Newcastle and Liverpool united in tribute to legend Keegan

What the report says

Newcastle United and Liverpool marked their Premier League season opener at St James’ Park with a joint tribute to Kevin Keegan, the former England captain who played for both clubs and later managed Newcastle. BBC Sport reported that Keegan died last month at the age of 75 after a battle with cancer, and that members of his family were in attendance for the match.

Before kick-off, both sets of players wore shirts bearing “Keegan 7,” while supporters helped create a large centre-circle display assembled from more than 500 shirts left outside the stadium after his death. A tribute video was shown on the big screen, and fan group Wor Flags unveiled a stadium-wide visual tribute that involved every seat in the ground. The matchday atmosphere also included chants of “one Kevin Keegan” and a minute’s applause shared by players and fans.

The article noted that several former Newcastle players from Keegan’s first managerial spell at the club, between 1992 and 1997, were present, including Alan Shearer, Rob Lee and Peter Beardsley. Keegan’s family thanked supporters in an open letter for the messages and tributes, saying they had brought comfort and showed how widely he was loved. The tribute underlined Keegan’s lasting significance at both clubs and in English football more broadly.