Kevin Beattie

Norman_Conquest

Well-known member
I didn't realise what a poor background that Beattie had come from. He use to steal vegetables from the allotments in Carlisle for the family to eat and when arrived at Ipswich he had his dads shoes on and the club had to go out and buy him some new clothes.

Great footballer - It is hard to believe the story how Liverpool missed out on him. I bet someone got their backside kicked.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Beattie
 
In his short stint with us he showed what a class defender he was. From his first game in November after signing him from Carlisle when we beat Barnsley and the following week going to Charlton and winning 3-2 he then got injured and returned to score in the FA Cup against Notts County. His final match was the following week in the derby against Newcastle. 4 games, 3 wins and 1 draw.
 
Yeah I am guessing with the advancements in medical scanning he would never have been acquired these days.
 
I was very young, but have memories of him oozing class, being a cut above everyone else and my Dad raving about him. Really surprised he played so few games for us, my memory is of him playing much more.
 
Reading the rest of his wiki page he could hardly walk later in life. Playing with cortisone injections (three alone in the FA Cup Final) left him with severe arthritis after he quit. So many footballers from the 70s and 80s finished up the same way. From Charlton's Champions Willie Maddren had to retire from his knee injury, the late Bobby Murdoch said he had to roll out of bed because his ankle was so shot and 'never injured' David Armstrong finished up disabled - he eventually had to have his ankle fused.
But the Kevin Beattie story is heart breaking isn't it. Playing his way out of such poverty. I have been told by a friend in youth football that most Premier clubs are now moving away from inner city recruits for their academies. They prefer stable families with parental chauffeurs etc.
 
I have been told by a friend in youth football that most Premier clubs are now moving away from inner city recruits for their academies. They prefer stable families with parental chauffeurs etc.

Could be good for football and for the most talented kids. Start at lower league clubs local to where they live and climb the ladder, making money for the smaller clubs along the way. I bet there's loads of premier league club kids who ended up on the scrap heap who might not have had they took a different route.
 
In his short stint with us he showed what a class defender he was. From his first game in November after signing him from Carlisle when we beat Barnsley and the following week going to Charlton and winning 3-2 he then got injured and returned to score in the FA Cup against Notts County. His final match was the following week in the derby against Newcastle. 4 games, 3 wins and 1 draw.
The only game he played in when Boro lost was a 3-2 home defeat to Derby, his final appearence, he was the sub that day so not sure how much he played when coming on for Joe Bolton
 
Even with an injury that finished his career then big Mal asked him & came back to sign for the Boro for one final go you could see the talent & organisation in him
You could see how good he must have been fully fit & on top of his game
The goal he scored v Notts County at home in the FAC, Ray Hankin had taken & missed a previous penalty & when we were awarded a second Hankin handed the ball to Beattie, who like a good caprain & Pro took the responsibility & scored his only Boro goal
 
As I mentioned Ray Hankin, one of our worst CF, IMHO, he is also one of the rare Boro players to score a league, FAC & LC goal in his debut season
He only scored 3 goals, one in each competition, with the League Cup goal v Burnley, his 1st club
 
Beattie was so strong as well as a excellent all round game, but he was finished when we signed him hence we got him on a free and probably low wages.
 
As I mentioned Ray Hankin, one of our worst CF, IMHO, he is also one of the rare Boro players to score a league, FAC & LC goal in his debut season
He only scored 3 goals, one in each competition, with the League Cup goal v Burnley, his 1st club

His website has quite a few pictures from Teesside when he was here in the early 80s
 
Back
Top