Kevin Beattie
![]() Beattie in 2007 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Thomas Kevin Beattie | ||
Date of birth | 18 December 1953 | ||
Place of birth | Carlisle, England | ||
Date of death | 16 September 2018 | (aged 64)||
Place of death | Ipswich, England | ||
Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1] | ||
Position(s) | Centre-half | ||
Youth career | |||
1971–1972 | Ipswich Town | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1972–1981 | Ipswich Town | 228 | (24) |
1982 | Colchester United | 4 | (0) |
1982 | Middlesbrough | 4 | (0) |
1983–1986 | Barnet | ||
Harwich & Parkeston | |||
1983–1984 | Sandvikens IF | ||
1987 | Kongsberg IF | ||
1988 | Nybergsund IL-Trysil | ||
Clacton Town | |||
International career | |||
1972–1975 | England U23 | 9 | (1) |
1975–1977 | England | 9 | (1) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Thomas Kevin Beattie (18 December 1953 – 16 September 2018) was an English
Beattie's playing career took him from
Beattie has been called Ipswich Town's best ever player by many pundits and polls. Ipswich (and later England) manager Bobby Robson called him the best England player he had seen.
Early life
Thomas Kevin Beattie was born in Carlisle on 18 December 1953.[3] His family lived in the Botcherby estate and he was one of nine children: five boys and four girls.[4] He became known by his middle name, as his father was also named Thomas Beattie.[5] Beattie's mother was a cleaner at a Lipton tea shop, whilst his father worked for the National Coal Board, delivering coal.[5] The elder Thomas played amateur football as a goalkeeper and once had a trial with Aston Villa, but turned down an offer to join the club as he could earn more working for the Coal Board.[6] After he was forced to give up work due to a back problem,[7] the family suffered financially and were often short of food,[8] leading to the young Beattie taking fruit and vegetables from local allotments.[7] In later life, he recalled, "There was often only food on the table when Dad had backed a winning horse, or else won a game of darts, or dominoes down at his local pub."[8][9]
Beattie supported his local football team, Carlisle United, and idolised players like Hughie McIlmoyle. He recalled being "devastated" when McIlmoyle was too busy to sign an autograph outside the club, resolving never to turn down such requests.[10] Beattie attended St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic junior school, where he began playing football for the school team, initially as a goalkeeper.[6] His family were unable to afford the football boots he needed, but a teacher named Mr Raffety bought a pair for him.[6] Beattie soon became a forward and modelled himself on Chelsea's Peter Osgood.[11]
Although Beattie passed his eleven-plus exams, his family could not afford the grammar school uniform, so he moved to St Patrick's Roman Catholic senior school.[11] He began playing for Blackfriars, a local youth team managed by Raffety, and also, from the age of 14, for a pub team, alongside his father.[11] Raffety recommended him to Carlisle United, but the club did not have a youth team.[11] Beattie was also told that Celtic had shown an interest in him, but the club had been wrongly told that he was not a Catholic, the traditional religion of the majority of the club's fanbase.[10][12] He left school aged 14, and subsequently worked as a machine fitter and delivery boy in factories, a warehouse, a dry cleaner and then a furniture company.[13]
Club career
Ipswich Town
Youth
At the age of 15, Beattie was playing for Blackfriars on Sunday and for a club called St Augustine on Saturdays, when he was spotted by a football scout and offered a trial with Liverpool.[13] Beattie travelled to Liverpool and impressed manager Bill Shankly sufficiently for him to be invited back to sign for the club. Beattie returned to Liverpool on his own, but nobody from the club arrived to meet him at Lime Street station. After waiting an hour and assuming they had lost interest, and with nothing but his boots and train ticket, he returned home to Carlisle.[14] Shankly would later describe missing out on signing the youngster as one of his biggest mistakes.[2]
Soon after this, Beattie joined Ipswich Town as an apprentice. Ipswich manager Bobby Robson made sure that he was met at Euston station in London, played in a youth match at Fulham, and was accompanied all the way to Ipswich's Portman Road ground by the club's chief scout, Ron Gray.[15] Robson told Gray, "If you miss him, you've lost your job".[16] The poverty Beattie came from was evident when he arrived in Ipswich wearing his father's shoes, so when Ipswich signed him, the club immediately bought him some clothes.[3][16] As a youth he had played as a striker, but Robson converted him into a defender, usually a centre-half; the player said in later life that the move suited him well, as it meant he could see all the play in front of him.[16]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Anefo_934-2658%2C_Bobby_Robson%2C_Netherlands%2C_14-06-1988.jpg/170px-Anefo_934-2658%2C_Bobby_Robson%2C_Netherlands%2C_14-06-1988.jpg)
