Thought For The Day – Wednesday 16^th September 2026

On Sunday,  the Great North Run took place in Newcastle upon Tyne in the North-East.

It was very inspiring to watch, in an event broadcast by the B.B.C., so many athletes and runners, including Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

So many ran the 13.1 mile distance for a personal, and collective, cause, mission and charity, raising much-needed funds and awareness.  It was wonderful community event.

Very appropriately, the playing of “Going Home”, the theme song of, and from, the film “Local Hero”, by Mark Knopfler, a fine musician and guitarist from the North-East, heralded the start of the event.  This well-known instrumental piece of music features at every Newcastle United home game at St. James’ Park.

The first Great North Run took place in 1981.   One runner then was the late Kevin Keegan O.B.E..  In an iconic picture, featured at the beginning of the B.B.C. coverage this year, Kevin Keegan, the son of a Newcastle miner, who would go on to play, and manage, Newcastle United Football Club, ran in a Newcastle and Sunderland shirt.  This is pictured above.  These two teams, of course, are famous local rivals, but Kevin Keegan, running for a cancer charity, was making the point that some things in life are far bigger and more important.   That day, Kevin Keegan said he would donate more money to charity for every runner who finished ahead of him.

Kevin Keegan’s passing from this life, marked on a daily message at the close of last term,  brought many tributes in the summer holidays.  Kevin Keegan was a very generous person, who had time for all, personally replying on the 12^th of February 2002, two days before his birthday, to a letter we sent to him from The Bishop’s Stortford High School,  when he was manager of Manchester City.  A picture from that letter can be seen above.  In retirement, when speaking at events, Kevin Keegan would not leave until everyone had had a picture and a signature. To Kevin Keegan, everyone was a V.I.P., a very important person.

This was because Kevin Keegan never forgot his roots.   As his autobiography reveals, Kevin Keegan grew up without the electrical and sanitation necessities we take for granted today.  There was very little money.

But there was so much love. And that is priceless.

Throughout his career, integrity defined Kevin Keegan.  When he felt he had taken a role as far as he thought he could, such as when he was England manager, he resigned.   When he disagreed with a former ownership of Newcastle United, he stayed away from the club he loved.  His autobiography, “My Life in Football”,  commences  by revealing that he returned to the club only once, after managing the club a second time, under a former ownership, entering in disguise, to pay tribute on the retirement of an unsung club worker.

Because Kevin Keegan,  captain of England, played in the post-1966 and post-1970-era when the England men’s team did not even qualify for two World Cup Finals, and because he was injured for much of the 1982 World Cup Finals in Spain, England did qualify for,  Kevin Keegan’s minutes in World Cup Finals were sparing.  Impact is not always measured in obvious places or on a big stage. Impact is often measured in quieter places.

And Kevin Keegan’s greatest impact was with, and to, his family.

Tributes in the summer came from far and wide, including clubs he had played for and managed. At every club, a total legend. From Scunthorpe United to Southampton. Fulham and Manchester City equally. At every other club he did not play for or manage, greatly loved.  Kevin Keegan transcended football and sport.  Everyone knew the name.

Mention is always made of the duals with Manchester United when Kevin Keegan Manager of Newcastle United.  But when Kevin Keegan passed away from this life, it was recounted, by Sir Alex Ferguson, that, two weeks after Manchester United had won the Title, over Newcastle United, when they both met by chance at Wentworth Golf Club, they shared many a laugh, with Kevin playing the piano late into the evening. “He held no grudges. That was a fantastic quality he had”, said Sir Alex Ferguson, paying tribute.  Values.  Respect.  Kevin Keegan was always good humoured and smartly dressed. Standards.

Aspiration. Commitment. As a player, Kevin Keegan surprised the footballing world when he left Liverpool to challenge himself in Germany with S.V. Hamburg.   Kevin Keegan became a two-time European Footballer of the Year.  In the last few years, said he was “the most ordinary player…not blessed with fantastic ability” who made the very best of all he had to impact teams and games. An outstanding life founded on hard care work and humility.  He hoped he could be an inspiration to all who try.

Early in his footballing career, Kevin Keegan was signed for Liverpool by Bill Shankly from Scunthorpe United, proving,  that there are jewels in the “lower” leagues.  Bill Shankly, an inspirational and moral leader himself,  once said that Kevin Keegan was everything a person should be.  “The best that Shankly ever found”, stated a Liverpool banner in August 2026 paying tribute to two legends and working-class heroes.

Later in his career, Kevin Keegan would return to his father’s homeland, playing and managing Newcastle United.  After leading Newcastle United to promotion as a player, Kevin Keegan retired.  Nothing was heard from him, until he returned as Manager eight years later  to lift the club again.  This short video, marking the passing of “King Kev”, or “Special K”, is a beautiful appreciation of a beautiful person and a place: https://youtube.com/shorts/uARwiyP1pqA?si=TCeZkc1giMsrdhZF

Community. All the above made the tribute banners and flags, pictured above, so poignant at the first match of the season between, so fittingly,  Newcastle United and Liverpool.   From his autobiography, an outstanding quote from the always positive Joseph Kevin Keegan was displayed.  These tributes are detailed in this inspirational moment: Newcastle and Liverpool pay tribute to Kevin Keegan at St James’ Park – YouTube

Hopefully, Joseph Kevin Keegan O.B.E. was looking down from Heaven.