Cult Publishing have launched a petition to have Town legend Kevin Beattie presented with a 1981 UEFA Cup winner's medal. Beattie missed both legs of the final against AZ Alkmaar after breaking his arm in the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City, but played and scored in earlier rounds.

Rob Finch, who ghost-wrote Beattie's autobiography The Greatest Footballer England Never Had, is the man behind the petition and says there are precedents for such an award: “Other players from other teams have missed finals for different reasons but still received a medal.

“David Johnson got one for Liverpool in the seventies that way.

“And when Italy won the World Cup last year they dished out about 45 medals — everyone got one, even the lads who carried water onto the pitch.

“So we've set up this petition and I'm inviting people to come to the website and sign the guestbook — then we'll take it to UEFA and hopefully Kevin will get his medal at long last.”

Sign the petition and buy a copy of Beattie's book (£15.99 including UK postage and packaging) here.

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