New song recalls his debut half a century ago
It's half a century ago that Kevin Beattie made a sensational debut for Ipswich Town at Manchester United and now a song in memory of the Blues legend ensures it will never be forgotten.
The release of ‘The Story of The Beat' (‘The Beat Goes On') has been timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of his first team debut (August 12, 1972) and has been written and produced by Ipswich-based singer/songwriter George Baker.
Malcolm Thompson, founder of the Kevin Beattie Foundation, was inspired by Baker's popular Ipswich Town song ‘Proud to Wear the Blue' and asked the 70-year-old if he could pen a tribute song about former England international Beattie, who died four years ago at the age of 64.
Baker was only too happy to offer his services in recognition of the Carlisle-born defender widely acknowledged as Ipswich's greatest ever player.
Indeed, he was at Old Trafford on that famous day when the 18-year-old played a blinder in a 2-1 Ipswich victory against a Red Devils side that included the likes of Bobby Charlton, George Best and Denis Law.
“Like most Ipswich fans, I was just amazed at the extraordinary power, speed and natural ability that he had,” he said. “He was just a kid making his debut against legendary players, but he looked awesome.
“As fans, we thought ‘what have we got? How fortunate are we to have this guy from 300 miles away to play for us'.
Memories
“I was a massive Kevin Beattie fan and there are so many memories. There was an amazing goal he scored against West Brom and I'll always remember him on the town hall steps when we had the civic reception after winning the FA Cup (in 1978). He conducted the crowd and the crowd loved him.”
Aside from his displays on the pitch over a decade with the Blues – and also helping Bobby Robson's men win the UEFA Cup in 1980-81 – it was the way he related to the Portman Road faithful that won him such a special place in their hearts.
Baker said: “He lived in Ipswich and made himself available to people. He was a really cheery bloke and he made the fans feel he was their buddy and friend.
“Fortunately, I got to meet him on the odd occasion over the years.
Responsibility
“It was a massive responsibility to write the song because I wanted to express how the people of Ipswich and Suffolk felt about him, not just as a footballer.
“I've had some really good feedback about the song and it's nice that people appreciate it. I think it had to be done by a fan.”
The official song launch will take place at a special ‘Beat Goes On' evening event organised by the Kevin Beattie Foundation next Saturday, August 13 at Novotel Ipswich.
However, the song and video can be previewed already on the charity's website www.kevinbeattiefoundation.co.uk. Or you can find it on YouTube: https://youtu. be/QPIIkV66CXw
