‘I discovered it tough, disappointment was my overriding emotion’ Lee Clark explains why he was one of many solely Geordies who wasn’t celebrating Kevin Keegan’s arrival as Newcastle United supervisor in 1992

Kevin Keegan picked up the telephone in February 1992 and listened as Newcastle United’s new proprietor, Sir John Corridor, uttered a sentence that may change the membership’s historical past. “There’s solely two individuals who can save Newcastle United, and we’re speaking on the phone now”.

Newcastle have been staring down the barrel of relegation to the third tier of English soccer, a stage they’d by no means dropped to of their historical past. Sir John had relieved Ossie Ardiles of his duties after a 4-3 residence defeat to Charlton, proceeded by a 5-2 defeat away at Oxford.

Ardiles was a giant identify, however he had obtained the mix of youth and expertise mistaken throughout his first full season as Newcastle boss. He gambled on youth, and it had backfired.

Kevin Keegan was the saviour, however Lee Clark was nonetheless in mourning

Ardiles was standard amongst gamers and press, however Newcastle have been in a nasty means. They turned to the immensely standard and charismatic Keegan who shortly galvanised the entire metropolis, saved the membership from the third tier and inside three seasons created probably the most thrilling groups English soccer has ever seen.

Information of his arrival in 1992 reignited spirits across the place, however proficient teenager Lee Clark initially struggled to search out the identical enthusiasm.

“Kevin left me out of his first sport, in opposition to Bristol Metropolis at St James’ Park, as he’d advised me a few days earlier that whereas he’d heard a number of good issues about me, my head wasn’t in the precise place”, explains Clark chatting with FourFourTwo all these years later.

“It was a good remark. I had loved a superb relationship with Ossie and it hit me laborious when he was sacked as a result of I felt partially liable for him dropping his job.