20 Questions: Ipswich Town

An in-depth chat with Craig from Blue Monday Podcast, with the Tractor Boys on the cusp of returning to the Premier League for the first time since 2001-02

The Scarf My Father Wore

Apr 17, 2024

Wednesday 17 April 2024

NEXT HOME GAME: Accrington – Saturday 20 April, 3pm

NEXT AWAY GAME: Wrexham – Saturday 27 April, 3pm

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“Des, Stockport County have just won a Football League title for the first time in 57 years. Why the hell are you talking about Ipswich Town?”

That’s a perfectly reasonable question, dear readers, but do you honestly think I’m not going to cover the events of the last few days, and indeed the whole season? That starts tomorrow, with CHAMPIONS FORTNIGHT on The Scarf My Father Wore – 14 articles over 14 days covering County’s first Football League title since the 1966-67 season, and our return to the third tier for the first time since the club went into administration, and the problems started…

If County won at Meadow Lane last night (which they did) I was planning to kick off CHAMPIONS FORTNIGHT today, writing an article myself. Unfortunately, after looking after patients all day at Dee Valley Hospital (on Hollyoaks), I couldn’t get to Nottingham in time. Rest assured I’ll be there with my notepad and my camera on Saturday to see us lift the League Two trophy on the hallowed turf of Edgeley Park!

It means there’s a gap to fill for today’s edition, but fortunately I received the following piece from Craig earlier today, who’s part of the Blue Monday Podcast team. It’s a really interesting piece, and gives us a fantastic insight into Ipswich – a team County haven’t played since the 1999-2000 season, when the Tractor Boys won both meetings 1-0 on their way to winning promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs.

Today’s edition is sponsored by Colourtone. As always, a big thank you to Paul.

Thanks also to A&J Fox Paving, who sponsor our Ipswich Town content on the website.

Finally, I’m currently walking every street in Stockport to raise money for mental health charity Mentell. If you’d like to make a donation to help me reach my target, please click here.

Total distance so far: 136.36 miles

Total steps so far: 217,174

Total raised so far: £1,666

Total completed streets so far: 271 (Click here for the full list, which includes reports and photos from every day of the walk.)

Further information on the walk can be found by clicking here.

Des Junior

Ipswich are just three wins away from a Premier League return (Photo credit: Ipswich Town FC)

Ipswich currently play in the Championship, which is the second tier of English football. What’s that like as a division?

Better in 2023-24 than it was the last time we were there! We're currently top of the league, having been promoted from the third tier last season. On the back of 98 points and 101 goals in League One, we've carried on the crest of that wave and sit on 89 points at the time of writing, with three games to go. The three relegated Prem teams (Leicester, Leeds and Southampton) are in and around us, so we'll be biting nails until the final day of the season.

The Championship is a great league. It really is the case that anyone can beat anyone. Every match is a battle. We've come up from League One where the majority of teams would sit back and defend against us. Given the size of many clubs in the Championship (and ex-Prem players still at those clubs), that doesn't happen often in this division. And it always helps if you're winning more than you're losing!

Previously, we were bumbling around the Championship for years and years without ever troubling the top or bottom of the league, before dropping out of it in pretty unspectacular fashion in 2018-19. When we were in the league last time around, we were reliant on Mick McCarthy doing whatever he could to keep us from going under. And, at times, it wasn't pretty. We were one of those groups of supporters who were purported to be the most miserable in the country; never had a cup run, not going up, not going down, perpetually in 14th or 15th. Then the inevitable happened and we were relegated.

Describe a typical matchday for yourself in Ipswich.

I’ve had a season ticket for years; my son has since he was five. He's now 16, so has seen some absolute dross (see above) but is now loving life at Portman Road. I'm just across the border in Essex, so we normally drive up… although the traffic is getting worse now we're selling out each home game (rather than the 10,000 that were turning up to some Mick McCarthy matches towards the end!). Occasionally we'll jump on the train. The club have a fanzone attached to the ground, so we'll head there to meet mates and watch the lunchtime match.

Who are your club’s biggest rivals?

It's Norwich City, plain and simple. No love lost. And it's been a bloody long time since we last beat them. We should have beaten them at home, in December… but didn't. They beat us at their place a couple of weeks ago and, sadly, deserved to. Given our time in League One, we didn't play each other for a few years. Here’s hoping we get promoted, they don't, and it's another few years before our paths cross again!

