Do you remember where you were when Keegan signed

A friend asked me 'Do you remember where you were when Keegan signed?' Without hesitation my mind went back to that moment when the radio had the newsflash that 'Southampton had signed European footballer of the year Kevin Keegan.

We were world news , the City was buzzing. Imagine it was as big as Messi or Ronaldo coming to us in footballing terms in the day.

Amazingly there were no rumours or talk that he was coming to us.

I cant think of any other saints news that has made me remember exactly what I was doing at that moment.

I vividly remember the day we signed Shane Long. I was in a caravan park in Wales. Good times.

I remember when we signed Rickie Lambert.

To be honest, I'd never heard of him but it seemed like good news at the time.

I was more excited when we signed David Connely to be fair.

I do indeed. There had been lots of rumours of Keegan coming back to England to end his career and the press was full of speculation as to where he might end up but the announcement of the signing at The Potter's Heron at Ampfield was agenuinsq surprise. I was actually driving past the pub around the same time although there was not much sign of unusual activity there.

I vividly remember the day we signed Shane Long. I was in a caravan park in Wales. Good times.

I was probably at home, sucking on my mummy’s titty. (Because I was a baby not because I have a weird Oedipus complex.)

I don’t remember it though.

Weirdly Ido remember where I was when we signed David Hirst. Mablethorpe, Lincs, playing on the Amusements.

Yes, I was in Fareham and my uncle who'd just heard the news on the radio, told me. Saints fans there were elated, almost like we'd just won the cup final, while Pompey fans were stunned. Everyone found the news incredible. We had a friendly coming up at Fratton Park and I remember the Pompey fans being worried that if Keegan made his debut in it, we'd take over Fratton Park. But, he didn't.

Got home from school a couple of hours after the announcement and my Dad said "you'll never guess who Saints have just signed"

I remember my guess was Trevor Francis

Brilliant day- Heard it when cycling past some school mates who were at a bus stop... stunned, elated, amazed- for once felt like we were a top club...which we were in the early 1980s! What a team we had...

Brilliant day- Heard it when cycling past some school mates who were at a bus stop... stunned' date=' elated, amazed- for once felt like we were a top club...which we were in the early 1980s! What a team we had...[/quote']

 

When you consider that Kevin Keegan was the reigning European Footballer of the Year and the current holder of that title is Lionel Messi it puts it in perspective.

I had not long started working for The Guardian when my Dad phoned me up. He never phoned me at work so I was expecting bad news. It came as a very pleasant surprise.

I was just coming out the school gates and my friend Jason ran up to me and said Keegan had signed for Saints.....he was an avid Liverpool fan and was distraught.

I didn’t believe him.

Next thing I know I get home and it’s headline news....then I was seeing him in an iconic saints shirt.

Blew my mind.

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I was working in an Engineering firm at the time, we had a Yorkshireman who ran the stores and he always had a radio on. I was in there when it was announced, I don’t know who’s jaw hit the floor hardest or fastest. He was a Leeds fan and whenever I watched the moment Oz reads about ‘Keegan signs for Southampton’ in Auf Wiedersehen Pet. I think of that fella! I was buzzing for weeks.

I remember it vividly, I was walking home from middle school and just turned into Dimond Rd when a car pulled up next to me and the driver called out to me asking if I was a Saints fan. I thought I was about to be abducted when he told me the news & drove off, stopping a bit further on to pass on the good news to a group of older lads from 'the big' school. When I got home mum excitedly asked me "Guess who Saints have just signed", when I stole her thunder she was gutted.

What a day! I was in my office. My mum actually phoned me. "You'll never guess who saints have just signed". She is not a football fan but even she had heard of Kevin Keegan. My boss, a season ticket holder, was sitting at his desk in a stupor. He had just heard from his son. My mother's call was taken as reliable validation. I started wandering around the office (300 people) but news had spread like lightning. I never saw so many bewildered but happy faces. This was in the days way before 24 hour news or instant access so I needed to go home and see for myself. There it was. Leading item on the 6 o'clock news. It was barmy. Saints already had a great team but now we had arrived in the big time.

I was at school. The Headmaster heard the news and was so excited he actually interrupted the class I was in to tell us. Amazing time, we were bound to win the league with Keegan!

I was at school. The Headmaster heard the news and was so excited he actually interrupted the class I was in to tell us. Amazing time, we were bound to win the league with Keegan!

We would have done in 1983/84 if he hadn't gone to Newcastle.

Student Union Bar at what was then Worcester College of Higher Education

Was sat in car outside Mansel School Millbrook waiting for the kids . It came on the news and everyone got out of their cars . Hilarious.

Was in the car park at a school in Netley, where the all-conquering Ludlow Middle School team were about to give yet another team a lesson in football. A few of us were in Mr Jolly’s car and the news came through on his car radio.