Had everything and would have run through a brick wall if bobby had asked him to. I think the time I found myself disagreeing with bobby was on a few occasions when he played beat but really shouldn't have because of clear injury. But Kevin wouldn't have ever wanted to have let him or anyone else down by not playing. One towering header at Everton lives in the memory (in a losing cause FA cup quarter final) which ronaldo but few others could ever match. Met him once or twice in recent years and echo others comments about what a great bloke he was. The club is a poorer place without him but we so desperately need to build new memories and legends. Trouble is if we ever unearthed a player like h8m these days, Man City or Chelsea would steal him at age 15 or 16.

I have 3 main memories of the Beat.

Firstly, as a player. Just a fantastic player, the perfect defender. I feel privileged to have seen him play many many times.

Played against him when he dropped to Sunday league and played for the Belstead Arms. Seeing him turn up to play was a mixture of being in awe and simply being unable to play against him. He was still too big, strong and powerful and scored with a header that nearly took the net off.

Thirdly, I met him in the fan zone and had a photo and a chat. He was so down to earth and gave everyone his time freely.

RIP Kevin.

Devastating loss of a legend at an already depressing time for our beloved club.

As for memories - so many great performances but recalling the frozen pitch and well below zero temperatures at Lodz, the season we won the UEFA Cup, Kevin had no gloves and a short sleeved shirt. What would today's pampered players have worn, in the unlikely event the game would have taken place?

I can't think of a central defender who comes near him

Test in peace Kevin, a true legend

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We had just lost to West Ham in the FA Cup semi final, THey came to Portman Road for the last game of the season and we ‘beat' them 4-1. Beattie got the ball , breezed them out of the way and thundered the ball into the goal north Stand end. I was 11 at the time ,i idolised him and will never forget that goal and the feeling of how proud he made me feel to be Town fan, Met him a few times since then and always a gentleman. He is a-true Legend in every sense ,RIP

What a wonderful man Beat was. Another bit of our great history has gone. I remember when my son was small, Kevin took him into the home dressing room before a match to get autographs from all the players. Can not see that being done today! Sincere condolences to all his family and friends. RIP Beat.

All the accolades & tributes merely scratch the surface of what a great legend/ human being he was, thoughts go out to your family, R I P. Beat

I remember some time in the 90's we were playing up at the airport and I put a screamer in the top corner early in the match. He walked past and shouted "Pick that one out". One of my most memorable goals for that reason.

I was at the play off final in the press box at Wembley and was chatting to a bloke about Ipswich, I sort of knew him but couldn't figure out who he was. We spoke about Wayne Brown and I still couldn't recall who he was. We were by a window and as we both looked out talking of how nice the day was a group of Ipswich fans looked up, held their hands up and began shouting "there's only one Kevin Beattie". I nearly peed my pants realising I was talking to the legend that was. R.I.P. Kevin Beattie.

The last conversation I had with him, at a Radio Suffolk Open Day when I bought a signed copy of his book, almost entirely consisted of me enthusing about how good Allan Hunter was, and him agreeing! To be fair, I had just described Kevin Beattie to Dave Allard, his agent, as our greatest ever player, a remark he had passed on to him across the room : at this point KB, who had been seated with a stick next to him as he was having a bad day with his back, said "Well in that case I'd better shake your hand, and I can't do that sitting down" and struggled to his feet ; the Hunter conversation then followed, and at the end KB signed his book for me. The term legend is over-used : in his case, it barely does him justice.

He scored the best goal I've ever seen 'live', against Derby (possibly ... I know he also rated it his best ever goal) : brought the ball forward 50 yards crunching through 2 attempted tackles on him, and was then stopped dead in his tracks by a 3rd one ; he then just whacked it at the goal, still around 30 yards out, from effectively a dead-ball situation and it curled into the top right corner. I was in the East Stand and saw the whole flight of the ball and it was fantastic ; the TV coverage, of course, was from the other side of the ground and it didn't look that special, though Rachel Heyhoe-Flint picked it out as one of the moments of the season.

