Kevin Beattie

Infobox Football biography
playername = Thomas Kevin Beattie


fullname = Thomas Kevin Beattie
dateofbirth = Birth date|1953|12|18
cityofbirth = Carlisle
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
height =
position = Central defender
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1972–198?


clubs = Ipswich Town
Colchester United
Middlesbrough
caps(goals) = 228 (24)
004 0(0)
004 0(0)
nationalyears = 1975–1977
nationalteam = England
nationalcaps(goals) = 009 0(1)

Kevin Beattie (born Thomas Kevin Beattie in Carlisle, Cumbria, December 18 1953) is an English former footballer, playing at central defence for both Ipswich Town and England in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Through the ranks

Beattie came through the ranks at Ipswich and was the leading light of a talented team raised by Sir Bobby Robson which consistently challenged for the First Division title throughout the decade.

England debut and "The Diamond"

Equally comfortable as a central defender or left full back, Beattie made his debut for England at Wembley in 1975 against Cyprus in a qualifier for the 1976 European Championships which ended in a 5-0 win. Little more than a month later, he scored with a stunning, looping header later named one of England's greatest fifty goals, as England beat Scotland 5-1, also at Wembley. Beattie played a starring role as Ipswich won the 1978 FA Cup Final with a 1-0 victory over Arsenal. He missed their triumph in the 1981 UEFA Cup Final though after suffering a broken arm in an FA Cup semi-final defeat weeks earlier to Manchester City.

Robson nicknamed Beattie "The Diamond" on the grounds that he had discovered a gem when his scouts sent him to watch the teenage Beattie play. However, Beattie's career was dogged by persistent knee injuries and accidents - he once missed a number of games through burns suffered when a home bonfire got out of control and after a testimonial in 1982, was forced to retire as his injury problems finally got the better of him. He made short-lived comebacks at Colchester United and Middlesbrough before finally retiring from professional football permanently aged 28. He then had a brief spell playing semi-professionally in Sweden with Sandvikens IF.

End of a career

Beattie collected just nine full caps, which was small return for a man who was dubbed 'The new Bobby Moore' and 'better than Duncan Edwards.' Indeed Sir Bobby Robson has said he expected Beattie to become England's most capped ever player. Injuries forced him to pull out of numerous England squads and for a large part of his career he was only able to make sporadic appearances. Admirers included a who's who of English football management, including Sir Bobby Robson, Bill Shankly - who tried to sign him for his Liverpool side, Don Revie and Sir Alf Ramsey, who called him up for England U23 duty after Beattie had played less than 10 games as a professional player. He was the inaugural winner of the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

Beattie had a hard time accepting that his career was over and he has had numerous personal problems since finishing the game, although he has also worked as a coach, scout and on the after-dinner circuit. He suffered a mild stroke in 1998 but made a full recovery. Sir Bobby Robson has since paid tribute to Beattie, calling him the best English born player that he has ever seen.

Kevin Beattie did not receive a medal following Ipswich Town's UEFA Cup final win as he missed the game due to injury. This was despite the fact that he was instrumental in the club getting to the final. Following an online petition launched on the website www.cultfigurepublishing.com [http://www.cultfigurepublishing.com] by the writer Rob Finch who published Beattie's autobiography it was announced some 27 years on that Kevin Beattie would finally receive a medal. The presentation - by UEFA President Michel Platini took place at the 2008 UEFA Cup Final between Glasgow Rangers and FC Zenit.

Beattie proudly displayed his UEFA Cup medal a few days later at The Suffolk Show and allowed those who wanted a photo with him him to wear the medal.

Like many other ex-Ipswich players he settled in Suffolk following his retirement from the game.

Honours

As a player

Ipswich Town

*Texaco Cup 1973
*PFA Young Player of the Year 1974
* FA Cup winner 1978
*Football League Division 1 Runners-up: 1980-81
* UEFA Cup Winners medal 1981. Awarded in 2008 following online petition at www.cultfigurepublishing.com [http://www.cultfigurepublishing.com]

1982 Boston Cinema Festival for his participation in film Escape to Victory.

External links

* [http://www.englandstats.com/playerreport.php?pid=95 Englandstats.com profile]