Even as a relative bairn compared to some, I still feel as though I’ve personally sat through and seen enough dross from our black and white “heroes” in my years as a season ticket holder at Gallowgate, but when Special K was announced as our new leader last Wednesday, all of the badness faded away. Memories of Souness were vanquished, I forgot all about Glenn Roeder and Sam Allardyce seems like a distant memory.

The delight around Tyneside has been immeasurable, by and large, and even the players seem to have caught that special bug that was here back when I was still in primary school, I’ve never seen Shay Given smile so much while being interviewed! Steven Taylor also seemed chuffed to be moving away from what he called “long ball football”.

Kevin Keegan, Newcastle manager. Awesome.

To the game though, and while the focal point will no doubt be on you-know-who and his return – I’m not talking about Andy O’Brien or Gary Megson here – there is still a very important 90 minutes of football to hopefully be enjoyed rather than endured, which will be a nice change. Bolton will undoubtedly be looking to spoil the party, and our lads are probably going to struggle to keep cool/remain focused on the football, but I have faith that the feelgood factor will not be denied.

Wednesday showed the effect that Keegan’s appointment had on the team before he had took over or even met them. Freed from the shackles of Allardyce, they were playing neat, attractive football along the ground, just the way we like it.

Listening to his press conference, he seems to have that zest back that he did last time around, and that I think was missing in his post-Newcastle managerial career. Maybe it’s because he’s coming back to somewhere he knows, understands and loves. Let’s remember, despite what some might say, Kevin Keegan left Newcastle United the last time around because of issues surrounding the club’s flotation on the stock market.

I was sceptical about him coming back, part of me still is, but now that he is back, something just feels right. I believe that he will rejuvenate Newcastle United, and that maybe Newcastle United is rejuvenating him. Whether he hit the heady heights that we did last time around is another matter, and it’s a very tough act to follow. I’m certainly not going to expect us to repeat that. What he will deliver is good football and effort, and if that only gets us mid table, well, at least its better than mid-table with miserable performances, just scraping by, flukey wins and clogging football.

Bolton is Keegan’s first test, and there should certainly be a good atmosphere, ready to get behind him and the team. I can’t wait for this one, I’m sure all of you feel the same, and if you don’t, what the hell is wrong with you?

Of course, Bolton will come wanting to spoil the party, that’s only natural. Let’s not get carried away by thinking that this will be a 5-0 walkover. (Most of the time Keegan was in charge last time, I used to go to games not even thinking that we would do anything other than win. That feeling has evapourated, and I would like to have it back, but we’re not there yet.) However, I think that with an invigourated team free to play the ball on the floor and attack, we’ll cause problems for Bolton. We saw on Wednesday night, the team using the whole pitch and the wings. We have good wide players, we have good forwards, so hopefully, the strikers will get the service from the wings that they were cruelly and frustratingly starved of under Allardyce.

The place will be buzzing, over to you lads!