The Very Murky World Of Newcastle United
So Kevin Keegan has won his case for constructive dismissal with Newcastle United. He was forced out as manager because players were signed without his consent and no matter how many ways the Mike Ashley regime spun things, they could not escape from that fundamental truth.
Yet, as a winner, Keegan also looks like a loser. As the wronged party he has himself been guilty of so much wrong. In his pursuit of damages, Keegan appears to have been blinded by cold hard cash.
In his determination to maximise the reward from a compensation claim, Keegan can be accused of greed, arrogance and, worst of all, a willingness to damage the club he supposedly loves for personal financial gain.
Ultimately, while Keegan has done far more for Newcastle United than Ashley ever will, the ugly nature of this dispute ensures nobody really comes out of it with any credit.
Whether Keegan can come back from this as a football manager is unlikely. We should remember the wonderful things he did as a manager in his first spell, and before that, as one of the best players to have ever pulled on the black and white jersey.
He remains an iconic figure in the club's history and let's just leave it at that for now.
His reasons for quitting are understandable and he has been fully vindicated by the findings of the FA panel which heard the evidence. He did not want to sign Ignacio Gonzalez and Dennis Wise, that most easily disliked of men, told him tough.
Keegan got greedy with his claim - he will not be the first or the last to do that - and the Panel saw through it.
He should not have been seeking such a large sum, a claim which has been made to look even more ridiculous now that United have just about staved off the threat of administration following relegation.
That is sad, but the real scandal is a football club which freely admits it has lied to supporters as a public relations exercise. Time and time again, from former chairman Chris Mort to Dennis Wise to managing director Derek Llambias we have been told Keegan had the final say on transfers. He did not.
Who can ever trust the Ashley regime again? I have sat in a room with Llambias and heard him defend everything from Ashley's expenditure on transfers to five year plans, from his personal commitment to the club to a detailed strategic plan for the future.
Were they all just lies designed as a public relations exercise? When club employees freely admit to having done this in the past through official club publications it is difficult not to conclude that everything else has been little more than cynical media manipulation.
The bottom line is Mike Ashley's created a dubious management structure and employed the wrong people to make it work.
Dennis Wise was no Executive Director, Tony Jimenez was no head of recruitment and Keegan was never likely to be the sort of manager who can take other people meddling in the transfer market.
It has cost him a £2m pay out, but the real cost is credibility, not just for United's owner, but for a football club which continues to give the rest of the country far more entertainment off the pitch than it does on it.
These sorts of disputes, secret deals and political shenanigans are rife in football. But once again it is Newcastle United who have hung the dirty laundry out in public for everyone to point and stare.
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Luke Edwards - is Chief Sports Writer of The Journal and uses his blog to give a unique and entertaining insight into events at Newcastle United and Sunderland.
To be fair to keegan, at the end of the publication they state that he agreed that the clause giving him 2million was fair, his winning would repair his reputation and he wasnt seeking further damages. Id say its his lawyers who've pushed for so much and the document reflects that stating how he was very fair and in agreement
Craig is right - it's the lawyers who push for the maximum possible amount.
And your use of the phrase "the panel saw through it" is incorrect. The panel judged that the clause in the contract which limited payment to £2m was legally binding was what decided the amount - not any judgement on what was "fair".
I also note the way in which Keegan has handled himself though this whole affair. While Ashley and co have spread leaks and lies, Keegan maintained a dignified silence - even when he had reputation-shattering evidence such as Wise's "buy him from Youtube to do a favour" comments.
Ian
Ian
Luke, normally I agree with the things you write, but I'm with the other posters here. Keegan had no choice but to take things as far as he did as he was being counter sued for £2m. It's more a case of Ashley who's being greedy and blinded by cash for taking the whole process this far, when he must have known he would lose - he could have offered to settle up at any time.
Luke, normally I agree with the things you write, but I'm with the other posters here. Keegan had no choice but to take things as far as he did as he was being counter sued for £2m. It's more a case of Ashley who's being greedy and blinded by cash for taking the whole process this far, when he must have known he would lose - he could have offered to settle up at any time.
