Cornard Blue: It is likely to have still gone to court whether he was famous or not, it just wouldn't have been front page news if he wasn't famous.
He has made a big error and is paying for it in shame as much as cost.
However he will still be remembered as an ITFC great long after his "benefit shame" is forgotten

H32...we dont often agree and we will cross swords again i expect but on this one i am totally of the same opinion. WELL SAID.

Kevin Beattie was, and IMO remains to be the best player I have ever seen wear the Ipswich shirt. The memories of his performances are countless. However he has always been prone to making what everyone else would define as stupid mistakes. This, being something he could never hope to get away with, is just another to add to the list. I find it sad that society takes delight in the misfortune of of the 'mighty fallen'.

Gods sake its like question time on here!!!! Look, its well documented he has never been the sharpest tool in the box (Robson wrote him chucking petrol on a bonfire party cost Town the league one year!) but he was a great player for ITFC. I remember having a video called MOTD ITFC when he scored a turly unbeleivable goal against West Ham (Ithink!) when he was about 20. He's not had the easiest of lives and I agree £45 for matchday (which I revealed on the earlier article yesterday) from radio Suffolk is truly shameful, even though every sentence starts "without a doubt". Lets all move on shall we.

My Bible knowledge is admittedly not that up to date, but I do seem to remember something about "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." Kevin, mate. I'm not washing that signature out of my shirt. Forgiven and forgotten. ITFC legend.

I love you kevin.

Bullard said sorry...I won't go there.

@Tractorgirls sorry, you think he gets paid a pathetic amount? £45 was it for a Saturday? Thats about £15 an hour? Hardly pathetic is it? It's pretty bloody good for watching football and talking rubbish. And £75 for an evening game? He's doing quite well there.

I know I probably will be crucified for writing this but Beattie has let most importantly himself and his family down. Of course there is the matter of the strong connection with Town. He 'll pay the price and hopefully learn from this. Idols are still in the end human beings and vulnerable to the same temptations as ordinary mortals. By the way,if you think I'm taking an anti-Beattie line, I will confess that he was my favourite Town player in the golden Robson years and fully supported him in his down years but this is still an offence and he must pay the price like everyone else.

Alan Hansen gets £40,000? The world of sports and media has gone mad. I like MOTD but to pay that much on one person and I would imagine Shearer and Lawro will be on similar amounts. Glad to see our license fees are spent so wisely!

Ipswich signing Norwegian wonderkid, 16 years. Heard it here first.

was a bit late i see.
Anyways, apology accepted Kev!

fickle, the whole lot of ya, if ya neighbour was a benefit cheat you would crucify him, just cos his is a legend does not mean he is clever, stupid bloke, i once set fire to a tree, apologised, i still got a hiding, ffs peopl, stop wearing blue tinted glasses and tell it how it is, oh and yes, I love itfc, but really, fickle, xxx

Oldegold

I'm not one for crucifixion but while everything you say may well be right it ignores the fundamental element that on a football forum Kevin Beattie is a football legend. Nobody condones his behaviour which he has admitted was wrong and for which he has apologised. He has let himself and his family down but the ensuing publicity is not comparable to the average benefits cheat and therefore the price he is paying is arguably higher.

On a football forum like this we should not judge him on his personal behaviour but merely remember him as one of the most naturally talented footballers this country has ever produced and be eternally grateful that he was happy to grace PR for so long and be proud that ITFC is still so close to his heart.

i wonder if Kevin beatie reads this forum? might well do, being a town fan.
Again it was a crime and it needs a punishment and that is right, it cant be allowed to go unpunished, but the way some of you judge him is unreal who do you think you are? Probably the sort of people who get caught speeding ( say 35 in a 30 ) and then complain that the police should be out there catching real criminals. Priceless

The Beat go's on ! ......would love to see a whole team with his passion for the game and club .

Enough said and you are still true Blue.

"I wonder if he'll declare his appearance fee..." @ Bluebeat - You are a true c..t!

Blue041273 and Oldegold, I agree with most of what you post, among the usual inane comments which any thread produces. I was privileged to see most of Beat's games for ITFC and, without doubt, he was our greatest ever. However, he has always been vulnerable to hangers on and making poor decisions which have been costly off the field. It is sad that his life has turned out this way and he has been foolish again. For what it's worth, I think Beat is only tolerated on radio because of who he is because, as a pundit, he is poor and tends to agree with everyone. Thus £45 is good for what he contributes. Still was a wonderful player though and oh for something like that now.

No one is perfect. Its nothing to worry about at all.

I love you Kevin Beattie.

Kevin Beattie was a genius on the pitch. Thirty thousand people came to Portman Road and were thrilled by him. And by others, who were dedicated to the ITFC cause. As he came forward with the ball, we all stood to attention, expecting something to happen. Like Botham, when he performed on the cricket field. Like Federer. Beattie was a footballing giant, a Titan. Name the West stand after him and we have a ground that is a tribute to all-round sporting genius.

Alongside genius often runs weakness, flaw. But this does not detract from the glory of the individual when he is doing what he does best. My abiding image of Beattie in full flow is not sullied by the grim indignities to which he is now subjected in later life. The football industry took him, extracted all it could and then discarded him cynically. A scruffy third-rate radio station offers him shirt buttons.

None of this reduces the man. He epitomises ITFC of old in his dedication, his commitment, his genius. Time for a statue.

dont apologise until every politician ,every banker and every member of the royal family has apologised for ripping off the taxpayers 1st kevin.....

MintyHalfWit - a great piece. You don't attempt to exonerate him but explain why he is so highly thought of in football terms. You do it well.

I dont know what's more surprising - the oak being a bit naughty or the hilariously pitiful amount of money BBC suffolk were paying him? draw a line under this and forget about it - KB walks on water -

You are an absolute legend Kevin Beatie, we still luv ya

MintyHalfWit

Just a little bit over the top I feel!

not far out tho Minty !