The design of the statue of Blues legend Kevin Beattie is today publicly revealed for the first time.

Sculptor Sean Hedges-Quinn, known as Coach and the man responsible for the Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson statues at Portman Road, believes his design captures the essence of Beattie, who died in September aged 64.

Both the Beattie family and The Beat Goes On committee, which includes fellow legend Terry Butcher, were delighted with his plans.

“Being an Ipswich Town fan and having known the player that he was, I came to the conclusion I had to capture the physical attributes of him as a player,” Hedges-Quinn said.

“That was strength and power. I decided the best way to do that is to have him doing one of his trademark leaps and clearances. I had to capture his strength, agility and athleticism.

“I wanted a statue of great movement and pose, which says he wasn’t just a footballer, he was a beast of a player!”

Sculpting Beattie in aerial action presented additional problems and the committee were concerned that some statues of players in similar positions required substantial steel supports.

However, Hedges-Quinn has come up with a unique solution - “I haven’t seen it done before” - attaching smaller supports to Beattie’s feet with him appearing to float in front of a slanted plinth around 4ft in the air. The statue, which will stand along from his mentor Sir Bobby Robson towards the corner of Portman Road and Sir Alf Ramsey Way, will also feature Beattie’s trademark moustache.

Brad Jones, editor of the EADT and Ipswich Star who are leading the project, said: “We are so thrilled with the design that Sean has come up with. Any fan who watched the Beat play for Town will recognise that Sean has captured his power and strength perfectly.

“This has made us all the more determined to crack on with the fundraising and get this produced as soon as possible.

“We’ve got off to a great start thanks to the generosity of fans. And there is a very big event planned which will help propel us towards the target in the coming months.

“I’d urge Town fans to continue to get behind this campaign so we can get this fantastic statue up soon.”

Led by the EADT and Ipswich Star in conjunction with BBC Radio Suffolk and TWTD, The Beat Goes On was launched on December 18th last year on what would have been Beattie’s 65th birthday.

The current target is £110,000, although it is hoped that figure will be reduced as the campaign progresses, with £49,000 already having been raised.

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 and in the FanZone on matchdays.

You can find The Beat Goes On campaign website here.

Photos: Contributed

terry_butchers_twin added 06:18 - Mar 19 Sean you've done it again! What a fantastic design and I can't wait to see it in place once completed. Brings back so many memories of a true footballing legend.
17

Yallop added 06:40 - Mar 19 Looks superb. Cracking work well done.
13

Cakeman added 06:49 - Mar 19 Looks absolutely great. Very well done Sean.
9

Churchman added 06:56 - Mar 19 It looks brilliant. It's him. An odd thing to say, but I've seen Ronaldo's in Funchal Madeira. Hilariously bad!
7

bluejake78 added 07:23 - Mar 19 Bit of mud on the kit and knees and it is there. (Beats mud on shorts is a must)
5

CraigEdwards added 07:26 - Mar 19 Three legends in a row never to be forgotten.
8

Dissboyitfc added 07:29 - Mar 19 That is amazing!!! i love it!
6

Northstandveteran added 07:29 - Mar 19 What a great design! Good to see that the funds are almost half way there to 😁👏
6

PJH added 07:49 - Mar 19 It looks great. I was wondering quite how The Beat's power was going to be represented,this does it.
6

BlueandTruesince82 added 08:19 - Mar 19 Great design, I would encourage anyone who hasn't donated yet to do so. The beat goes on.
5

therein61 added 08:21 - Mar 19 Fantastic tribute to a fantastic player.
3

SouperJim added 09:39 - Mar 19 I'm too young to have seen The Beat play, although I've watched the 78 cup final, but I'm loving the bold design here. A fitting tribute.
4

runningout added 09:42 - Mar 19 Brill
2

tags added 09:46 - Mar 19 Fantastic design! Seems quite original. Only concern is the possible ability to climb on the plinth - good for posing with the legend but might not be good for vandals/ people falling off!!
1

bluemike1969 added 09:47 - Mar 19 Oh my word, an absolutely brilliant design and gets the beat at his best. The guy's heading ability and strength in the air was fantastic and this design captures this 100% Very well done Sean. Bet he's up there now heading those clouds free from pain and suffering. Love you Kevin, always in my thoughts xx
1

TimmyH added 09:55 - Mar 19 Not meaning to go against the tide on here but I don't think it looks much like him (if this is what the final sculpture will look like) the actual design and pose looks good though.
-2

Bluebongo added 10:10 - Mar 19 Really great design.but don,t forget his moustache.
-1

Razor added 10:58 - Mar 19 Just a pint in the right hand and its done (only joking!!) I too have seen the CR 7 (Ronaldo) statue in Funchal and it is so bad I have to tell people who it is-----no problem with this magnificent piece of work-----it can be the one and only BEAT.
0

IpswichT62OldBoy added 11:06 - Mar 19 Brilliant, it absolutely captures his essence.
1

britbiker added 11:42 - Mar 19 Excellent. I was lucky to have seen him play but I was young and the memory has faded. There are many who have not been as lucky. I wonder if the club could put together a disc or download of him best moments with profits going towards the statue costs. Would be great to see him playing again.
3

warwickblue added 11:47 - Mar 19 Very impressive design. Great movement and power and a fitting tribute.
2

north_stand77 added 11:56 - Mar 19 What a tribute! Great movement, which sums up his ability and agility. Well done, it's going to be another source of pride for our club
3

horsehollerer added 12:44 - Mar 19 Looks absolutely amazing.
1

big_gaz67 added 13:21 - Mar 19 I think there should be a voluntary £5 donation on next year's season tickets - if, like me, you pay by Direct Debit it would be 42p a month and if everybody signed up for it then it would virtually raise what needs to be raised.....
4

Dissboyitfc added 13:35 - Mar 19 Timmyh the statue when finished, will be very accurate In terms of beaties features. Sean's attention to detail is amazing! Really looking forward to seeing it completed!
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