Now earning a wage, Beattie tried to help support his family, sending money home each week.[17] He also stepped in to prevent domestic violence between his parents: "I became extremely upset when I found out that Dad was spending the money that I had been sending home on drink and Mum was going without. Not only that but I also found out that his drinking had got worse and he had started knocking Mum around."[17]
Senior
Beattie was given his first-team debut aged 18 against Manchester United in the opening match of the 1972–73 season in England's top division.[18][19] Ipswich won the game 2–1, and afterwards he asked United's Bobby Charlton for his autograph; Charlton told Beattie that his play reminded him of Duncan Edwards and that, in years to come, he would be the one signing autographs.[16] Beattie scored his first league goal for the club two weeks later at Elland Road in a 3–3 draw with Leeds United.[20] That season he featured 38 times for Ipswich in the league and scored 5 goals;[20] Ipswich ended in fourth place, their best finish since the Championship-winning 1961–62 season under Alf Ramsey.[21] Beattie was also part of the 1972–73 Texaco Cup-winning team, which defeated Norwich City 4–2 on aggregate over two legs,[21] and he was named the inaugural winner of the Ipswich Town Player of the Year award.[22]
The
Beattie made 36 appearances for Ipswich during the 1975–76 season, scoring 4 goals.[25] Ipswich finished sixth and were knocked out of the 1975–76 FA Cup in the fourth round.[32] Towards the end of the season, he began to suffer from severe back pain, something he blamed on an injury incurred as a child while helping his father carry sacks of coal.[33] Despite the relative lack of success with his club, he was selected in the First Division Team of the Year for the second year in a row.[34] The 1976–77 season started well for Ipswich with victories over Liverpool and Manchester United. Ipswich then achieved a club record-equalling 7–0 win over West Bromwich Albion: the Albion goalkeeper John Osborne said of Beattie's long-range goal that he regarded himself as fortunate he had not touched it as it would have knocked his hand off.[35] Beattie's season was prematurely curtailed by a self-inflicted injury:[36] stoking a bonfire at his home, he decided to add petrol; the ensuing flare-up gave him serious burns to his face and neck,[37] leading to him missing six matches.[16] Before the injury, Ipswich were challenging for the league title, but, in Beattie's absence, the side lost four of their last six matches and missed out on winning the championship by five points.[16] He played in 34 games for Ipswich that season, scoring 5 goals, and was selected for the PFA Team of the Year for the third time in a row, along with teammates Mick Mills and Brian Talbot.[34]
Beattie was fit to play by the start of the
Shortly into the
Beattie retired due to injury in December 1981,[58] following five knee operations in four years.[26] His testimonial game took place in March 1982, against a Dynamo Moscow XI.[59][60]
Later career
In the off-season of 1982, Beattie began training with Norwich City under manager Ken Brown who offered him a short-term contract.[61] The offer was soon withdrawn because Ipswich were reluctant to release Beattie to their local rivals.[61] Instead, he joined another East Anglian team, Colchester United, whose player-manager was Allan Hunter, a former team-mate of Beattie.[61] Beattie made six appearances for the club,[62] four of those in the league,[63] but when teammate John Lyons committed suicide, Hunter resigned,[64] and Beattie decided to move on. He signed for Middlesbrough, where he made five appearances during that season, scoring once, a penalty, in a 2–0 FA Cup victory over Notts County.[65] His time at the club ended when he suffered a serious groin injury whilst playing against north-east rivals Newcastle United.[66]
Dropping into
International career
Former Ipswich manager and then-England manager Alf Ramsey selected Beattie to represent the England under-23 team during the 1972–73 English domestic season.[80] He made his debut in November 1972 against Wales under-23s at Vetch Field in Swansea, England winning 3–0.[81] His final under-23 game also saw his only goal at that level, in a 2–0 victory, once again over Wales, this time at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham.[81]
Beattie's senior England debut came under Don Revie, a starting role in a 5–0 victory over Cyprus at Wembley in April 1975, especially notable for Malcolm Macdonald scoring all five goals.[26][55] Beattie managed to put the ball in the net, but the goal was disallowed for a foul on the goalkeeper;[16] ultimately, the only goal he scored for his country was in May 1975, during a 5–1 victory over Scotland in the 1974–75 British Home Championship.[82] Perry Groves, who played alongside Beattie at Colchester United,[16] describes how Beattie, ostensibly playing at left-back, emerged to meet a cross from Kevin Keegan, beat two Scottish defenders and "looped a great header" into the goal, voted one of the top 50 goals England have scored.[16] His final game for England was in October 1977 against Luxembourg in a qualification match for the 1978 FIFA World Cup.[55] In total, he earned nine caps between 1975 and 1977, scoring once.[83]
