It doesn’t take much for the City/Ipswich rivalry to spill over and ignite. Not in the physical sense of course – let’s hope those days are gone – but in its modern-day, slightly less bruising, equivalent: social media.
This weekend all it took was the unveiling of a statue, a good crowd and an appearance, possibly for the first time, by the blokes who purport to be the new owners of Ipswich. I say purport because, as I understand it, the club is owned by a company called Gamechanger 20 Ltd which, in itself, is funded the money sloshing around in an Arizona State pension fund. The blokes in question, I presume, are responsible for managing that fund?
If I’ve got that wrong, I’m sure someone will correct me.
Anyway, the arrival of these star-spangled dudes coincided with said unveiling – Kevin Beattie joining Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson in being commemorated in bronze outside Portman Road. And good for them.
Beattie was indeed an outstanding player who formed part of an equally outstanding Ipswich Town era of the mid/late 70s and early 80s, and was part of the team that routinely beat us and made the formative years of my City-supporting journey fairly miserable. Living near Halesworth meant being outnumbered by those of a blue persuasion in those days … you get my gist.
But, for all the pain Beattie caused me, I admired him. He was a brilliant player who, but for injury, could have earned himself 100 England caps instead of a paltry nine. He was that good.
So fair play to Ipswich for commemorating him.
But the combination of the Beat being unveiled, the new owners showing their faces and Portman Road being close to being full was almost too much for some of our Suffolk brethren.
Not content with making the most of their own little private party, they wanted us to know about it and remind us yet again that they have “history” and that we’ve “never won f#*k all” – using that horrific double-negative that never fails to irk.
(Lads – if we’ve “never won f*#k all”, you’re saying we have won something).
The fact they, for once, aided and assisted by a concerted ‘Pack out Portman Road’ campaign over several weeks, managed to get over 29,000 into their stadium was another reason for the plumage to be fluffed up and shown off in all its glory.
To point out that we packed out Carrow Road most weeks when we were in League One would be to fall into the ‘yeah but..’ trap, so I’ll not, but it does feel like another of those cards on the table moments where, rather than the continuous, my dad is bigger than your dad, toing and froing, we save time by making clear who has done what, who has what and who is doing what.
So…
- Ipswich have won more major trophies than us however we try and spin it. A league title, an FA Cup and a UEFA Cup win trumps two League Cups plus a few Championship (and PlayOff) trophies every day.
- The best we have in terms of Europe is the much-vaunted ‘participation’ in 1993/94. We may bang in about it more than we should but it’s all we have and we’re proud of it.
- We qualified for Europe on three other occasions in the 1980s but never played because of the ban resulting from the Heysel disaster. We may or may not have done well.
- Ipswich’s owners (or at least the company that owns them) are far wealthier than our owners.
- We own Carrow Road and Colney; Ipswich rent their stadium and their training ground.
- Our owners are fans; Ipswich’s owners are American businessmen.
- We get bigger crowds than Ipswich, although they have a bigger stadium (and had a big crowd yesterday).
- We are *currently* in better shape on and of the pitch than Ipswich, although the cyclical nature of football means this will change over time and be reversed.
- Ipswich haven’t beat us for 4627 days, or 661 weeks, or 12 years, 244 days… but they will beat us again.
- Oh… and Ipswich have more statues than us. Three more.
All of which means diddly-squat when it all kicks off on social media again (which it inevitably will) but I usually try and desist from the toing and froing on the grounds of having friends and family of a blue persuasion.
On that basis, I feel like I’ve more than done my time in the “bragging rights” stakes and it’s time to hand my stripes over to the younger generation. Or maybe I’m just all toed and froed out.
Either way, at least them getting all fluffed up gave me something to write about on a morning when I should have been mulling over an away defeat at the London Stadium.
So, for once, Ipswich Town… I salute you.
If I were a State Pensioner in Arizona I‘d be a tad worried about the investment portfolio. Ipswich have no capital assets and little in the way of player assets, no mega fan base and are in what is really the 3rd Division, and not doing very well. Good luck to Ipswitch and I hope they will look after those Arizona OAPs.
It would be good for East Anglia to have two strong teams. It would raise the credibility of the area in football terms. Manchester, Liverpool and north London don’t suffer by having two competitive teams near the top of the tree. But it’s been a long time since we were even close to that…
Peterborough and Luton are doing their best to join us!
I would not be bothered if they went out of the league altogether. Wouldn’t want them to go bust again and let down all those local businesses though.
I agree. It would be great if the went out of the league altogether
I still remember 15th August 1972 Gary.
What a day and what a shock result.
It was in those good old days were, if my memory serves me correctly hooliganism had yet to get as bad as it would, and I used to get so excited about that days game I couldn’t eat.
It was a time long before my mate Marty had bought his lovely blue coat just for Ipswich away and I was there with my mum, dad, my aunt, uncle and my cousins. My first ever trip to Portman Road.
It has gone down in Canary folklore, our first ever away game in the First Division of English football was a 2-1 win over our arch rivals. Goals from Jimmy Bone and Terry Anderson (which I still remember) did the job.
That year they finished 4th and we just stayed up and deep down none of us suspected we would win a bit like now but the reverse way round.
I have been very lucky as I haven’t seen the Town beat us too much at all live despite it being over 50 years of supporting.
In those years and up until Ken Brown became Norwich manager I will admit Ipswich were a much better team than us, but in the last few decades not even the most optimistic Town supporter can not say his side have been any were near as good as us on balance.
I had to look Ipswich 1st division history, because I had feeling that Ipswich was awesome and actually it has been more than awesome. From 1968 to 1986 Ipswich played in 1st division. 1972-73 season is where their renaissance has started, next 10 seasons have resulted incredible 9 times at top 6 result. Second 2 times, third 3, fourth 2, sixth 2 times. Just 1 bad season, some strange reason 18th in 1977-78. If someone knows why Ipswich was so good in those years, please share your knowledge.
