Kevin Beattie obituary

Footballer who was central to the success of Ipswich Town’s cup-winning side of the 1970s and 80s

When Ipswich Town were a footballing power in the late 1970s and early 80s, Kevin Beattie was at the core of their success. A central defender of unusual poise and class, he was the best player in a team that not only won the FA and Uefa cups but gave the great Liverpool side of that era a run for their money in the league.

Beattie, who has died aged 64 of a heart attack, was hailed by Ipswich fans as the club’s greatest ever player. But a greater measure of his standing was the universal respect he generated among his peers, who recognised not just his great technical prowess but the courage, strength and application to go with it. His ability to win the ball and then distribute it with calm precision drew comparisons with Bobby Moore, and of his generation there were few English footballers more highly rated within the game.

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