sport

KEEGAN QUITS NEWCASTLE

Keegan - leaves Magpies.

Newcastle are facing a fans revolt as an 11th-hour rescue plan failed to prevent Kevin Keegan's resignation.

The 57-year-old unilaterally announced his departure as manager after three days of talks with club's hierarchy.

He released a statement through the League Managers' Association confirming his decision, which seemingly took the Magpies by surprise.

The LMA revealed Keegan's move came after he received a letter from managing director Derek Llambias which he felt left him with little alternative.

Keegan said: "I have been working desperately hard to find a way forward with the directors, but sadly that has not proved possible.

"It's my opinion that a manager must have the right to manage and that clubs should not impose upon any manager any player that he does not want.

"It remains my fervent wish to see Newcastle United do well in the future and I feel incredibly sorry for the players, staff and most importantly the supporters.

"I have been left with no choice other than to leave."

The move disappointed the club, who had spent the last 48 hours or so trying to find a workable solution to a problem which had left angry supporters calling for the heads of owner billionaire Mike Ashley and executive director (football) Dennis Wise.

In a statement, the Magpies said: "Newcastle United Football Club is sad and disappointed that Kevin Keegan has resigned.

"Over the last few days, the club has devoted itself to the discussions it has held with Kevin and as a result of those discussions, had put together a set of practical suggestions for how to move forward.

"Today, the club made it clear to Kevin that if he had any outstanding concerns on its proposals, he should raise them with the club.

"The club regrets that Kevin has, instead of taking up that offer, chosen to resign."

The developments leave the Magpies looking for their sixth manager in four years, and facing the fury of fans who believe the man they consider a hero has been badly let down by Ashley.

Keegan was unhappy with the way the club conducted its transfer business over the final few days of he summer window, when it was claimed they tried to sell players behind his back while also failing to meet his expectations on signings.

Only Xisco and Ignacio Gonzalez arrived on Tyneside as the clock ticked down, and neither are understood to have been on the manager's wish-list.

He made his feelings abundantly clear at meetings with the board on both Monday and Tuesday as rumours spread that he had been sacked or had walked out.

But after a deafening silence from St James' Park on Monday, the Magpies issued two statements either side of another from the man himself revealing that concerns had been raised and were being discussed.

Keegan, Newcastle insisted, had neither resigned nor been sacked, and the ongoing dialogue was aimed at resolving the differences.

However, even as the talks went on, the word coming out of the Keegan camp was that it was only a matter of time before his second spell as manager came to an end.

All the talk was that he would not resign because of the £1million it would cost him to get out of the three-and-a-half year contract he signed just eight months ago.

But Llambias' letter appears to have made up his mind, ironically just a day after West Ham counterpart Alan Curbishley left his post citing similar reasons.

There were angry protests on Gallowgate at the prospect of the adopted Geordie leaving he club for a third time after his spell as a player and then as manager between 1992 and 1997, and that fury will only intensify now that his departure has been confirmed.

Ashley and Wise, the man he appointed to head up the club's recruitment arm, bore the brunt of the supporters' jeers, and it is difficult to see how they can be appeased.

The club can expect concerted protests, especially when the Magpies return to Barclays Premier League action against Hull on September 13.

In the meantime, Ashley will once again begin the process of finding the man to lead the club forward in a job which seems to resemble the proverbial poisoned chalice ever more by the year.

Wise was swiftly installed as the bookmakers' favourite on Monday, and he would certainly be the cheap and convenient option, although just how well that would go down with players who were hugely loyal to Keegan is a moot point.

David O'Leary and Everton's David Moyes have also been mentioned as possibilities, and so too has Real Zaragosa's Marcelino Garcia Toral, but the list is bound to grow by the hour in the aftermath of another St James' debacle.

But Ashley's long-term task will be to persuade fans who expected major investment when the billionaire bought out Freddy Shepherd just last year that his vision for the club is the right one with the Magpies seemingly having been left behind by the Premier League's other new owners.

Kevin Keegan Factfile:

1951: Born Joseph Kevin Keegan February 14, Armthorpe, Yorkshire.

1968: Joined Scunthorpe as an apprentice.

1971: Transferred to Liverpool for £35,000.

1972: England debut against Wales in Cardiff and goes on to help Liverpool win first of three league championships during his time at Anfield.

1973: Keegan wins UEFA Cup winner's medal as Liverpool defeat Borussia Monchengladbach.

1976: Named footballer of the year and helps Liverpool beat Bruges 4-3 on aggregate to win UEFA Cup again.

1977: A pivotal force in helping Liverpool win the European Cup for the first time by beating Borussia Monchengladbach. Transferred to SV Hamburg for £500,000.