To me their second places in league are their biggest achievements, in league to get second you must play greatly whole season game after game. When you think todays football, that is like a fairytale story. I do miss those times when anyone were able to beat anyone. It was not just in english football, it was like that in so many leagues.
Why 1×2? Two reasons. 1. Bobby Robson was manager. 2. Club owners were the Cobbolds who stayed out of the way on football matters but were confident enough in the manager to free up the purse strings to allow him to buy genuine world class players for the club.
The reason 1×2 was Sir Bobby Robson.
Probably the best manager to never win the First Division/Premier League.
He built two great Ipswich sides, I say it through gritted teeth but it is true.
Jose Mourinho was a disciple of Sir Bobby as were many others.
They were one of the first English clubs to bring in Dutch players. Muhren and Thijssen were brilliant players and helped Ipswich win the UEAFA Cup in 1981.
Players like Wark, Gates, Brazil, Beattie, Butcher, Mariner, Osman, Whymark, Woods ( a Norwich Supporter) and Talbot were excellent players.
They should have won the league in 1980-81 but perhaps that UEAFA Cup run derailed them. They had an awful March/April in the league and only lost the league to Aston Villa by 4 points.
I just wonder what those old players thought after watching or hearing Barrow 2 Ipswich 0 ? You could see the hurt on Terry Butcher’s face and his admittance that Ipswich are no longer a big club.
Hi Gary,
I remember those long gone days when Ipswich clobbered Europe, they have a right to be proud of that! I remember wistfully but happily watching those UEFA wins, wondering whether we’d ever match that success. One Dennis Bergkamp scotched that for us I believe? My disappointment at his ‘smash & grab’ was not understood by the girl I was seeing at the time, but that’s tribalism for you!
Success is often hard fought for, often fleeting outside the top six in English football, and I daresay Peterborough, Cambridge and Colchester must also look up with regrets – not to squash the successes they have had also.
When clubs get that success they should guard it jealously – ourselves, at the moment, very much included! There are lots of clubs who get to be ‘cock of the walk’ for a while only to fall back into their troubled slumbers – look at poor old Wigan!
Just to point out here, we might have beaten West Ham if we’d played them yesterday … and we’re not ‘down’ yet!
Cheers,
COYYs !!
Well Gary i ask you if you would swap our last 25years for theirs and then say I would if you based it on there 5 or six good years and done naff all since 17yrs in championship and so far 3yrs in div 3 and I think most supporters would want ours however up and down its been .at least something is happening most seasons merry Xmas 🎅
Gary
As a dyed in the wool Canary it pains me to mention that you have omitted Ipswich winning the old Division 1 ( the top division) in 1961/62 which is recognised by the first of their 3 stars on their badge, together with 2 others representing their UEFA and FA Cup wins. I’m surprised an Ipswich fan hasn’t commented as they are so proud of their history!
Ha! Cheers Barry. Was quite the achievement on my part to miss that out. I never cease to amaze myself 😊
Wasn’t there some scandal about rigged matches that season? Serious question, not just sour grapes!!
I have seen a few references on TWTD (which I occasionally dip into when I need a laugh) where some of the contributors refer to the historical time when they were “Champions of Europe” but they were never that. The EUFA Cup was the second best to the European Cup, now the trophy for the Champions League. The EUFA Cup itself was the new name for the European Fairs Cup, originally a competition for which entry was by invitation, not qualification.
Sorry to disagree but I thought the UEFA cup was 3rd behind the European cup and the cup winners cup
Same old Norwich City fans. Why are you always talking about us? What is your silly obsession with us? Trust me, we don’t care about you yellows & rarely talk about you. Who’s best? Currently you are & have been since 2009. Happy now? Hope so. Now f*** off & stop talking about us. Give yourselves a holiday from ITFC concerns and chatter. It’s ridiculous as well as extremely odd behaviour! Lmfao
Cheers for popping by, Pete and giving it to us straight. 🙂
Was the sort of reaction I was trying to avoid by being civilised and grown-up about it but hey ho. I’ll toddle off as you instruct.
Is good to hear that we never ever get mentioned by your supporters or on your messageboards. Well done you.
https://twitter.com/TractorEssexBoy/status/1472267404373893133?s=20
https://twitter.com/berkebakay/status/1472279171816640520?s=20
Sorry Gary! It gets quite nauseating when NCFC fans seem so obsessed about the goings on @ ITFC. I appreciate the way in which you were trying to have a grown up debate but I ask again why would you be interested in us? We are an embarrassment currently, 2 divisions below you & we haven’t beaten you since April 2009. After Paul Cook was sacked I looked at comments on Facebook & I swear to god two thirds of them were Norwich City. Why? Cannot get my head round it? None of us can. Please stop this strange behaviour. Our current squad deserves no attention from anybody & I’m flabbergasted you crew would give it any time. Happy Christmas to all men & women even yellow/green ones 🤣😘
Happy Christmas, mate. Fair comment, although in my defence many of my own friends and family members are Town supporters, so the toing and froing is unavoidable whether I like it or not. And being interested in the state (good or bad) of your neighbours is just part and parcel of being a football supporter is it not? – whether that interest is justified or not 🙂 (And I had to find something to write about on a day when our game was postponed).
Have a good one, mate – you’ll be back, probably sooner than you think.
I’m not gonna lie. It hurts where you are & where we are. This debate about who is better though is deeply complicated. That said it’s simply the case you are way better right now & probably have been for nigh on 10 years now. Merry Christmas to you & family and stay safe! 🎅🎁🎊