King Kev was the hot news that summer

It was Saturday, August 28, 1982, and the summer sun blazed over an expectant Tyneside. Up at Newcastle International Airport, thousands of sightseers were gathering to welcome the arrival of the fabulous British Airways supersonic airliner, Concorde, which was making its first visit to the region.

- By DAVID MORTON

Six miles to the south, thousands more were queuing outside St James’ Park to welcome the arrival of another superstar. Kevin Keegan - the 31-year-old England captain, twice European footballer of the year, and one of the nation’s most famous faces - had sensationally signed for Newcastle United a week or so earlier. It was news that sent Tyneside into meltdown.

Unlike today when new signings are trailed in seemingly endless sagas on social media, this one came completely out of the blue. John Gibson, in the Evening Chronicle, broke the story that Keegan, after jetting into Newcastle, would be joining United from Southampton for a fee of £100,000.

It was a hugely ambitious move by the club, backed by the finances of Newcastle Breweries who would help pay the player's £3,000-a-week-salary - a substantial amount at the time.