1978: Wins Bundesliga championship medal and is voted European player of the year for 1977-78.

1979: Voted European player of the year for 1978-79.

1980: Transferred to Southampton for £420,000.

1982: Last England match as substitute against Spain in Madrid, 1982 World Cup. Won 63 caps, scored 21 goals.

1982: Voted PFA player of the year and transferred to Newcastle for £100,000.

1984: Retired from playing.

1992: Returned to soccer in February as manager of Newcastle and three months later signed a three-year contract.

1993: Newcastle promoted to Premier League as Division One champions. Keegan named Division One manager of the season.

1994: Keegan appointed director of football and agreed new deal that tied him to club for next 10 years.

1995: Newcastle reached quarter-finals of FA Cup and failed to qualify for Europe after finishing sixth in the Premier League.

1996: Saw his Newcastle side lose 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League and finish second to Manchester United. Blew his top at Sir Alex Ferguson in a live television interview with the famous "love it" quote.

1997: Resigned as Newcastle manager in January. Returned to football on September 25 when appointed chief operating officer at Fulham.

1998: Sacked his friend Ray Wilkins, the manager, after just seven months and took control of all playing matters.

1999: February 17 - Appointed England coach for four matches but stressed he would combine the job with his Fulham duties and guided the club to the Division Two championship.

May 6 - Revealed during a television programme that he will relinquish his post as chief operating officer at Fulham to concentrate on the England job.

May 14 - Appointed full-time England coach. Starts reign with 3-1 win over Poland in a Euro 2000 qualifier.

September 8: England play out a goalless draw with Poland in Warsaw, putting their Euro 2000 play-off chances in Sweden's hands.

October 9: Kennet Andersson and Henrik Larsson save Keegan's blushes when their goals for Sweden defeat Poland 2-0 to earn England a play-off place.

November: Paul Scholes scores both goals to earn England a 2-0 first-leg victory against Scotland at Hampden Park. Scotland win the second leg 1-0 at Wembley but England qualify for Euro 2000 on aggregate.

2000: June: England open their Euro 2000 campaign with a 3-2 defeat to Portugal after early goals from Paul Scholes and Steve McManaman had put them two up. Alan Shearer's header earns a 1-0 win over Germany but a 3-2 loss to Romania following a last-minute penalty given away by Phil Neville condemns Keegan's men to an early exit.

October 7: England suffer a disappointing start to their World Cup qualifying campaign as they lose 1-0 to Germany in the last competitive match at Wembley before work begins to build a new stadium on the site. Keegan emerges after lengthy discussions with Football Association officials to reveal he has resigned as national manager.

2001: Appointed as new manager of Manchester City.

2002: April 24: Keegan wins the old Division One in his first season at the club, his side scoring 108 goals and finishing the season with 99 points.

2003: June 2: City qualify for the UEFA Cup qualifying round after England finish top of UEFA Fair Play table but knocked out of competition by Polish side Groclin in the second round of the competition.

2004: February 22: City beat Bolton 2-1 at the Reebok Stadium, their first Premier League win in 15 games.

May 1: Winning 1-0 against Newcastle virtually ensures safety from relegation.

September 11: City lose 1-0 at home to 10-man Everton - their third defeat in the first five Premier League matches of the new season - to increase the pressure on Keegan, who is reported to be one game away from the sack.

September 18: Pressure eases with 2-1 win over Crystal Palace. They hammer Barnsley in Carling Cup three days later.

2005: March 10: Keegan leaves City by mutual agreement.

March 11: Keegan decides to retire from football management to run his 'Soccer Circus' project in Glasgow.

2008: January 14: Keegan does not rule out a possible return to management at Newcastle as Sam Allardyce's replacement.

January 16: Keegan confirmed as Magpies manager.

March 22: After eight games in charge Newcastle win their first game since Keegan's return with a 2-0 victory over Fulham at St James' Park.

April 20: Michael Owen scores twice as Newcastle claim a 2-0 win over Sunderland to keep up Keegan's impressive record in Tyne-Wear derby matches.

May 11: A seven-match unbeaten run sees Newcastle avoid relegation and finish in 12th place in the Premier League.

August 17: Newcastle produce a battling performance to earn a 1-1 draw against Premier League champions Manchester United at Old Trafford in the opening game of the season.

September 2: Following the closure of the transfer window reports circulate that Keegan has been sacked, leading to fans protests at the ground but the club issue a statement to the contrary.

September 3: The club released a further statement stating that Keegan remained as manager and in addition to not having been sacked, he had not resigned. Newcastle confirmed that "discussions were ongoing" between the club and Keegan.

September 4: Keegan issues a statement via the League Managers Association which confirms his resignation as Newcastle manager.