FOOTBALL icon Kevin Keegan has mixed memories of his visits to Blundell Park – with Grimsby Town serving up some real 'highs and lows' during his time in the sport.
The former Liverpool, Newcastle and Hamburg ace, who began his career at nearby Scunthorpe, was the guest speaker at a charity dinner held at the Beachcomber on Thursday night.
Born near Doncaster, it was Keegan's first trip back to the area since his Fulham side faced the Mariners in the semi-finals of the Division Two play-offs in 1997/1998.
After a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage – in what was incidentally his first game in charge after the sacking of Ray Wilkins – the 62-year-old brought his Londoners to the coast on May 13.
Town midfielder Kevin Donovan netted the winner in a 1-0 triumph, just as he did less than two weeks later in the resulting Wembley showdown with Northampton.
However, Blundell Park was not an entirely doom and gloom venue for Keegan.
Indeed, the ex-England captain and manager guided Newcastle to a 2-0 victory over the Mariners in 1993 – a result that clinched the Division One championship for the Magpies.
Keegan told the Telegraph: "I have up and down memories of managing at Blundell Park.
"I took over as manager for the Grimsby games, and they knocked us out for a deserved place in the play-off final.
"Those were my first two games and I remember them well. We finished sixth that year and Grimsby came third.
"Coming here with Fulham was an obvious disappointment, but Grimsby were a much better side than us that year.
"But before that, I came here with Newcastle and clinched the league title – that was a great day for us and it was great to do it here, as I was born not too far away just outside of Doncaster.
"There were some ups and downs here, but that is football and you can't always be top dog."
Aside from his direct tasks at Blundell Park, Keegan travelled to Cleethorpes on regular scouting missions, citing the setup as a key factor in determining the qualities of potential singings.
He added: "I've always loved coming to watch games here on the coast.
"I felt it was a really good place to watch games, and players, when I was the manager the first time around at Newcastle.
"Firstly, it wasn't too far away, but secondly it was always a bit windy and cold here.
"That meant players had to want to play.
"If you saw them with sleeves down and gloves on, that put a little bit of doubt into your mind that they were a fair weather player.
"Grimsby was a good place to come and watch for that reason, that and the compact atmosphere inside the stadium."
During his latest visit to the Cleethorpes coast, Keegan was the headline act in a charity event hosted by Harbour Place.
The two-time European Player of the Year was a real hit with the 270-strong crowd, helping to raise over £13,500 for the cause.
After a successful 17th annual dinner, which also featured Kevin Connolly (comedian), project director Allen Young said: "It was a real coup for Harbour Place to get Kevin involved.
"It was a great evening, and the people I have spoken to all had a wonderful time."
