19 of the best pictures from the Kevin Beattie statue unveiling

It was unveiled by Beattie's daughter, Emma, in front of hundreds of fans and club legends, including Allan Hunter, Mick Mills, John Wark, Terry Butcher and Russell Osman.

After Beattie tragically died at the age of 64 in September 2018, more than £110,000 was raised to erect the memorial.

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The campaign to put the statue up was spearheaded by this newspaper, alongside BBC Radio Suffolk and the TWTD website.

Beattie stands in Portman Road, diagonally opposite Planet Blue, on land provided by Ipswich Borough Council, which also commissioned the statue, and played a key role bringing the project to fruition.

Mark Calver, owner of MC Contracts, built the plinth, while the East of England Co-op generously donated the stone cladding and stonemasonry work to the project through HL Perfitts.

Here are 19 images from the big day:

Ready for the big reveal of the Kevin Beattie statue in Portman Road (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Emma Beattie reveals the Kevin Beattie statue in Portman Road (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Former Ipswich and England captain Mick Mills (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Town legends Terry Butcher, Brian Talbot, Russell Osman and Allan Hunter (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Fans gathering at the Kevin Beattie statue reveal in Portman Road (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Former Town player Luke Chambers at the unveiling (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

ITFC CEO Mark Ashton with Barry Dye (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Blues legend Russell Osman at the event (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Roger Osborne and Allan Hunter at the Kevin Beattie statue reveal in Portman Road (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

BBC Radio Suffolk's Mark Murphy, who hosted the unveiling event, with sculptor Sean Hedges-Quinn (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

The statue was commissioned by Ipswich Borough Council and designed by Sean Hedges-Quinn (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Kevin Beattie's friend and best man Steve Strawn at the statue reveal in Portman Road (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

East Anglian Daily Times editor Brad Jones, sculptor Sean Hedges-Quinn and Emma Beattie at the Kevin Beattie statue reveal in Portman Road (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Sculptor Sean Hedges Quinn at the Kevin Beattie statue reveal in Portman Road (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Sculptor Sean Hedges-Quinn and Emma Beattie at the statue reveal in Portman Road (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)