The announcement came after many fans found themselves outside St James' Park calling for the board to be sacked and Keegan to stay; several even made their way to Keegan's home to offer their support. The man known as King Kev has not been seen in Newcastle over the last few days with suggestions that meetings were being held either in Manchester or London, he also failed to take training sessions over the last two days, being replaced by Terry McDermott on the field.

Today after an agonising wait came the news the fans feared but their heart of hearts knew was due. Keegan has resigned from his club but is yet to make a statement. Newcastle United FC have however got in ahead of him and made their given their own statement of events, releasing it officially on the .co.uk website. A statement which not only places the blame for Keegan's departure directly at his feet, but also aims to field any negative press away from the board.

With words of devotion and regret it read like something you would hear at a funeral and went on to say that Keegan decided against taking up their offer to keep him at the club.

Official Statement from www.nufc.co.uk:

"Newcastle United Football Club is sad and disappointed that Kevin Keegan has resigned.

Over the last few days the Club has devoted itself to the discussions it has held with Kevin and as a result of those discussions had put together a set of practical suggestions for how to move forward.

Today the Club made it clear to Kevin that if he had any outstanding concerns on its proposals, he should raise them with the Club.

The Club regrets that Kevin has, instead of taking up that offer, chosen to resign"

A statement which screams they will not shoulder the responsibility of his departure and wish the fans to continue supporting them as they would have done had they kept their popular manager.

It beggars belief that Keegan would fail to have raised concerns with the club when he is known for speaking his mind, however it's quite possible that whatever he said would have been acknowledged and discarded rather than being recognised for what they were, concerns that the club do not want a manager to manage, but rather a manager to obey.

In the long term Mike Ashley will get it wrong if he doesn't start listening to people who know what they are talking about. Mike Ashley will get it wrong if he alienates the fans and Mike Ashley has got it wrong if he thinks that the fans will accept this outcome and what the board are saying.

For Kevin Keegan it's unlikely he will go into another managerial post when months after his stint at Fulham he declared he was unlikely to return to football in a professional capacity and that he hadn't even attended a game since he left Craven Cottage. It shocked many that he accepted the role under Mike Ashley's ownership and a further return would surprise many more.

The fans have always hoped Keegan would return and reinstate the clubs former winning style of football, was he starting to get there with his latter reign or were the club going to continue forcing him into a corner? Either way, he was either going to leave now or the whole fiasco would have resurfaced in January when the next transfer window opens and Mike Ashley refuses to buy players and attempts to sell the only ones who score goals, just as he did this month.

Good luck to whoever is appointed by the board, hopefully the fans will back them, but realistically there are not many good managers out of employment and many of those currently in post and who have been linked with a move to either Newcastle or West Ham, have stated that they will not be leaving.

Let's await Mike Ashley's next "business" decision.

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