A short film has been produced reflecting on the life of Ipswich Town legend Kevin Beattie and the campaign for a statue of him in Portman Road.

East Anglian Daily Times: Sean Hedges-Quinn, the sculptor of the Kevin Beattie statue Picture: ARCHANTSean Hedges-Quinn, the sculptor of the Kevin Beattie statue Picture: ARCHANT (Image: Archant)

Kevan and Robert Collins of Punch Films UK, based in Diss, produced the film which was shown at a gala evening on Friday night at Greshams Ipswich, which raised more than £20,000 for the appeal.

It means work can now start on the statue, which will stand in Portman Road.

Kevan said: "Being Ipswich fans we wanted to do a little more than make a financial contribution and we felt we could do that by making a film about the work that goes into the statue and the thought processes behind it, and also that it would be nice to have some thoughts from the family and the love towards The Beat.

"After meeting with Sean Hedges-Quinn it became even more apparent the size of the task. From its idea to completion it's huge, it's colossal!"

He added: "We hope that people will take the time to watch this short film and if they haven't yet made a donation then go to the Go Fund Me website [and search for Kevin Beattie] and give a little something. However small or big it will be appreciated.

"The Beat loved us fans and now we have the chance to show him how much we loved him. My late father introduced me to Portman Road and my earliest memories go back to even before the Kevin Beattie era.

"My dad's final match at Portman Road was in 2000 when we drew 1-1 with Manchester United in our first home Premier League match after promotion, a great and memorable evening.

"But the most memorable part for me was the attention given to my father by The Beat before the match started. I still have that signed programme framed and hanging on my wall."

To donate to the Beat Goes On appeal, visit this website