What’s your best memory following Ipswich?

Last season was a bit of a dream. Not being old enough to have experienced the successes of the late 70s/early 80s, there hasn't been too much to shout from the rooftops about (save for a couple of brief dalliances with the Premier League). However, last season everything seemed to click, certainly from February onwards. The momentum of the club/team, the style of football, the volume of goals being scored, the crowds. It all built up into a crescendo at the end of the season with promotion. Being there to witness most of it with my son was very special, certainly given the barren years previous to that.

Promotion to the inaugural Premier League in 1992, when I was 16, comes a close second.

What’s your worst memory following Ipswich?

The last couple of seasons under McCarthy, followed by a brief stint with Paul Hurst, and then the strange tenure of Paul Lambert who took us down in front of a standing ovation. The club was on its knees on and off the field. The owner at the time was putting in the bare minimum to get by, the team was heading one way, fans were only turning up to see friends rather than watch the football. Antipathy had engulfed the club. We could have dropped further.

If Ipswich Town was a TV show, which one would it be?

Gladiators. Had its heyday a fair few years ago, but now on the way back and ready for prime time!

What’s your ground called, and how would you describe it for someone who’s never visited before?

Portman Road (yet to be sponsored/renamed). It’s one of the few remaining town centre grounds and there have never been any rumours that we're upping sticks and moving to the outskirts. A short walk for away fans from the train station, with an away pub within staggering distance. Can I say it's an old-fashioned ground? Four stands, the youngest of which are over 20 years old. The oldest are over 50 years old, although there’s plans to upgrade/replace as part of future expansions at some point. A decent atmosphere now there are circa 29,000 at each home game.

What’s your thoughts on Stockport County?

From the dim and distant past of us playing you, my memories of County are Brett Angell, Tony Dinning and Jim Gannon! We would have crossed paths when you were in the second tier. I must admit that I haven't followed your progress that intently since but glancing at the League Two table, it appears you're doing alright and bravely holding off the threat from Hollywood.

Have you ever visited the town of Stockport before?

Sorry to say, I haven't. I’m sure it's a lovely place!

What colours do you play in, and what’s the best ever kit Ipswich have had?

Blue shirts, white shorts, blue socks. Our most iconic shirts were probably our Adidas ones from the early 80s. Blue home shirt, white away shirt, both with pinstripes. We were also one of the teams to have the lace-up collars on the Umbro shirts when we were in the Prem. Us and Villa, from memory. I liked that one.

If Ipswich were playing in the next FA Cup final, who’d be at Wembley as your celebrity fan?

Following the sad passing of Brian Cant from Playaway in 2007, it's probably little-known musician, Ed Sheeran (current shirt sponsor). Please give him a follow on Insta and stream a couple of his songs on Spotify. He could do with the coverage and support.

What’s the most interesting fact about Ipswich Town we might not know?

We are the only British side to have NEVER lost at home in European competition, and we've been in Europe a lot, most recently in 2001-02 when we beat Inter Milan at Portman Road before losing to a Christian Vieri hat-trick at the San Siro – we even got to briefly see the original Ronaldo on the pitch. Played all the big teams during the 70s: Real Madrid, AC Milan, Lazio, Barcelona, etc.

Some bloke called Alun Armstrong scores the winner for Ipswich at home to Inter Milan

Who’s your all time Ipswich hero?

As I say, not having been quite old enough to see the “glory years”, I missed a team of ten internationals playing week in, week out, and being able to pick from that. However, having seen him in two of his three iterations with Town, I shall have to go with John Wark: second most appearances in Town history, second most goals in Town history (predominantly from midfield). He went to Liverpool in the mid-80s, but came back to us a couple more times, the latter to help us win the Second Division in 1991-92, and he then played in the Premier League for three years. Still in the area, still at the club every matchday. A proper Town legend.

I also have a very soft (and sometimes not so soft) spot for Steve Whitton. Along with Warky, he was also absolutely instrumental in our promotion to the first Premier League. A bit of an unsung hero for some, but not for me.

What sort of attendances do you get, and how would you describe Ipswich’s fanbase?

We're selling out every home game this season – around 29,000 every other weekend. As a whole, we're a pretty friendly bunch. Nothing too much gets us down. Much more likely to see apathy than anger. Also selling out our away allocations, for obvious reasons given the success of the team.

