Newcastle and Liverpool Announce Joint Pre-Match Tributes for Kevin Keegan
Clubs plan center-circle mosaic, minute's applause, and supporter display at St. James' Park
Newcastle United and Liverpool FC will perform a series of joint pre-match tributes honoring Kevin Keegan ahead of their Premier League opening fixture on Sunday at St. James’ Park.
Keegan, a legend of both Newcastle and Liverpool, died in July at the age of 75 after his family announced in January that he had been diagnosed with stage-four cancer.
The tributes organized for Sunday’s match at the 52,305-capacity stadium include a stadium-wide display coordinated by supporter group Wor Flags, involving both Newcastle home supporters and visiting Liverpool fans.
“On the pitch, a centre-circle mosaic will be laid after the players’ warm-ups that is made from shirts left at St. James’ Park by supporters in his memory.”
Before kick-off, both team squads will wear special warm-up shirts dedicated to Keegan and don black armbands for the match, followed by a minute’s applause as players assemble at the center circle. Stadium video screens will broadcast a retrospective of Keegan’s playing and managerial careers, while a private ceremony will take place between representatives of both clubs and Keegan’s family, accompanied by former members of his 1990s Newcastle team known as “The Entertainers.”
Keegan joined Newcastle in 1982 while the club competed in the old Second Division, arriving as the reigning PFA Players’ Player of the Year and scoring 48 goals in 78 league appearances before securing promotion in the 1983-84 season. He returned as manager in February 1992, steering the club away from relegation to the third tier before leading Newcastle to a second-place Premier League finish in the 1995-96 season after building a 12-point lead over Manchester United.
At Liverpool, where he played from 1971 to 1977 following his transfer from Scunthorpe United, Keegan scored 100 goals in 323 appearances. His six-year spell at Anfield included winning three First Division titles, two UEFA Cups, the European Cup, and the 1974 FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, where he scored twice in a 3-0 victory over Newcastle.
Following his tenure at Liverpool, Keegan moved to German club Hamburger SV, where he won the Bundesliga title and earned back-to-back Ballon d’Or awards in 1978 and 1979. For England, Keegan earned 63 senior caps, scored 21 goals, and captained the national team, making tournament appearances at Euro 1980 and the 1982 World Cup.
