Remembering Kevin Keegan at Fulham

Our former manager - and legend of the game - passed away yesterday at the age of 75.

Credit: Fulham FC

Kevin Keegan, like his close friend George Best, transcended football and, indeed sport.

His arrival at Craven Cottage in 1997 - though you’ll read little about it in his many obituaries - was a huge moment for the club. It showed that the new owner meant business - and it was undoubtedly Keegan’s presence that persuaded the likes of Chris Coleman to drop down the divisions and sign up to the Fulham revolution.

Keegan’s stay only lasted two seasons: the first as Chief Operating Officer, with friend Ray Wilkins as first-team manager, and the second in 1998-99 in direct control of playing matters.

The latter gave the club a ‘DNA’ of its own, as the popular phrase goes. Keegan the player had been an unstoppable attacking force: under him, Fulham followed suit and created a number of records including most points in a season (101), most wins in a season (31), most consecutive wins (8), fewest defeats (7) and most home wins (19). FA Cup scalps included Southampton and Aston Villa in a run to the fifth round.

We also had 23 individual players on the scoresheet, reflecting that all-out attacking policy: Keegan often played three strikers, having Geoff Horsfield, Barry Hayles, Paul Peschisolido, Paul Moody and Dirk Lehmann at his disposal. As a result, home attendances jumped by over a quarter.

Defenders were given licence to score, too: Kit Symons was second on the list behind Horsfield. Also notable for his contribution was Newcastle loanee Peter Beardsley, still the most skilful player this writer has seen play for Fulham.

‘King Kev’ gave the club a profile unrivalled in the third tier of football, and gave Fulham their biggest headlines since the mid-seventies ‘all-star’ team of Best, Rodney Marsh and Bobby Moore. But like all fairy tales it wasn’t to last. When national manager Glenn Hoddle made controversial, career-ending comments in an interview with The Times in February 1999, the ‘Keegan for England’ bandwagon started to roll.

Typically wearing his heart on his sleeve, he claimed for two months that he would be willing to split his time between club and country. On the eve of Fulham’s final game against Preston North End, it became apparent he would put his country first.

Captain Paul Bracewell, with no managerial experience, was appointed his club successor - a job that proved beyond him as, indeed, it would most of us. But Jean Tigana didn’t need to be told who Fulham were when the approach came, thanks to his former international adversary.

Speaking personally, as a kid who grew up on Merseyside, saw Kevin win the FA Cup for Liverpool at Wembley in 1974 and even at one point had a ‘Keegan perm’, his arrival at my adopted London club was a jaw-dropping moment. As was literally running into him at Harrods, where we were both attending Simon Morgan’s book launch. He was much smaller than I imagined - but, as the banner headlines this week show, the impact of this ‘Mighty Mouse’ on English and, indeed, world football was huge. We were a small but significant part of that.

RIP King Kev... Our love affair was short and sweet, but FFC will remember you fondly.