Newcastle, Liverpool planning Keegan tribute at season opener
Newcastle United and Liverpool are discussing a tribute to Kevin Keegan before their Premier League season opener at St James’ Park on 23 August, following his death aged 75. The occasion will bring together the two clubs most closely associated with Keegan’s playing and managerial legacy, allowing supporters to commemorate one of English football’s best-known figures.
Newcastle will also honour Keegan throughout pre-season: its men’s, women’s and under-21 sides will wear black armbands, while a minute’s silence will precede Saturday’s friendly at Gateshead. His image will appear in the seventh minute of matches on 15 and 16 August, referring to his number seven shirt, and the club will consult his family about a permanent tribute; Keegan had disclosed in June that he had stage four cancer.
- Newcastle and Liverpool plan a Keegan tribute before their season opener.
- Pre-season matches will include armbands, silences and seventh-minute applause.
- Newcastle will consult Keegan’s family on a permanent memorial.
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Kevin Keegan was one of English football's most celebrated figures, enjoying a long career as both a player and manager. He died aged 75 in 2026 after having publicly disclosed that he had stage four cancer earlier in the year.
Keegan's career was most closely associated with Liverpool FC and Newcastle United. He was a prominent player for Liverpool during the 1970s and later managed Newcastle in the 1990s, taking the club to new levels of success during that era.