NOW Kevin Keegan has been awarded £2m in damages for constructive dismissal against Newcastle United, we hope all parties can move on.

Although the club can appeal the decision by carrying it forward to the high court, we hope common sense will prevail.

Although £2m is an awful lot of money, it could have been so much worse for Newcastle.

After all, its former manager was pressing for £8m to cover the three years that remained on his contract, plus a further £16.5m on the basis that he would find it difficult to obtain work again with a top-flight club.

Against that, a £2m fine almost looks like a good result, even if the full disclosure of what was going on at St James’ during Keegan’s tenure will make for deeply uncomfortable reading.

Is it any wonder Newcastle were relegated last season, if players were signed on the basis of some clips on You Tube? No wonder Kevin Keegan walked away.

In a strange way, the hearing’s conclusion could be a good thing for Newcastle United.

Rumours that a huge fine would force the club into administration have been disproved, and another potential obstacle to a sale removed.

We hope Mike Ashley can now press ahead with finding a buyer as quickly as possible.

After the misery of last season things are finally looking up on the pitch. Fans are starting to believe that the club can bounce back into the Premiership at the first time of asking.

When a new owner finally does come along, we urge them to learn from mistakes made in the recent past.