Kevin Keegan: true King of the North

In the late afternoon of 16 February 1909, a terrifying explosion tore through the Burns Pit at West Stanley in County Durham. Sheets of flame erupted from the pit shaft, while underground, 168 miners were either incinerated instantly or were choked to death by coal dust and carbon monoxide. As was typical in mining disasters, there was no shortage of volunteers prepared to risk their own life and limb to look for survivors. Among the first to brave the collapsed mine was a respected local union official called Frank Keegan. Thanks to the efforts of Frank and his comrades, 26 miners were found in a pocket of clean air and safely brought to the surface. A postcard published after the event shows the volunteers, including the dapper and diminutive Keegan smiling underneath a bowler hat and a