Tributes at St James' Park

Newcastle United and Liverpool supporters came together at St James' Park on Sunday to honour Kevin Keegan, the former player and manager who died last month at the age of 75 following a battle with stomach cancer. The clubs' Premier League season opener was the first meeting between the two sides since his death, and the tributes were woven throughout the pre-match atmosphere.

Members of Keegan's family were present in the directors' box, while a number of his former players from his first spell in charge of Newcastle, between 1992 and 1997, were also at the game. Those included Alan Shearer, Rob Lee, Peter Beardsley, Tino Asprilla, Warren Barton, Shaka Hislop, Lee Clark, Darren Peacock, Steve Watson, Ruel Fox, Steve Howey and Liam O'Brien, as reported by BBC and Liverpool Echo. The Independent also noted the presence of Les Ferdinand and David Ginola among the former players in attendance.

Both sets of players warmed up in shirts bearing 'Keegan 7' on the back, and a centre-circle mosaic made up of more than 500 shirts left outside the stadium following his death was unfurled before kick-off. A tribute video was played on the big screen, followed by an emotional minute's applause, during which chants of "There's only one Kevin Keegan" rang out from the stands, as described in multiple accounts.

Supporters' group Wor Flags organised a display that involved every seat in the ground, with 'Keegan 7' spelt out in the Leazes End and a tifo of 'King Kev' in the East Stand. In the Gallowgate End, a banner carried one of Keegan's beloved quotes: "I want people to dream about their football club. They should. We should all be dreamers at heart." The same message was displayed in the Liverpool away end, where supporters also unfurled a banner reading "Keegan is the greatest that Shankly ever found," as reported by the Liverpool Echo.

Wreaths and Family Letter

Earlier in the day, wreaths were laid in the memorial garden at St James' Park, with Ian Rush and Sir Kenny Dalglish representing Liverpool, while Bobby Moncur and Shola Ameobi performed the honours for Newcastle. The Liverpool wreath carried the message "YNWA Kevin," and Newcastle's tribute said, "Forever a Newcastle United legend and always in our thoughts. RIP Kevin," according to the Daily Express.

The matchday programme featured a greyscale photo of Keegan on its cover, and inside, supporters found a letter from Keegan's family. The full text of the letter was published by the Liverpool Echo and the Manchester Evening News, expressing gratitude to Newcastle supporters for their warmth during the family's hardest weeks.

From Both Clubs

Newcastle United and Liverpool had previously announced joint tributes, with Newcastle's statement noting that Kevin made 323 appearances for Liverpool between 1971 and 1977, and that the club would work with supporter groups and the Premier League to shape tributes. Liverpool also stated it was in direct contact with Newcastle, and announced a further tribute at their home game against Nottingham Forest on August 29.

Keegan had disclosed in January that he was battling stage four stomach cancer, and in May, he expressed his wish to one last say goodbye to the fans at St James' Park, saying "I want to say goodbye. I didn't get the chance when I left the club last time." His death in July was followed by an outpouring of support, including tributes at Manchester City's match against Bournemouth on the same weekend, as the Manchester Evening News reported.

Keegan's Legacy

Kevin Keegan was remembered not only through touching moments at St James' Park but also through his larger-than-life career. As a player, he shone at Liverpool, winning three First Division titles and the European Cup among other honours, and later at Hamburg where he won back-to-back Ballon d'Or awards. Newcastle fans particularly cherished his time as both player and manager, first joining the club in 1982 when it was in the Second Division, leading them to promotion as a player, and later as manager guiding 'the Entertainers' to within a title of the Premier League in 1995-96.

Matthias Jaissle, Newcastle's new head coach, paid tribute before the match, calling Keegan more than just a manager and expressing joy to have the opportunity to honour him that day. He noted, "I must pay tribute to Kevin Keegan on a day where everyone inside the stadium will come together to celebrate his life and incredible achievements."