Style of play
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Perry_Groves.jpg/170px-Perry_Groves.jpg)
Beattie was renowned for his strength, the nickname "Beast" reflecting that, but also his quality on the ball (with the resultant other nickname of "Diamond").[84] Robson described him as "the quickest defender I ever saw ... with a left foot like a howitzer".[84] Perry Groves noted that Beattie's only shortcoming appeared to be his inability to throw the ball far. When Beattie arrived at Colchester, "into his thirties" and with his knees "all shot", "he was still the quickest player at the club over ten yards by a long way."[16] Groves recalls Robson's summary of Beattie's strengths as a player:
What a player the boy was ... He could climb higher than the crossbar and still head the ball down. He had the sweetest left foot I've ever seen and could hit 60-yard passes, without looking, that eliminated six opposition players from the game. He had the strength of a tank, was lightning quick and he could tackle.[16]
During his years with Ipswich, Beattie formed a central defensive partnership with Allan Hunter. Robson described them as 'Bacon and eggs'.[85] Interviewed in 2018, Hunter talked about their partnership:
we just gelled and if I went and done things to attack the ball he was always behind me – and vice-versa. We didn't need to work at it because it was something that came naturally ... We were just a good partnership ... me and Beat would be sitting on the other side of a room from each other and we would know what the other was thinking because there were times I would, or he would, burst out laughing and the boys would say, what you bloody laughing at? And we would say "mind your own business" ... It helped on the field because we didn't even have to talk because we knew each other's play.[85]
Incidents and controversies
In December 1974, Beattie was involved in an incident that prompted newspaper headlines across the quality and
Beattie accepted a lit cigarette from a fan and smoked it whilst collecting his
Post-football, family life and death
Beattie was unemployed on several occasions after finishing his playing career. Groves writes about how the unemployment office where Beattie would sign on was so close to Ipswich's home ground that he would see players arriving in their "flash motors", while he signed autographs.
Beattie met his future wife Margaret Boldy, known as Maggie, in the late 1960s or early 1970s in a youth club near to his apprentice accommodation, Beattie describing it as "love at first sight".[93] They married in 1974, and soon afterward she appeared in Radio Times in a "Footballers' Wives" feature; at that point the couple were still living in a "modest" club-owned house.[94] Maggie was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis during the mid-1980s; she was later confined to a wheelchair,[95] with Beattie as her carer in their council-owned bungalow.[90] They had three daughters, Emma, Sarah and Louise.[95]
His playing career injuries gave Beattie difficulties in later life: by the time he was 53 he was "unable to walk more than half a mile", owing to the arthritis in his knees.[2] He refused to bow to his difficulties: "Maggie, bless her, never complains", he said to a Daily Telegraph reporter, "so why should I feel any anger at how life turned out?".[2] On 16 September 2018, Beattie died of a suspected heart attack at the age of 64.[89] He was survived by his wife and daughters.[3] His funeral was held at the crematorium at Nacton on 26 October 2018.[96] Former Ipswich and England player Terry Butcher paid tribute to Beattie, calling him "the complete footballer" and describing his left-footed shot as an "Exocet".[90] George Burley referred to Beattie as "a legend", while John Wark, whose nickname for Beattie was "Monster", described him as the best-ever Ipswich player.[90]
Legacy
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Statue_of_Kevin_Beattie_at_Portman_Road.jpg/170px-Statue_of_Kevin_Beattie_at_Portman_Road.jpg)
Beattie was once described by Bobby Robson as the best England player he had seen,[91] and that he could have rivalled Duncan Edwards.[84] Beattie was inducted into the Ipswich Town Hall of Fame in 2008,[97] was voted numerous times as Ipswich Town's "best ever player",[55] and features as one of Perry Groves' 20 "Football Heroes" in a book published in 2009.[16]
Along with some of his Ipswich teammates,
Honours
Ipswich Town
Individual
- PFA Young Player of the Year: 1972–73
- Ipswich Town Player of the Year: 1972–73, 1973–74[103]
- Football League First Division PFA Team of the Year (3): 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77
- Ipswich Town Hall of Fame: Inducted 2008[104]
References
- ^ Finch, p. 56.