What’s your manager like?

Kieran McKenna has just won the Championship Manager of the Year. The job that he's done since he joined us in December 2021 is nothing short of miraculous. Plucked from Man United as a 35-year-old, where he had been one of the coaches under Mourinho and Solskjaer, he hasn't missed a beat. I think he was the youngest manager in the League at the time. He is calm, collected, thoughtful and plays some really beautiful football. It's attacking (as is borne out in our Goals For columns in the last two seasons) and, to my very untrained eye, looks quite complex! In full flow, it's a great watch, certainly after the more "pragmatic" styles of some of his predecessors!

What’s your owner like?

Our actual owners are the pension fund of the Arizona Emergency Service Personnel, so if you're a retired firefighter in Phoenix, keep an eye on our results. Then there’s further board members who, by and large, delegate day-to-day running of things to Mark Ashton who is our CEO. He was previously with West Brom, Watford, Bristol City. The owners, since they took over in early 2021, have not put a foot wrong. They've invested in the team, in the ground, in the infrastructure, in the training ground, in the Club Foundation, in fan engagement. Ashton has almost been given a blank chequebook, certainly in terms of things outside of football (i.e. things that aren't included in the financial calculations). As referred to above, the previous owner had given up and the ground was showing it after no investment in 10 years or so. Things just look and feel loved now.

What’s it like for a night out in Ipswich?

Same as most towns of a similar size, I'd imagine. Some good pubs and bars, and some ropey ones! The best place for a beer and something to eat is probably away from the town centre. Head to the waterfront for a few decent bars. There has been a lot of investment in regeneration of that area. We're the Adnams county, so if you're that way inclined, you can find a few Adnams pubs in town.

What’s the best thing about being an Ipswich fan?

At the moment, most things. Going to (and often, from) matches with a smile on your face. It has been very noticeable in recent times the number of kids at games and wearing Town colours out and about. Not that long ago, you wouldn't see that. It’d be Liverpool, Man United, etc. Don't get much of that at all now.

What’s the worst thing about being an Ipswich fan?

The fear that Kieran McKenna will eventually, at some point, leave us for a club higher up the pyramid. There is that nagging doubt in the back of your mind that we need to strike now and that this is our "lightning in a bottle" moment with regards to promotion, and should that not happen, someone in the Prem will come calling. However, he's making the right noises about hanging around and building something, so that's the hope.

What are your hopes for the rest of this season?

Three wins to see us into the Premier League. Not sure I can cope with the play-offs, especially if we end up facing Norwich over two legs…

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Give your car a lick of paint

Granted, Stockport used to be a little rough around the edges. But the town’s getting a good old lick of paint these days, with fancy new offices, apartments, bars and restaurants springing up. You can’t be driving up and down the A6 in a tatty car with chipped paintwork, so give your car a nice lick of paint too. Colourtone is your go-to company for that. They’ve been servicing the automotive and industrial markets in Cheshire and Greater Manchester for decades, and carry an extensive range of car paint and industrial paints.

Visit colourtone.com for further details.

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Transform your outdoor space with a stunning garden veranda

If there’s any Ipswich fans joining us today, or indeed any of our readers living in Suffolk, allow me to introduce one of our Football Family members, A&J Fox Paving Ltd.

With one of their stunning garden verandas, you can experience the beauty of nature in comfort and style. Perfect for enjoying the outdoors year-round, their verandas provide shelter from the elements while seamlessly blending into your garden's aesthetic.

Crafted from high-quality materials and customised to fit your unique style and space, their verandas add value and charm to any home. Whether you're hosting a summer barbecue or cozying up with a book on a rainy day, their garden verandas create the perfect sanctuary for relaxation and enjoyment.

Visit foxpavingltd.co.uk for further details.

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Photo of the day

Meadow Lane, Nottingham

No. Words. Needed.

(Although we’ll have lots of words coming up, with CHAMPIONS FORTNIGHT starting on The Scarf My Father Wore tomorrow!

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Today in SK

🍺 Food and drink

The Nelson Tavern (SK1) have a great range of offers throughout the week, including £4.50 for drinks off the Doubles Bar, a comprehensive range of shots for £2, and 3 for £6 on Jägerbombs.

If you find yourself in Stockport today, pop into The Petersgate Tap (SK1) for a pint or two. Open till 10pm.