Thinking positive goes a long way in survival bid

Mar 29 2009 by Mark Douglas, Sunday Sun

IT may be difficult grasping for reasons to be cheerful as Newcastle and Sunderland free-fall towards the Championship — but players and fans staying upbeat may just save both clubs.

That is the view of former United and Black Cats striker David Kelly, who says Newcastle stayed afloat on a wave of positivity when they narrowly avoided dropping into the Third Division back in 1992.

Kelly’s name is indelibly linked with that great escape thanks to his famous goal against Portsmouth — an effort that ultimately banished the threat of the drop.

He is desperate for both his former clubs to retain their Premier League status — partly because he remains close to former Ireland team-mate Chris Hughton and Sunderland colleague Ricky Sbragia.

But mostly because having experienced the passion of the North East public for football, he thinks it will be bad for the game if the region has no top flight club.

“As players you have to stay calm and you have to believe you’re going to get out of it,” he said.

“At Newcastle we had belief in the group of people that we had — we always thought we were good enough and had enough ability not to go down,” he said.

“Kevin Keegan was the reason for that. We looked as if we were doomed but we always believed and he has to take credit.

“He came in with a few games left and I remember him walking into the dressing room and telling us we were going to be a Premier League club in two years, and fighting for honours the year after that.

“We were near the bottom of the second division and the time and struggling. We looked at each other and thought ‘He can’t be serious’ but his positivity was infectious.

“Even after a defeat he’d be like that, telling us we were good enough to stay up and that he believed in us. It was inspiring.”

That goal against Pompey? Kelly is typically self-depreciating.

“I think I scored about three goals in my entire career that were outside the box and that was one of them!

“The ball came to me about half-way between corner flag and the 18-yard box and I hit it past Alan Knight, the Portsmouth keeper.