It is a year since Roy Keane was sacked. On 7 January 2011 the guillotine trundled, the darkness lifted and peace and love was restored: so why are we back on the ropes?

It is a grim anniversary. During the last home game before Keane’s departure I was closer to actual football violence than I had been for some time – with one of our own fans. A fan who stands a few places from me, travels down the same train line, and lives in the same county.

After a row that simmered all game (which Town lost to… Nottingham Forest) he and I glowered, muttering, nose to nose, for 10 minutes after the final whistle. Police and stewards hovered. I refused to give way quite simply because if I had (a) he would have tried to beat one of my mates to a pulp, (b) because he would have landed one punch before being beaten to a pulp himself by my mate’s very tough dad and (c) because I genuinely felt I was in the right – and so were the people I sing with. We refused to boo our own players, we wouldn’t chant for Keane to go and we kept coming to watch (dire) football simply because we love our team. We still felt ourselves lucky to support a club with a proud, romantic and unique history.

Looking back, that confrontation was ridiculous, and we have since shaken hands, but at the time it was terrible. One of the reasons I love supporting (and playing) football is comradeship; and that traumatic January 2011 game against Forest stressed comradeship to breaking point.

And now in January 2012 the nightmare is abroad once more. Damien Delaney’s crazy, looping headed clearance (straight to a red shirt) resulted in last Monday’s second Forest goal. It stunned everybody: pinpoint, football suicide. As was the first, as was the third.

I dreamt of each, all Monday night. Then came the living, daylight hell this week. Blogs, tweets, posts, hacks, surveys, rumours, statements and claims: different twists but a sad and single theme: twelve months on, Ipswich Town Football Club falls apart once more.

The quality of thinking and writing in TWTD blogs is so much higher than many professional columns in the printed press, and there have been numerous constructive TWTD critiques over the last few weeks: transfer policies, tactics, the Academy’s decline, ticketing, team formations, rental disputes, all are analysed with great effect. I agree with many of the ideas put forward and it is blindingly obvious that numerous, practical things must change. But Marcus Evans, are you listening?

I write now only to point out that, sadly, we have no idea whether he is or he isn’t, and to argue that in itself, that is part of the problem. Ipswich Town were stunningly successful under the remote and eccentric leadership of the Cobbold family. These guys went to Eton, were proper toffs and made a fortune from selling noxious substances to the working class, but let’s face it we loved them. It was equally obvious that they loved the club.

Now, Marcus Evans has put massive amounts of money into Ipswich and all fans know that we should be grateful, that it should be working, that Marcus Evans has put real money where others put only their mouths.

But the sad fact is that most of us DON’T feel grateful, or happy, or inspired, because we don’t know you Mr Evans. Ipswich as a football club quite literally, owes you the world, but because you remain anonymous, your investment feels neither like leadership, nor love. Until you change that I fear your abundant cash will reap meagre return.

I hate to recommend it, but how about taking a leaf from the Book of Delia? There is somebody who loves her team, has stuck by it through thick and thin, has given it millions, who constantly shows her feelings to the fans, who wanders onto on the pitch after a few drinks and who lives in Suffolk (how annoying). She is now reaping a rich and deserved reward.

Could Delia’s be a recipe for success, Marcus? Show us your face, show us your feelings, show us some leadership and we’ll back you, the manager you choose and the team he picks. Come hell, high water, or Nottingham Forest in January 2013.

Lanky added 11:07 - Jan 8 Regardless of whether we know the man or not, he's invested a hell of a lot of money in our club.
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BlueBadger added 11:29 - Jan 8 Ahhh Delia Smith. A woman who stuck by her team through thick and thin. So much so, that she bought into its local rivals.
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Bergholtblue added 11:29 - Jan 8 You seem to forget that Evan's interest in Ipswich Town was puely a financial one. He had talks with us, Southampton and Leicester City (and possibly one other) before deciding on the club to invest in. He chose us over the others not becuase of any love or loyalty to the Town or the Club but the best financial investment, simple as. He will not show his face or make his feelings shown because he has no interest in the fans, only how much money he is making (or losing).

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Daleyitfc added 15:08 - Jan 8 The fictional Marcus Evans was invented to be an Ipswich Town fan, with roots in Bury St Edmunds : that was the tale told to the gullible shareholders when they/we voted to agree 'his' takeover of the club (I was one of about 2 or 3 who voted against - Bryan Knights being another). In reality, of course, there IS no Marcus Evans the person ; simply Marcus Evans the company. The charade of his existence continues with various club personnel, including managers, pretending to have held conversations and meetings with 'him'. Instead, these interactions would have been with various members of the Marcus Evans Group board of directors. It is impossible for Evans to exist as a real person, attend football matches (by helicopter!!) ; etc etc, and NOT be photographed/filmed by someone in the media. 'He' is a myth. 'His' money and company is managed by faceless bureaucrats. They surely have no interest in ITFC. I suspect the Marcus Evans Group will sell out within the next year : to whom will be a major worry.

