Soccer: 'Massive' lesson for Keegan

Kevin Keegan has been handed his first lesson in Manchester’s bitter soccer rivalry.

Just hours after being installed as City’s new manager on five-year contract, Keegan attended a fans’ forum where he was advised never to refer to the club as ‘‘massive’’ or even to call them ‘‘Man City’’.

The over-use of the word ‘‘massive’’ has become an embarrassment to Maine Road followers, while ‘‘Man City’’ is associated with rivals Manchester United’s southern-based supporters.

Keegan had broken both rules during his introduction to the fans - before being politely asked by a fan at the event to refrain from using them again ‘‘for your own good’’.

Keegan took the advice in good spirit and said: ‘‘I’m not sure why, but I will always now call the club ‘huge’ and always say Manchester City.’’

At the meeting he revealed that he would be bringing Arthur Cox to the club as his chief scout, and on Tuesday when Willie Donachie returns from holiday he will try to persuade the current first-team coach to stay on following the sacking of Joe Royle.

Keegan said: ‘‘For the first few weeks, Arthur Cox, who has been with me at Newcastle and England, will spend all his time with me looking at every aspect of the club from the academy upwards.

‘‘Arthur has a tremendous knowledge of English soccer and we need to look in the lower divisions for talent.

‘‘I also want Willie to stay. He’s a defender and I’m not! This is a decision I have come to, nobody has pushed me into it.’’

When challenged by fans about the club’s supposed drinks culture, one of the reasons put forward for Royle’s axing, Keegan said: ‘‘We must have a rule book, players must know what they can and can’t do.

‘‘Discipline has never been a problem at my clubs, players have to know what we expect.’’

Keegan, who will start work today by visiting the site of the club’s new stadium being built in Eastlands for the Commonwealth Games next summer, admitted that with most of the club’s players now away on holiday it will be a few weeks before he can sit down and talk to the squad.