Ipswich Town: Kevin Beattie statue gets approval

Photos of "The Beat" have been close at hand while Sean Hughes-Quinn worked on the maquette

A statue celebrating Ipswich Town and England footballer Kevin Beattie has been approved by the local council.

The central defender, voted Ipswich's greatest-ever player, died from a heart attack a year ago, aged 64.

Beattie was famed for his headers and sculptor Sean Hedges-Quinn has captured him in his trademark mid-air pose.

Ipswich Borough Council voted in favour of erected the bronze tribute outside Portman Road, near existing statues of Sir Bobby Robson and Sir Alf Ramsey.

Earlier this year a fundraising appeal for the statue reached its £110,000 target, eight months after its launch, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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A sneak preview of the statue was revealed by sculptor Sean Hedges-Quinn in September through a miniature prototype.

Finer details of the design are clearly visible on the prototype, known as a maquette, including the Ipswich Town badge, the ripples and folds in his team kit, Beattie's moustache and his clenched fists.

Mr Hedges-Quinn has previously said he wanted to "capture the very essence of The Beat" and having a standard football pose was "never going to be an option".

Kevin Beattie, known for his ability in the air, is captured leaping for the ball in the maquette by Sean Hedges-Quinn

Beattie in action for Ipswich against Barcelona in the Uefa Cup in November 1977

The statue will appear at the entrance to the car park on the other side of Portman Road from the Sir Alf Ramsey statue

A campaign, called The Beat Goes On, was launched at the end of 2018 by BBC Radio Suffolk, where Beattie was a regular on-air contributor, in conjunction with local newspapers and the TWTD website.

The aim is for the sculpture to be unveiled in the spring.