Wor Kev. No, I mean it. He is Wor Kev.
My Nana, ok Grandmother for the Gosforth lads, died when I was nine, in 1974. I was born 1964 but let’s not make this maths when its really genealogy.
My Nana used to talk about “The Keegans” apparently. It was something I heard in family gatherings and always some distant aunt or something would say to me “You’re related to Kevin Keegan.”
Yeah right, I would think, but this didn’t stop me from mentioning at school (both Primary and Secondary), if it was true or not. I guess I didn’t care because I would never really truly know.
Wor Kev always played for other clubs but he did play for England and he was Captain too. England didn’t qualify for the 1974 or 1978 World Cup, years where Wor Kev was in his pomp, so saying “I am related to Kevin Keegan” sort of meant something but still distant to us of course.
No one needs me telling you dear reader(s) what happens next.
Suffice to say that my “connection” to Wor Kev was now mentioned in whichever workplace I was in. Of course no one believed me. You can just tell by looking at reactions but of course I couldn’t fully invest in it myself because it was just a family rumour.
But then, roll on quite a few years, about five years ago to be precise.
Online ancestry websites are a big thing. I have always had an interest in that sort of thing, so I put together a family tree.
It is actually very difficult for me because I have very few details about any relatives on my father’s side.
But on my mother’s side there is lots going on.
I traced back my maternal Grandparents and there lo and behold, the Keegan name crops up. My Nana’s grandparents were Keegans. One generation back the Keegans actually arrived from Ireland.
Now I donned my deerstalker and thought what if I could follow this Keegan line back to the present day, would I find Wor Kev? Yes, I did. I was amazed. All of those rumours were true, now I have proof, I had proved the link. Kevin Keegan’s great Grandparents are my great great Grandparents!!
I don’t know what that makes us, but it puts us two inches apart on my family tree, which is close enough for me. So Wor Kev, is also My Kev, and I really don’t mind sharing him with all of you.