SOCCER NEWS: AT THE end of one of the most baffling days in Newcastle United's history Kevin Keegan's future as the club's manager was surrounded by considerable confusion and no little anger last night.
Rumours that Keegan had been sacked by Mike Ashley, the club's billionaire owner, began surfacing during the morning when, instead of taking training, the former England coach headed for a 10am meeting with board members.
Friends of Keegan were soon insisting that the 57-year-old had been dismissed and a militant, increasingly vocal crowd began gathering outside St James' Park. Chanting "Ashley out" and hoisting placards in the much-loved manager's honour their fury was palpable.
Meanwhile the silence at St James' Park remained deafening until 7pm approached and Newcastle finally issued a statement saying that Keegan had not been dismissed after all and they hoped he would continue in his post. It read: "Newcastle United can confirm that meetings between members of the board and Kevin Keegan have been held both yesterday and today. Kevin has raised a number of issues and these have been discussed with him.
"The club wants to keep progressing with its long-term strategy and would like to stress that Kevin is extremely important now and in the future. Newcastle United value the effort and commitment Kevin has shown since his return to St James' Park and want him to continue to play an instrumental role as manager of the club. For the avoidance of doubt the club has not sacked Kevin Keegan as manager."
That statement does not preclude the possibility of Keegan resigning, or having already resigned, but that would dictate him leaving without a pay-off and being seen to have walked out on the club.
Significantly it is understood that lawyers were heavily involved in negotiations between the board and manager yesterday and, during the day, Newcastle's manager told confidants he had been sacked.
Ashley will surely have been taken aback by the ferocity of the fans' reaction to suggestions that Keegan had been fired but despite his habit of wearing a replica shirt emblazoned with "King Kev" on the back, the relationship between Newcastle's owner and manager has long been unravelling.
Indeed things have never been quite right between the pair since late January when, two weeks after Keegan's installation, Dennis Wise was appointed to a director of football role.
It is understood that this long festering discontent on Keegan's part came to a head on Monday with the vexed subject of Joey Barton exerting a tinderbox effect. The board apparently tried, but failed, to sell Barton against Keegan's wishes on transfer deadline day and that move apparently inflamed a manager working with the thinnest of squads.
Just last Friday Keegan - who saw James Milner sold to Aston Villa against his will last week and is unhappy with the way the club have handled negotiations over a new contract for Michael Owen - predicted he would be greeting four new signings before midnight on Monday.
Instead Newcastle's manager had to be content with Xisco, the Spain under-21 striker from Deportivo and Uruguayan Ignacio Gonzalez from Valencia.
Guardian Service
