As we go through life it is inevitable that people we have known or admired pass away. Today is one such day.
The news that former Ipswich Town defender Kevin Beattie has died of a suspected heart attack aged 64 has come as a bolt from the blue on what had been a quiet Sunday afternoon, and it’s something that I’ll admit has brought a lump to my throat.
Having been born into a Blackburn Rovers supporting family, it might seem strange to some people that a defender from a club 250 miles away became my childhood footballing hero, but that is exactly what happened with Beattie.