- ^ a b c d e Philip, Robert (2 March 2007). "Beattie battles back from the brink". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Mason, Peter (18 September 2018). "Kevin Beattie obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 16 October 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ Finch, pp. 10–11.
- ^ a b Finch, p. 13.
- ^ a b c Finch, pp. 15–19.
- ^ a b Finch, pp. 14–15.
- ^ a b "Kevin Beattie, the brilliant Botcherby boy who outshone them all". The Cumberland News. 19 September 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
- ^ Finch, p. 11.
- ^ a b Finch, p. 20.
- ^ a b c d Finch, pp. 20–22.
- ^ Scott, Kirsty (15 May 2001). "A game of two halves". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 December 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
- ^ a b Finch, pp. 27–28.
- ^ Finch, pp. 23–25.
- ^ Finch, pp. 28–30.
- ^ ISBN 978-1784184698.
- ^ a b Finch, p. 36.
- ^ a b "Kevin Beattie". Pride of Anglia. Archived from the original on 7 October 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
- ^ "1972/73". Stretfordend.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 February 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
- ^ a b Hayes, p. 17.
- ^ a b c d Finch, p. 44.
- ^ a b Hayes, p. 183.
- ^ Finch, pp. 47–51.
- ^ "Ipswich 1–0 Leipzig". UEFA. Archived from the original on 15 October 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f Finch, p. 171.
- ^ a b c d Hayes, p. 18.
- ^ Finch, pp. 56–58.
- ^ Smith, Peter (16 September 2018). "Alan Hudson's wonderful tribute to Stoke City foe Kevin Beattie". Stoke Sentinel. Archived from the original on 16 October 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
- ^ Finch, p. 58.
- ^ Lynch, p. 140.
- ^ Finch, p. 66.
- ^ Finch, p. 77.
- ^ Finch, p. 79.
- ^ a b Lynch, p. 141.
- ^ Finch, p. 80.
- ^ Finch, p. 82.
- ^ Finch, p. 84.
- ^ Finch, p. 85.
- ^ Finch, p. 86.
- ^ "Ipswich 3–0 Barcelona". UEFA. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
- ^ Finch, p. 87.
- ^ a b Finch, p. 89.
- ^ Finch, p. 90.
- ^ Finch, p. 92.
- ^ Finch, pp. 93–94.
- ^ Welch, Jon (19 May 2018). "Ipswich Town 1978 FA Cup win celebrated 40 years on". BBC News. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
- ^ Finch, p. 100.
- ^ Finch, pp. 97–98.
- ^ Finch, pp. 100–101.
- ^ Finch, p. 103.
- ^ Finch, p. 104.
- ^ Finch, pp. 108–109.
- ^ "St-Étienne 1–4 Ipswich". UEFA. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
- ^ "Ipswich 3–1 St-Étienne". UEFA. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
- ^ a b c d Bacon, Mike (16 September 2018). "Kevin Beattie: Liverpool's loss was Ipswich Town's gain....But sadly, an injury-plagued career". East Anglian Daily Times. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
- ^ Colman, Jon (18 March 2008). "Beattie will pin on Euro medal – after 27 years". News and Star. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014.
- ^ "Beattie's delight over UEFA Cup medal". East Anglian Daily Times. 10 March 2010. Archived from the original on 2 January 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ "England Player Profile: Thomas Beattie". England FC. Archived from the original on 6 August 2012.
