Former Ipswich and England central defender Kevin Beattie has admitted benefit fraud totalling almost £9,000.

He pleaded guilty at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court today to receiving the cash over a two-year period and failing to notify a change of circumstances affecting his entitlement to benefits.

Beattie, 58, has been a popular summariser at some Ipswich games covered by BBC Radio Suffolk for a number of years.

He was given a curfew order until August 14 this year that forbids him from leaving his Ipswich council house between 10pm and 6am.

Beattie, who won nine England caps in the 70s and was also voted Town’s all-time best player in two separate supporters’ polls, was also told to pay £50 costs.

Carlisle-born Beattie, whose career was plagued by injury, played 307 games and scored 32 goals before retiring in 1982. He later made a few appearances for Colchester and Middlesbrough, and also had a spell in Norwegian football.

He was the first winner of the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 1974 and four years later won an FA Cup medal when Ipswich beat Arsenal at Wembley.

Beattie missed the UEFA Cup Final in 1981after he suffered a broken arm in the FA Cup semi-final defeat by Manchester City but he made eight appearances in earlier rounds and was later awarded a medal by UEFA.

Photo: Action Images

good_at_COD added 18:38 - May 22 So sad...
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AlanMahon2011 added 18:45 - May 22 is everyone linked to ipswich town a criminal to the law? what is the matter with ipswich town!?
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blue_oyster added 18:48 - May 22 I know no-one listens to Radio Suffolk, but still not worth the gamble.
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chopschipsallin added 18:51 - May 22 Living in a council house no money sounds like our club........
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ThatMuhrenCross added 18:52 - May 22 Sums it up. A legend of the game living in a council house - today's players would never be left to rot like that.
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bedsitfc added 18:55 - May 22 just goes to show beattie and the likes of, played for the love of the game unlike some pro's out there now.
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punch_bowl added 18:58 - May 22 most of the above idiots who cant say something constructive and just slag Ipswich off take a hike! not true deep ITFC supporters! a legend that would be a multi millionaire if he was 25 years old now! but in his day like the rest he cycled to work and played for the badge on his shirt unlike a lot of pompous professional players from any club nowadays!
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harlingblue added 19:01 - May 22 Kevin came to Ipswich with a few pence in his pocket and a pair of football boots, became a great player for Ipswich and would have played far more games for England if he had only played to 80% of his potential. Those tremendous, last ditch tackles, thrilled us, but took their toll and his career was cut short...and this was during the years when great players earned a pittance compared to some of the 'actors/prima donas' of today. To be called to The Courts for earning a little 'pin money' while non competent Bank Execs get millions for wasting 'our money' is a bit of a joke?

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Lanky added 19:05 - May 22 Very sad, I know wages are obscene now but shows how bad they were for footballers back in the days - chairmans/the board taking in most of the money and not giving it back out. As Robson said, 'best player england never had'.
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irishtim added 19:12 - May 22 Shame. Think we need to remember our great players. Easy target as always when fat cats laughing. Still a hero in my eyes.
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Bluetone added 19:19 - May 22 Beattie deserved so much better compared to today's players and their attitude well they're just not fit to walk on the same hallowed turf. Kevin you did not deserve this you deserved so much more.
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Garv added 19:19 - May 22 Popular?
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eaii added 19:22 - May 22 "Kevin came to Ipswich with a few pence in his pocket and a pair of football boots, became a great player for Ipswich and would have played far more games for England if he had only played to 80% of his potential. Those tremendous, last ditch tackles, thrilled us, but took their toll and his career was cut short...and this was during the years when great players earned a pittance compared to some of the 'actors/prima donas' of today. To be called to The Courts for earning a little 'pin money' while non competent Bank Execs get millions for wasting 'our money' is a bit of a joke?" @harlingblue Well said buddy and agree with every word!!!!!!!!!!!

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jas0999 added 19:34 - May 22 Very sad to hear. A TRUE legend, who would have been worth more than all of PJ's signings combined. But sadly, it's a sad reality that the modern footballer is well paid, whereas ex players still struggle to make a living. That said benefit fraud is a crime, which still needs to be investigated.
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ITFCOYB added 19:39 - May 22 I'm a bit shocked and disappointed, to be honest. Sorry for him, of course, assuming he regrets it. I also hate the (relatively small group of) bankers and greed culture that contributed to the downfall of the economy, from short-sighted sub-prime lenders in the states to overpaid bonus chewing gamblers in The City, but i fail to see the connection. I hope our Ipswich hero can sort things out a bit and not tarnish his reputation any further. But being a great player is nothing of a guarantee for being a good or successful person. Neither does being rich. Didn't we recently lend a wedge to Chopra? I imagine there are many more examples out there.

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Crock added 19:49 - May 22 Fraud!
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yorksblue added 19:57 - May 22 Club can pay Chopra's debts, why not Beat's. If not, why not start a whip round.
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TimmyH added 20:03 - May 22 how times have changed, the players have far far too much power nowdays...blame it on the agents or whatever but I wonder how many top defenders of the last 20 years are living in a council house! sad.
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MattinLondon added 20:04 - May 22 Take away the Ipswich connection and if a non-EU person had committed the same offences then I bet most sympathetic people would be crying out for long jail sentences. Also people compare him to todays so-called arrogant stars. I'm sorry but he alone wasted his talent by drinking so much. blueoff -you are an idiot and you'd probably shout monkey noises at players if you could get away with it.

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Pip50 added 20:07 - May 22 Very very sad more so even if one had £5m in the bank it would still not avoid addiction
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tractorboybig added 20:08 - May 22 A hero A legend But now a benefit cheat. What a waster.
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buryblue77 added 20:12 - May 22 A sad reflection on the game when a player as great as Beattie falls on such hard times. MattinLondon, he's not the first player/sportsman from that era to have drinking issues, they would have been earning good money relative to the average person and the drinking culture back then was rife. As has already been said, I can't imagine too many top players of todays generation falling on hard times in the future.

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uppersirbob added 20:12 - May 22 When the judge asked him if he was guilty did he say without a doubt ? !
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WonkyZombie added 20:14 - May 22 Blueoff, your views worry me to the core. Not only are they statistically incorrect, they also display you as a bigot. You, sir, are also a racist, which makes you a far bigger criminal than poor Beattie here.
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WonkyZombie added 20:16 - May 22 Blueoff, your views worry me to the core. Not only are they statistically incorrect, they also display you as a bigot. You, sir, are also a racist, which makes you a far bigger criminal than poor Beattie here.
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