In this edition of the Iron Bru Mail Bag, Steven Askew considers whether a statue for Kevin Keegan is the right way for the club to honour his legacy, or whether a more fitting, inclusive memorial can be created instead.
Please note that the views, thoughts, and opinions shared in this Mail Bag submission belong entirely to the author and do not necessarily reflect the stance of the Iron Bru site authors or editors.
I’ve just taken the online temperature and, as they tend to do in times of grief, emotions are certainly running a bit hot at the moment. As you cannot fail to have noticed, Scunthorpe United’s greatest ever player died last week. Or, rather, the greatest player to have ever played for Scunthorpe United died. This barely noticeable distinction is quite important, actually, as it helps us get to the nub of a matter which has been causing contention online – the possibility of a Kevin Keegan statue.
Kevin Keegan was outstanding – a great player. Of that there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever. He is wistfully remembered by Scunthorpe United supporters of a certain age, and seems to be thought of fondly by everyone else here. Especially those who came into contact with him during myriad visits to the town and club during the decades since he left and went on to high achievement and global fame.
But, let us seriously ask, was he actually so sensational during his 141 appearances for United that you’d have no choice other than to say he’s the best to have ever pulled on the claret-and-blue (though, of course, in his case in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it was actually the red)? Was Keegan really, definitely, inarguably Scunthorpe United’s all-time greatest?
More likely, did Keegan move on and then become one of the greatest to have played the game (who happened to have played for Scunthorpe in his early days)?
Were Scunthorpe United and our town itself not, essentially, just a couple of early (important) character building steps on the learning curve to his greatness? We are, as we should be, justifiably proud of the modest yet solid start we gave him. The mentorship of Ron Ashman and his staff (including another Iron legend, Jack Brownsword) set Keegan off in his career, fit as a fiddle and with a really decent head on his shoulders. That physicality and that smartness were essential in his later success, so well done us.
Whichever way you boil down 1968 to 1971, the hard truth is that no matter how fond of him we’ve been over the fifty-five years since his time here, Keegan’s standing in the game was achieved after his stint at Scunthorpe United. It’s a fact. We simply cannot make it otherwise. A statue cannot and will not make it otherwise.
I believe Keegan’s biggest contribution to Scunthorpe actually came after he left, and was an accidental by-product of his fame. He elevated the profile of our club through our association with his glittering career. He seemed to sprinkle all of us kids in Scunthorpe with some genuine multi-coloured football stardust, which was fun, intoxicating and fantastic. Like a football David Bowie, changing things for a generation.
There is no doubt that he is one of our club’s ‘favourite sons’ – and he is genuinely one of my favourites – but, quietly, I have been absolutely mortified by the notion of a statue to him (and I don’t particularly embarrass easily). I find that as things progress, as this statue idea gains momentum, I can’t stay quiet about it. Here, Iron Bru has given me the space to say my piece in the hope that others feel the same and that those driving events might consider, and then see sense.
I believe that calls to erect a statue are a clumsy misfire of the energy gained from the sentiment surrounding his death. However understandable the impulse to mark Kevin Keegan’s passing may be, I believe it would be an unforgivable mistake if we choose to recognise him alone, above and beyond others, in this particular way. I believe pursuing this idea of a statue any further would be a slight to all of those other players who have given great service (however unintended that slight would be). It would be gauche, thoughtless and a little bit cheap of us.
There is certainly always discussion to be had around Keegan’s contribution to United – but there’s simply no getting around the fact that there are other players who contributed more while in an Iron shirt. It is not remotely disrespectful to Keegan to say so, even so soon after his death. I’m sure he, himself, would respect and expect people to be candid.
Those supporters more senior than myself will remember other players who are now sadly deceased who did more than Keegan while they were here. But in my lifetime, as two examples off the top of my head (and although these two players are actually still alive), unparalleled contributions have come from Longden and Cammack. Both definitely gave more than Keegan: Longden played over 450 games, and Cammack is still our all-time leading goalscorer…
Keegan was a hero to many, and many here in Scunthorpe, and rightly so. He was a great example as a footballer and as a football manager – but, most importantly, he was an absolutely exquisite human being. Someone true and worthy of looking up to. He possessed ordinary qualities in superhuman measure. Hard work, commitment, passion, friendliness and sincerity. His righteousness and his emotional outbursts were legendary (vs Billy Bremner of Leeds United in the Charity Shield in 1974, vs Alex Ferguson on live TV in 1996, and vs himself in the England manager’s job itself in late 2000). It is not despite these human outbursts that I, and others, really loved him – it is absolutely because of them. So Kevin Keegan was a beacon for truth and justice, in some ways. Not just superhuman. A superhero.
His passing is wholly regrettable, though we all suspected it was imminent, and the grief is genuinely quite painful. Personally I feel like a part of my childhood has gone forever, with no chance of ever coming back. Not that a childhood can ever come back, of course – but haven’t we all at some point secretly naively felt that in some way we might just outdo the reaper and live forever, with Kevin Keegan, that glittering beacon, there for all time, lighting the way? I don’t know, perhaps he will be there for all time – but hopefully not in the form of an ill-thought statue, and in the form of something much more modest and befitting of his small start with our club, and respectful of all others who have passed through its dressing room.
If this statue is intended to become, as Michelle Harness suggested on BBC Radio Humberside recently, a memorial focal point for future grief when other players pass on, why shoot ourselves in the foot and focus any build so heavily on Keegan? Cynically, what purpose would a Kevin Keegan statue serve, other than our club and fans appearing to crassly say to the football world “One of the greatest actually started here – so, really, he belonged to us and not you!” – a feeling I genuinely totally understand, to be honest. I know you know what I’m talking about because you have probably felt that way too at some point: Our Kev. OUR Kev. But do we really need to say it out loud in quite such a vulgar way?
It is absolutely crucial to be careful in these early days of our grief and not kneejerk by letting ideas run away with the grief as it were, and become the circus of a performative statue project.
I wholeheartedly believe that other players really do deserve the respect of being highlighted, and some serious recognition for their service. In the end it’s the done thing for us, as mature human beings, to be thankful for the efforts of all down the years, not just the really famous. I also believe that this is the moment to show some humility and do that. So, therefore, with this in mind I implore the club and the Iron Trust to recognise that the only truly credible way forward is to ditch the idea of a Keegan statue.
I believe all efforts and monies raised should be concentrated on a general memorial wall for former players – something akin to the memorial wall outside the club office. It could be along the wall near the players’ entrance, or perhaps even outside the office (with the bricks of the current memorial wall moved). It could even be called the Kevin Keegan Memorial Wall, and he could visibly be centre of it, if we must.
But ultimately there is a great opportunity here to do something befitting of Keegan and all others. So for heaven’s sake let’s make sure we keep it simple and get it right. Make something modest and tasteful – and beautiful. Mostly, something meaningful.
Steven Askew
The Iron Trust’s fundraiser for a memorial is currently approaching £3,500. For those wishing to contribute, you can view the campaign and donate at the following link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/kevin-keegan-statue-memorial-fundraiser.
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