The day Kevin Keegan almost joined Brighton

In the early 90’s I was enjoying an afternoon’s horse racing at the iconic Ascot racecourse bathed in the July sunshine.

At the end of a race I made my way back to the bar (naturally) only to come across a huge queue. Was the large group of people refilling their glasses or collecting their winnings from the bookmakers?

Neither, because at the end of the queue was none other than Kevin Keegan signing autographs. A couple of years later, whilst on holiday, I read Keegan’s autobiography, and in it he regaled a story of as a young lad, in his native Doncaster, he’d been refused an autograph by one of his boyhood heroes. And, from that moment, he vowed if he ever became a famous footballer, he would never refuse to sign his name for fans. And he never did.

His sad passing on Monday, aged 75, after a long brave fight against cancer, has seen tributes paid to him right across the global football community and beyond.

Keegan a Seagull?

Whilst I will do my utmost to pay tribute to one of my footballing heroes in this piece, had circumstances been different I might have been writing this article with a real Albion angle.

Back in 1983, fresh from FA Cup replay defeat by Manchester United, relegated Albion were in transition both on and off the field.

Local businessman and long time Brighton fan, John Campbell, was in the process of joining the board at the Goldstone Ground. At the same time, through a mutual friend, Campbell had been presented with almost an unbelievable opportunity.

Keegan had joined Newcastle United just before the start of the 1982/83 season. He then played against the Albion in the FA Cup third round, losing to the Seagulls in a controversial replay at St James’s Park.

A player-coach role at Brighton?

But a seed was clearly planted. And what many in football didn’t know was that both Keegan and his young family were ‘homesick’ for their house back in the New Forest, which they’d moved into when he came back from Hamburg to join Southampton in 1980.

A return to The Dell wasn’t viable, a move to Fratton Park impossible so, through his agent, he’d put out the feelers that a player-coach role at Brighton would be something he’d be very interested in.

Campbell immediately went to Albion Chairman Mike Bamber with the ‘deal’, he told him to ‘leave it with him’ and nothing was ever said again.

Fellow Yorkshireman Chris Cattlin joined the Brighton coaching team that summer, and later became manager.

You have to wonder if the dynamic between the two extremely strong willed Northerners would have worked, and Bamber knew that?

Bamber clearly made his choice, and Keegan never became a Seagull. But that didn’t stop him becoming a footballing icon and a genuine national treasure. (Actually in 1983 he already was!)

Two Ballon D’ors for Keegan

Whether it was winning league titles, FA Cups and European Cups, coming off his bike in BBC’s Superstars, splashing on Brut 33 with Henry Cooper, being the only Englishman to win the Ballon D’or twice (78 and 79), and even getting in the pop charts as a solo singer - and then with the rest of the England team in 1982, he was Kevin Keegan, the nations favourite.

He never gave anything less than 100 per cent. Sadly the only time he made it on the World stage, Spain 82, his World Cup campaign was blighted by injury, resulting in an almost 15 minute cameo at the end of England vs Spain.

He had the chance to put England ahead, but that will not be his lasting England legacy. 63 caps and 21 goals only merely scratches the surface.

Rest in peace King Kev

My friend and colleague, legendary broadcaster Jim Rosenthal, summed it up perfectly when he said that no one in football or in broadcasting ever had a bad word to say about Keegan. how many of today’s footballers or broadcasters can you say that about?

Both on and off the field, on or off screen, he was both the consummate professional but more than that, and the queue at Ascot is testament to this, he a was a humble and very kind human being.

At 5ft 8in he was still a giant and to reiterate, football and the country in general has lost a genuine National Treasure.

Rest in peace “King Kev” it’s just a shame we never got to see you in the Blue and White stripes.