July 23 - Saint Kev

WHEN the Southampton manager Lawrie McMenemy arranged a press conference in February 1980 at the Potters Heron Hotel near Romsey, he told the media to come along to meet “someone who was going to play a big part in Southampton’s future.” No one had any idea who the mystery person was, with some speculating it was the architect hired to design a new stadium for the Saints.

The gathered hacks and the rest of the football world were stunned when big Lawrie Mac unveiled the European Footballer of the Year Kevin Keegan as his new signing. The deal had been done in total secrecy and Keegan, who was playing for Hamburg at the time explained in his autobiography: “Even when I arrived at Southampton Airport nobody twigged. It was just assumed I was flying in to do a commercial for Faberge or one of the other companies I worked for. My dramatic appearance at the press conference was greeted with total astonishment.”

The astonishment was not just because the deal was conducted so quietly, but because KK was 29, at the top of his game. After a distinguished and trophy laden career with Liverpool and Hamburg, he had won the Balon d’Or twice and was expected to move to one of Europe’s top clubs. Despite winning the FA Cup in 1976, Southampton were not among the elite although the charismatic McMenemy was building a good team with Mick Channon and Alan Ball also at the Dell.

KK had been pursuing a move to Juventus but after his wife Jean decided she did not want to live in Italy, they decided to return to England. Meanwhile McMenemy had called Keegan on the pretext of obtaining a certain light fitting from Germany. Keegan takes up the story in his autobiography: “One thing led to another and I began to think about how great it would be to win the League Championship with an unfancied club like Southampton.

“Lawrie wanted to follow up his earlier unexpected FA Cup win by putting Southampton emphatically on the football map, and I was his man.”

It was on this day in 1980 that KK made his debut in a Saints shirt in a friendly match against Shamrock Rovers at Lansdowne Road. Despite an injury which curtailed his first season somwehat, he would go on to spend two free-scoring years with the Saints in the most exciting era the South coast club has ever had. Keegan said: “Fans would be sure to see goals at both ends, whoever we played. Mick Channon and I used to ask our defenders how many goals we needed to score to win.” In his second season at the Dell KK won the golden boot for being the League’s top scorer as the Saints finished 7th.

He left for Second Division Newcastle in 1982 after falling out with Lawrie Mac, although KK says not seriously: “The story being touted around was that Lawrie and I had had a major bust-up was only partially true: we had disagreed, but only over football matters.

“I admire Lawrie McMenemy for what he achieved and it was sad we parted on poor terms. Our wives, Jean and Anne, remained friends and eventually Lawrie and I overcame our differences. Oh yes, and that lamp is still halfway up the stairs on the landing of his Hampshire house.”

Here is Kev introducing the best goal he ever scored that never was againat Manchester United, and come back tomorrow to read about more footballing memories, and click here to see what we were on about last year.

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