy Cole and David Kelly, who were ably supported by midfielder’s Paul Bracewell, Ruel Fox, Gavin Peacock and Rob Lee, and Brian ‘Killer’ Kilcline (a tough free transfer defender who Keegan later claimed was his best signing) Newcastle secured promotion to the Premier League by winning the First Division Championship, often simply overwhelming opponents along the way (a 7-1 victory over Leicester City being particularly memorable).