As a young girl in the 70s and early 80s I watched the Beat play and was then lucky enough to meet him personally when my son became the original tractor boy - over several years I spent Saturday lunchtime chatting to Kevin and what a fantastic kind caring and funny man he was. I feel really quite emotional... my son and daughter were around 5 and 7 when they first met him and he treated them with so much respect. As Dan gradually grew up each Saturday reporting on Town with the Beat, they became really good friends - and I know Dan felt so lucky to have met a true Town legend, even if he was way too young to ever see him play. The banter between the two of them was fantastic... a legend on and off the pitch x

I was at Uni in Bradford during the 70's and took some friends to see Town play Don Revie's Leeds. They couldn't believe Beattie. He was winning headers at corners and collecting his own clearances. The real shame is that the injury that ended his career would be a bit of minor keyhole surgery nowadays with about 2 weeks off. Met him several times at games and, as everyone says, a real Gent.

My first game was home vs West Ham, last game of the season In 1975....The Beat picked up the ball in his own half, beat mist of their team and blasted it home.....and a life long infatuation with Kevin Beattie and ITFC ensued and still persists to this day. If he had not broken his arm in that semi final, I truly believe we would have won the treble that season.
A light has gone out and sympathies go to his family....the greatest player I have ever had the honour of watching No longer walks on this earth. A fitting tribute on Tuesday please, from all true ITFC fans. RIP Kevin, you will always be a legend

My greatest memory is lifting him in the air when we invaded the pitch at Carrow Road following the win in the Texaco Cup Final.
Town''s best player by a country mile - loved him.

Was lucky enough to see him score from the half way line against Leeds in Nov 1978.It was my first game standing in the West stand on a crate.Was hooked from that day on.
Rest in peace Kevin.

After we won the play off final at Wembley-

I stumbled around with many a happy Town fan.

All of a sudden on the balcony of the Twin Towers
appeared The Beat
10-15 of us who had caught sight of him started to sing -

His eyes they shine like diamonds-
They call him the King of the Land
His name is Kevin Beattie with the
FA Cup in his hands.

Suddenly we were joined by another 500-1000
Fans who continued the song until we were horse.

He really was King of the Lamd.

I had the pleasure of knowing him -

Just feel so sad

Fabulous footballer, but he had something else too. Just connected with the fans. His gestures, expressions, body language, enthusiasm just made you love him. You loved him like a mate. He seemed to have a closeness to the crowd that fired them up and his play could thrill and excite you. If there is something exceptionally special about being a town fan (and there is!) Beattie played a huge part in making it so.
He walks on Water!
RIP Kevin Beattie x

I Remember Going to See An Evening with George Best and Rodney marsh at Regent . Kevin Beatie stood up and Asked a Question and George Best immediately Said Kevin Your The Best Defender I've Faced ,you were a Great Player High Praise Indeed .

What a character. I watched Beat play but only met him in late 2012 when he not only appeared at one of the signings of our book 'On a European Journey' but arranged for Mick Lambert to be the co-signee and helped me lump the boxes. Andrew was too posh he said, I was And and he was Beat, that's how it was from the word go. He was typically dismissive of any player less talented than he was, and that inevitably included almost everyone. Worshipped Bobby Robson, wore the wristbands of the SBR Foundation and vowed never to take them off. Thoughts are with his wife and daughters. RIP Beat.

Many years before being on the receiving end of the premier league's heaviest defeat, matches against Manure were particularly remembered for a 6-0 thrashing that we handed out to them (plus two missed penalties). Towards the end of the game and after all the goals had been scored, the Beat received a pass just outside our penalty area, proceeded to juggle the ball 4 or 5 times before flicking it back to Cooper in goal. The crowd went mad, everyone cheering loudly. At which point, the Beat happened to be facing the West Stand, a huge smile lit up his face, he raised his arm in salute and gave an enormous cheer. As a young kid standing in the West Stand, I was convinced that cheer was directed at me!

An outstanding player with an incredible affinity with those who adored him. We had a team full of internationals and some incredible players. But there was only one Beat.

Not old enough to have seen him play but have lost count of the times I've had drunken football discussions with the Beat in town on a Saturday night, even once in Liquid nightclub of all places.

He presented the end of season awards for Boxford Rovers and was a gentleman - very happy to meet the kids and take selfies with their parents! Much missed ITFC hero.