It’s hard to get noticed when your name is Keith... until it pops up in front of a Premier League manager on a reporter’'s phone during a live broadcast Press conference.
When I was named in a newspaper competition (another story altogether) in 1964, Keith was still a fairly common name in Scotland, with a Celtic meaning of ‘forest’ or ‘from the battleground’.
I could have found myself on a different kind of battleground when I interrupted Leeds United manager, Jesse Marsch, just a few seconds into his press conference, as my name flashed up on reporter David Anderson’s phone and rang loudly.
Marsch, a man who could be considered to be under intense professional pressure at the moment, given Leeds’ Premier League position, reacted with humour and class. Maybe he knew that we have something in common - since 1983 I have been a Green Bay Packers fan, the NFL team he followed from his upbringing in Racine, Wisconsin.
Go Pack, Go, Jesse!
In 2020, only five boys in the UK were given the name Keith, such is the nature of changing fashions. We are a dying breed. The Leeds manager may have helped to revive our fortunes, or at least given us some publicity.
What the incident demonstrated for me in personal terms however, is the power of social media on topics that seem to have no real news value. Sky’s video tweet was viewed 100,000 times in the 100 minutes after they posted it. More people than it would take to fill Wembley Stadium.
The comments and spin-offs were fast and furious, not least of all the one from Richard Jolly, who, within minutes, had informed Twitter that no Keith has managed in the Premier League since Keith Millen at Palace in 2014-15.
As for David Anderson, the poor reporter left with egg on his face...he has been fined. The fine is that he has to bring the cakes to the next Leeds presser.
David Anderson's response...
“That’ll teach me to check my phone is on silent at a press conference. To his credit, Jesse Marsch took the interruption well.
“I had a laugh about it afterwards with Keith and I think Jesse might like to speak to Keith some day because I’m told Jesse is a huge Green Bay Packers fan like Keith.”
How Marsch reacted to the phone call...
Marsch: "Whose is that? It's Keith Webster... Oh man. Do you guys have a fine system? You should maybe develop one amongst yourselves. I would like to participate in that."
Reporter: "How much do you think?"
Marsch: "I'll leave that to you guys. Where were we..."
