I had the priviledge of being a season ticket holder (first with my Mum and then my wife) all through Paul Mariners' years at Town. He was a fantastic all round centre forward, great scorer but great holder of the ball as well and he used to bring other players in. I remember Bobby Robson saying how well he could look after himself in what was a pretty physical environment then for centre forwards - and as so many have said here already, a great entertainer who gave every impression that he loved playing at PR and for the team away. As a mixture of power, skill, and personality he was second to none.

Apart from the footballing memories, I used to help my dad serve petrol at the Bentley filling station on the A12 and PM used to come in (I think he had a white capri). My dad let me serve him and he always gave me a 50p tip. Boring story I know but for an 11 year old, pure magic.

Just to add - I remember when we were going worse and at some point exactly at mid table 11th spot in an interview he said: "There may be years to pass until Ipswich will become Champions but I am sure that time will come!" Since then we got from bad to worse and Mariner himself was sold to Arsenal but I still believe him!!! I am sure he was right!!!

"We'll walk a million miles for one of your goals... Paaaauuuulll Maaaaariner"

As someone else has said he was more than a centre forward, fine skill. As all we've got are memories, DVDs and YouTube the best way to see an Ipswich team at their peak is the Cup Final '78 video.

How did we not win that by 5 clear goals??????????

Most memorable moment has got to be the hat-trick against Manure, followed by the Liverpool header and his home debut. (oh & a hat trick Vs West Ham in 76/77 is fondly remembered as my step brother is a Hammer)

I was always No 9 Paul Mariner at school but so was everybody else!
The best centre forward in the country and quite simply the best centre forward Ipswich ever had.

He played for England at a time when half the England team was from Ipswich, for a small town in the middle of nowhere it was amazing times.

His debut was a dream, the Northstand bayed for a goal and got it, the place erupted and from then on it was the stuff of legends.

forgot to add with his long hair he looked like a rock god and he thought he was!Getting up on stage with I think Russell Osman when Whitesnake played Ipswich

What a legend!

I hope we chant the roof off tonight for him

Paul Mariner, true God and Legend & wonderful partner to the great Trevor Whymark.......if only we had them now..& Beattie & Hunter & Burley & Cooper & Mills & Wark & Murhen & Woodsy &...............oh those truly were the days.
Sadly can't be there tonight but PLEASE give Mariner the welcome and respect he deserves, he was awesome!!!

Jabberjackson - the goal was pretty special, but that crowd surge in the old TERRACED North Stand ...... made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

Great days they surely were ...

Picking one memory out of so many is so hard...Paul Mariner playing along side Trevor Wymark greatest strike force I have ever seen even today.....Great great man I hope he gets and he deserves a standing ovation tonight.

WBA 7-0 Mariner and Whymark..!!

Jesus saves but Mariner scores on the rebound!

Two of Paul's goals stand out for me as they were crucial goals as they were 1-0 wins. The 1981 winner at home to Aston Villa in the FA CUP - great build up - at least was 'goal of the month' on MOTD i think. Also the goal v Hungary at Wembley in 1982 that qualified England for the World Cup in Spain - the only live game I've seen England play before or since. A fantastic target man in a great team.

My best memory was that he was a quite brillian No. 9 in my much loved Ipswich Subbuteo team! Rarely would a game pass where he didn't score a hatrick, a flicking legend

Love the Bloke, Total Legend, his performance v St Eitienne was amazing and check out his goal for England v Norway in the 1982 Qualifiers. Younger fans will forget he was the England Centre forward in the early 80's and it was his goal which took us to the World Cup for the first time in eight years after having missed out in 74 and 78 and had to endure the jockos going on about how they were going to win the wc. My fave all time player and hope that one day he will come back as Town Manager, give him a MASSIVE OVATION tonight!

Like others old enough to remember, for me it was the header against Liverpool in 1976. I was standing on the old East terrace and he seemed miles out, but the power and accuracy left Ray Clemence helpless. This was of course the season of the Kevin Beattie burns incident. His absence at the run in went a long way to handing the title to Liverpool.

I hope that no one jeers him, he may even end up here again one day!

Thought he was great as Mr Spooner in Are you Being Served.

Too young to remember seeing him play but the video clips, stats and honours say it all. In terms of strikers in our history I think only Crawford matches him. You could make a case for either (Crawford scoring more at a better rate vs all of Mariner's scored while we were in the top-flight and an England regular), but what a strikeforce they would have been! Credit to Keano for speaking so highly of him, hope Plymouth stay up after we get 3 points tonight, COYB!

Paul Mariner is the reason I got into football in the first place and the reason I started to follow Town some 33 years ago now - despite being a Leeds lad born and bred. So indirectly it's his fault the depression I am feeling this season...

Goals I remember from Mariner

2 headers from UEFA win season - the one against AZ in final and I think the other was v Widzew Lodz

Goal of season candidate against Villa same year

2 England goals - one that got us to the 82 finals against Hungary, more of a stumble...

and his left footer from edge of area against Norway when England won 4-0 (think at one point there were 4 Town players on the pitch that night)

To me he will always be a legend

Bobby Robson was gently mocked for this quote in When Saturday Comes, but I guess he would know better than anyone:

"I've been fortunate to work with some truly great strikers: Shearer, Ronaldo, Mariner..."

He pissed all over keane

I remember the cup semi against West Brom. There were plenty of brakes for injuries, we were 2-1 up. In one brake he came across to chat to the crowd, very ordinary, pleasant chap. As a player so strong and sharp.

Yeah Baby!!

I remember at the time being gutted that Robson didn't buy Derek Hales instead. That's why Robson managed England and I didn't!