Kevin Keegan fired an angry parting shot at owner Mike Ashley and Dennis Wise last night as he quit Newcastle.
The legendary manager walked away accusing the Newcastle board of wrecking his 232-day reign by interfering - and buying players he did not want.
And Newcastle intensified the bitterness between both parties by saying Keegan had refused their last-ditch offer of peace talks. His departure threw Ashley's regime into crisis as angry fans demonstrated outside St James's Park last night.
Newcastle's players were informed of Keegan's departure by text which also gagged them from speaking out.
Keegan, who fell out with transfer boss Wise and MD Derek Llambias over transfers, blasted: "A manager must have the right to manage and that clubs should not impose upon any manager any player that he does not want.
"I've been working desperately hard to find a way forward with the directors, but sadly that has not proved possible. It remains my fervent wish to see Newcastle United do well in the future and I feel incredibly sorry for the players, staff and most importantly the supporters. I have been left with no choice than to leave."
Wise has now been charged with finding a new coach, rather than a manager.
His former sidekick at Leeds Gus Poyet, now No.2 at Spurs, is the bookies favourite. Gianfranco Zola, Avram Grant, Roberto Mancini and Didier Deschamps will be considered too.
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NEXT NEWCASTLE MANAGER ODDS
3 Poyet, 7-2 Wise, 11-2 Shearer, 15-2 Deschamps 8 Moyes, 14 Mancini, 16 Rijkaard, Grant, 20 Bilic, Houllier, Redknapp, Irureta, Lotino, M Laudrup, Curbishley, 25 Eriksson, 28 Bruce, Jol
Life and times of Kevin Keegan
Timeline of his second spell at Newcastle
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