The campaign to raise funds for a statue of Blues legend Kevin Beattie has hit the £13,000 mark in the first 10 days since its launch.
Led by the EADT and Ipswich Star in conjunction with BBC Radio Suffolk and TWTD, The Beat Goes On was launched on December 18th on what would have been the Blues legend’s 65th birthday.
The campaign aims to raise the £110,000 required for the statue and additional associated costs.
The Ipswich Town Independent Supporters Trust pledged £5,000 to the fund, the Supporters Club £1,000, while hundreds of fans have made individual donations.
Brad Jones, the editor of the EADT and Ipswich Star, said: "We’re so grateful to everybody who has donated to the appeal.
"The response shows what a special place the Beat has in the hearts of Ipswich Town fans, and there seems to be a real desire to get behind the statue campaign.
"The committee will be meeting again in the new year to discuss some more fundraising plans which we’ll then make public. Thank you, again, to everybody who has donated.
"We’d love it if every season ticket holder could donate a tenner — then we’d nearly be there.â€
Town season ticket holder Sean Hedges-Quinn, known as Coach, who sculpted the statues of Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson, will be commissioned for the project with preliminary discussions regarding the design having already taken place.
The statue is likely to be placed on the corner of Portman Road and the entrance to the Cattlemarket car park, diagonal to Sir Alf Ramsey and just along from Sir Bobby Robson.
You can make a donation online via the Go Fund Me page or send a cheque made payable to ‘The Beat Goes On’ to Kevin Beattie Statue Appeal, EADT, Portman House, 120 Princes Street, Ipswich, IP1 1RS.
There are also collection buckets at reception at the EADT’s offices and at BBC Radio Suffolk.