Ditto to Craig. My experience with such legalities is that a claim in its initial and first form needs to clearly set the 'possible loss and full entitlement to claim' and not the anticipated eventual reality of settlement. This is the same in all civil cases of constructive dismissal. With that in mind, clearly Mr. Keegan's lawyers have 'laid all the cards on the table', whereas NUFC have made a veiled attempt at what in reading appears to be an ill-advised and very weak counter claim in an attempt of re-couping an insignificant amount of compensation. Again, it appears to be a case of Mr Ashley being ill-advised and suffering the consequence of 'fools' who have perhaps claimed more in costs and wages than the evetual settlement to Mr Keegan has proven. Mr Keegan's credibility is further enhanced by his acceptance of the 2m without real intention of pursuance of his full claim as regards 'stigma' and with his honourable silence leading up to this tribunal it seems a real shame that what appeared to be Mr Ashley's very genuine desire for success for NUFC has now been so serverely tarnished by the idiocies of 'press spin' and obvious ill advised comments to fans.
I'd carry Keegan on my back over broken glass to get him back. Forget Shearer, forget Houghton, Keegan is a man who understands football, NUFC, the north east and the fans. He is honest and straight down the line and has more integrity in his little finger than Ashley ever will have and he should be the manager of NUFC.
Ashley, get out of our club.
Well said Big Si. Keegan will always be our messiah! Yes he can sometimes throw his toys out the pram, but what a manager he was. Has there been anyone out there with a better eye for talent? Some may say Sir Bobby, but player for player Keegan made better buys. Luke I've asked you this before, but it would be interesting to see just what percentage of fans would like Keegan back. I just dont think Shearer is the answer and would prefer he cut his teeth a little first. Houghton has done a phenomenal job, but when we get back in the big time, we need someone who can attract big name players, for me, Keegan is that man. I very much doubt it will happen, but his reputation will always remain intact in my eyes. Ashley is the idiot in all of this, well Wise also!
Lawyers act on their clients wishes, there's no escaping that fact that Keegan wanted to be paid beyond the end of his contract to his 65th birthday. His claims to justify this amount were as absurd as the clubs denials that they breached the contract. Neither party look very good here but it was a sensible decision, so obvious that it is incredible that it took a year to reach including three weeks at tribunial.
Perhaps the real issue and headline should be'TOON OF LIES' and a story of how the Ashley regime has sort to lie and deceive Newcastle Fans, football journalists and th ePremier League with a very poor attempt at spin. Surely questions of 'Good and Proper' as defined in the FA and Premiership should be examined regarding Ashley's ownership of the club? Does the admittance of such deceit open the doors to fans seeking to sue Ashley and the club for misrepresentation? How many signed up for the club because of the Keegan effect? Have we all now missed out on the Keegan revival, an issue that can never be redressed? Is that it for KK and Newcastle?
"Think of it this way, KK Asks 2m, ashley pays, KK asks 8m, ashley pays, KK asks ridiculous amount despite having 2m clause in his contract, ashley wont pay, tribunal, truth comes out, KK Gets his name cleared and is vindicated."
(quoted from a messageboard elsewhere)
And it makes total sense to me...
will KK please take a bow - you are an honourable man. To suggest otherwise, Lee, is to completely ignore the facts of the Keegan's actions in football.
Why would anybody ever be surprised by anything that happens at NUFC. No wonder people from elsewhere call the ground Sid James Theatre of Laughs. It is a Fizzy Pop Club in the correct league. And now it seems the initial run of good results was only to fool the mugs yet again.
Agree with all of the above (apart from M Sebastian T's usual drivel - what would SBR make of comments like that, I wonder?).
Lee - I think your article has misrepresented the facts slightly. Yes, Keegan went for millions, but any brief would have advised him to do so, probably expecting an out of court settlement. It was a negotiating position.
Far more telling is Keegan's immediate acceptance that £2m was fair as long as the truth also came out, thereby clearing his name, so he can hopefully earn again.
I'd have him back at NUFC tomorrow. The man has more integrity in his little finger than Ashley / Llambias / Wise / Jimenez / Vetere / and (sadly) Mort combined. Crooks the lot of them.
Given the findings, can't the FA apply any pressure on Ashley to GET OUT OF OUR CLUB?