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therein61 added 17:40 - Jan 8 If Mr Evans decides to face the cameras or not is his decision & his alone as is his to where he places his money(if he talked to other clubs 1st fine) all i'm saying is we would be in deep doo doo's without him what is needed now is a strong form of leadership. Alf had it & was allowed to run the club & look at the results also dear Bobby(rip) took a hell of a lot of obscene jestures (call it what you will) & chanting from the terraces before the wonderful support offered by mr John(what a chairman to have!!)kept him here & the results were our best in recent history(not forgetting George Burleys purple patch) we now have a situ where the manager has got it wrong(defensive coach!? well mr osman knows a bit??) by his own admittance & i feel he has no idea how to get out of it the game has changed so much since he took 2 dads armies to the promised land & i feel that he is so out of touch that the poor man has no idea as to what to do next(time to be honest pj you can't get us out the mess you put us in) my feeling is we need to get in someone who has the towns traditions & beliefs at heart who will build(i believe mr evans has a 5 year plan??) from the bottom & take us upwards he is currently employed by caley thistle he would at least instill some fight & passion into what has turned into a money grabbing circus!!, that's my opinion guys i 1st went to portman road in 58 & we beat liverpool when are we going to do it again!!??.

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bluesandbooze added 18:07 - Jan 8 Delia married a fervent Norwich fan. Dont think she was a football fan before that.
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jas0999 added 19:02 - Jan 8 PJ was an abysmal appointment. End of. JEWELL OUT
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itfcsmithlarr added 19:20 - Jan 8 Playing Forest in 2013? What, when we're both relegated to League 1?
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Blue041273 added 19:48 - Jan 8 Bergholtblue You may well be right in the view that ME invested purely for financial purposes but as a Businessman he will have a specially vested interest in making us successful. True, he can probably run the club at a loss to tax advantage in the consolidated Marcus Evans Group of Companies but his investment can only show any return if we get to the Premier League. It is therefore in his greatest interests to ensure that we are appropriately managed, staffed and equipped to achieve this objective. At the moment his financial advisors will be warning against throwing more money away; our only hope is that the gambler instinct in him will provide the motivation to continue to chase the dream and roll the dice one more time. Whatever, it is not in his best interest to walk away at this point in time. Like it or not we should be grateful; the alternative is just too awful to contemplate.

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Theblueyy added 20:24 - Jan 8 like daleyitfc i to have never thought marcus evans the man exists.you re not telling me that our good and honest media chappies would respect his wishes and refrain from clicking the old shutter. it would be quite a coup for a young journo to get a pic of the mystery man getting out the old copter. where does he usually land by the way? You might think they would also be tempted to get a shot of him ashen faced with head in hands as yet another goal against flies in. but no surprisingly not. just seen QPR have sacked Warnock.......... and we keep Jewell. the worlds gone mad.

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Whymarktonomarks added 20:49 - Jan 8 Very interesting that you mention 'Dear Deirdrie,' and I could not agree more that Delia and our mystery man are miles apart in every way . Unfortunately our friends from 'Carrot Road' have benefitted greatly from a board that sincerely puts its club and fans first and understands that without the fans you have nothing . I cannot agree however ,that PJ should be given more time . Although I have no doubt that PJ has been harrassed into providing a quick fix by his Governor ,which is contradictory to any Manager being given time to do 'his own thing ,' I still have seen no evidence of a Manager who can think 'quick on his feet ,' change tactics during a match to a satisfactory standard ,be pro-active in picking a team and formation to face the opposition ,but more worryingly ,if the rumoured transfer targets are correct ,he still has not learnt from his inadequate buying policy . Back to the owner . When Deirdrie's boys had 7 put passed them by Colchester ,she did not hang around . Most people who even have limited knowledge of Football would know that something was fundamently wrong . So what did she do ,she promptly hired the Colchester Manager . Some might say that she got lucky , but it was plainly the obvious thing to attempt . She pulled it off and we all know the rest . So when the 'Posh' turned us over ,in a similiar fashion ,the comparisons were unbelievably similiar , except the Board at Ipswich ,in their constant arrogance ,ignore the result as a blip ,and allow the club to proceed into possibly the worst period of results in our existance . So ,the 'Budgies,' get argueably the best 'up and coming' Manager in British Football and we have missed grabbing possibly the next . So , Mr.Evans ,whats it like to get done by a TV Chef ?

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rosseden added 23:51 - Jan 8 Marcus Evans does exist, i know someone, two people actually, who work for him...... there are numerous photos of him in the press if you know where to look.... it is not a surprise at all though that the press dont bother him much, its amazing who keeps off your back when you have some very very high level contacts within the defence industry - as he does!
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jpr_23 added 12:54 - Jan 9 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-1305535/CHARLES-SALE-Newcastle-stars-bo Check out the link. Halfway down is a picture of Marcus Evans. Not that hard to find...
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llewej_tuo added 11:23 - Jan 16 PAUL JEWELL ... HATE HIM ... HE'S A CLUB DETROYER. FORGET IT EVANS, COME OUT OF THE FOREST AND LOOK AT HIS RECORD FOR THE YEAR ... READS LIKE A PUB TEAM .... 54% LOSS RATE AND FIGHTIN RELEGATION
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