- ^ Halls, Ross (21 September 2018). "Looking back to Town legend Kevin Beattie testimonial at Portman Road in 1982". Ipswich Star. Archived from the original on 14 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
- ^ "Ipswich Town v Moscow Dynamo". Getty Images. Archived from the original on 14 October 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ a b c Finch, p. 124.
- ^ Gregory, David (17 September 2018). "Kevin Beattie – Football world loses star defender". Colchester United F.C. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
- ^ "Kevin Beattie English International".
- ^ Finch, p. 125.
- ^ "Club saddened to hear of the passing of Kevin Beattie". Middlesbrough F.C. 17 September 2018. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
- ^ Finch, pp. 128–129.
- ^ Finch, p. 130.
- ^ Finch, p. 131.
- ^ Finch, p. 136.
- ^ Finch, pp. 136–137.
- ^ Finch, pp. 137–138.
- ^ Skarpmo, Bjarne (8 December 2017). "100 profiler: Kevin Beattie" (in Norwegian). Nybergsund IL-Trysil. Archived from the original on 14 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
- ^ Finch, pp. 139–140.
- ^ "Kevin Beattie". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database. Neil Brown. Archived from the original on 5 October 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- ^ Finch, p. 148.
- ^ Finch, pp. 151–152.
- ^ "Kevin Beattie: Farewell to a true legend". Carlisle United F.C. 18 September 2018. Archived from the original on 14 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
- ^ "Carlisle United sack Roddy Collins". The Irish Times. 29 August 2003. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
- ^ a b Finch, p. 153.
- ^ Finch, p. 42.
- ^ Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archivedfrom the original on 13 April 2004. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
- ^ Beattie, Kevin (23 May 2009). "24 May 1975: England get a helping hand from Kennedy". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
- ^ "Kevin Beattie". Englandstats.com. Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Caulkin, George. "Beattie, 'the best England player of his generation', dies at 64". The Times. Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
- ^ a b Bacon, Mike (24 March 2018). "'Big Al' – A true Town legend and one of Sir Bobby Robson's best-ever signings". East Anglian Daily Times. Archived from the original on 28 March 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
- ^ ISBN 9781135763930. Archivedfrom the original on 20 September 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ^ Finch, pp. 60–61.
- ^ a b Garnham, Nick (16 March 2010). "A brilliant career cut short". Ipswich Star. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
- ^ a b "Ex-England and Ipswich Town player Kevin Beattie dies". BBC News. 16 September 2018. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Kevin Beattie: Tributes to 'complete footballer'". BBC News. 17 September 2018. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Ex-England and Ipswich Town player Kevin Beattie admits fraud". BBC News. 22 May 2012. Archived from the original on 22 May 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
- ^ "Ex Ipswich Town player Kevin Beattie sorry for benefits 'mistake'". BBC News. 25 May 2012. Archived from the original on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
- ^ Finch, p. 33.
- ^ Finch, p. 55.
- ^ a b Finch, p. 151.
- ^ "Kevin Beattie: Ipswich Town legend's funeral details revealed". BBC News. 5 October 2018. Archived from the original on 12 November 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
- ^ King, Elvin (29 March 2008). "Beattie joins Town stars in Hall of Fame". Ipswich Star. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ^ King, Elvin (23 March 2011). "Town players in 'Escape to Victory' reunion". East Anglian Daily Times. Archived from the original on 5 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
- ^ "Kevin Beattie: Calls for statue of 'sensational player'". BBC News. 18 September 2018. Archived from the original on 18 October 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
- ^ "Ipswich Town: Kevin Beattie statue design revealed". BBC News. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
- ^ Jones, Brad (27 August 2019). "You've done it! Kevin Beattie statue appeal hits target thanks to Blues fans". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
- ^ "Ipswich Town's Kevin Beattie statue unveiled at Portman Road". BBC News. 18 December 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
- ^ "All time England Caps". The Football Association. Archived from the original on 29 October 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2007.
- ^ King, Elvin (29 March 2008). "Beattie joins Town stars in Hall of Fame". Ipswich Star. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
Bibliography
- Finch, Rob (2007). The Greatest Footballer England Never Had: The Kevin Beattie Story. Cult Figure Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9554884-0-5.
- Hayes, Dean (2006). The Who's Who of Ipswich Town. Breedon Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-515-9.
- Lynch, Tony (1995). The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes. Random House. ISBN 978-0-09-179135-3.