Those really were the days!

TWTD... just when we all thought it could never happen again GB got us into Europe.

I had thought we would do well in Prem as the team had been pretty much together (and relatively succesful) a few years by the time we went up. Also knew it was going to go wrong on the basis of the home friendly with PSV... "it" had gone that je ne sais quoi that epitomised the period up to May 2001.

Could Burley find a player? Mathie, Holland, Johnson, Magilton, Reuser, Clapham, Mowbray, Venus (oh what a swap!), Stewart, Wright (J), Herminator, McGreal, Wilnis, Petta - apologies to anyone I've missed who played a role in those years.. oh go on then Axeldahl!

Could he nurture young players? Wright (R), Dyer, Scowcroft, Naylor...

Remember seeing a banner on a bridge over A12 at Belsted/Copdock that read something like "Sorry George, Thanks". Named my 2nd son after you sir!

Give me George in my heart give me Burley!

Best signings - Tony Mowbray and Matt Holland - FACT!

Best games, Playoff Semi, Playoff Final, 5-0 v Scum and San Siro.

Biggest factor of success--------------Wait for it----------------It's not rocket science---------------

5 YEAR PLAN by Sheepshanks - Take note Evans and Clegg, you hopeless clowns! oh, and start by getting rid of PJ, Pay mogga whatever it takes to get him in!

Reading all of these great posts have been an incredibly bitter-sweet experience...

George was by no means perfect and towards the end of his tenure clearly something had gone very wrong.

And yet...

Compared to what we've been putting up with for the last 5 years George's reign seems gilted in gold with innumerable happy memories of exciting play, great games won and us always looking up for it and the crowd rocking.

It really is a stark comparison to the current depression and despair isn't it?

Big Sigh...

Hey fatboy, remember it well, the game dyer broke his leg i was actually sitting next to his sister and Dad, we got talking at half time about how gutted he was etc...., still scored tho, hell of a player until all the injuries.

i remember Gardsoe pinging some unbelievable balls all the while to the herminatior and him playing like an attacking left midfielder.
we had some good players back then, makes you realise how good they were compared to the total tosh we watch now.

Peralta on loan, of course wembley, will never forget that , san siro was awesome too although we got battered by Vieri, Ronaldo was on the bench.

Club is a long way off doing anything now, i would have Burley back in a flash.

totally agree TWTD eh
Venus was a great signing as was mogga
petta going past people for fun and the cross sailing over the bar lol
Gus Uhlenbeek bombing on and staying there
Alex Mathie and Marshall
remember the 3-3 vs Barnsley (away) think we were 3-0 down with 5 mins left
My only gripe and its slight, we should have gone up 2 or 3 years before we actually did, ive always thought that
TW indeed TDays chaps

helsingborg away, 2nd half was 45mins ill never forget, stayed in copenhagen and travelled to sweden by ferry, thanks to George and his passion for itfc. Something i think tony mowbray understands and can bring back to
portman rd

Lasting memories,

Not a clasic but beating Pompey 1-0 nearly 20 years ago. Standing room only for traveling fans.
At the end of the game a man walks up to me and said "stick with it kid, we are going places".

I had been to games before but that was the first win I saw live.

Football has changed so much, its harder to pick up a player from Huddersfield and have him score bags of goals in the Prem. Now players are snapped up by the big teams with even a sniff of potential.

Bring back the full Ipswich youth system... I has worked once before.

COYB

Oh boy - it makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck when you think about how good those days were.

I went to lots of games through the Burley era but 99/00 was the first year I had a season ticket with my Dad at the age of 15 - best memories of that promotion season and the year after were obviously the Wembley final - phenomenal atmosphere and the sight of all those bridges on the A12 lined with people and banners was incredible.

Other personal favourite games would be 1-1 at home to Man Utd, 1-1 away at Derby on the last day of the season when we finished 5th (not least because my old man caught one of Wrighty's gloves when the players chucked their stuff into the crowd), 3-1 win at home to Bradford when Reuser scored two stunners and the Hermannator jumped into the crowd even though the 3rd goal wasn't his in the end and of course the Inter Milan home game even though we weren't having the best of seasons.

More than anything it was just an exciting atmosphere when you went to the games and you knew that every player on the teamsheet was giving 110% because of what Burley had instilled in them - something you just aren't confident of these days!

Burley is KIng! I'd have him there as statue nr. 3. There were so many brillliant moments: many of them after we had gone up and I couldn't believe the scores coming through in the first season in the PL. We were beating some seriously decent teams. Wembley was great even though I had to watch it on TV in Sweden: I remember Reuser's goal going in but recollections are a bit hazy from then on. Semi against Bolton was even more dramatic. I somehow expected us to beat Barnsley, but Bolton was a classic nailbiter. Perhaps the best, however, was the second leg UEFA against Helsingborg. The town was full of ITFC supporters and a great time was had by all. Letting in the first goal just added to the joy of turning it round. TWTD!

But the greatest memory for me is if you wacthed back the ITV highlights of the play off final the commenator when Reuser goes through for the 4th goal.
REUSER ....... PREMIERSHIP!!!

Pure heaven

Those were the days!! i remember being able to go down most saturdays with my dad, used to cost around £20 for the both of us, sitting in Churchmans watching David Johnson net game after game!! We could entertain and destroy teams at the same time!! The sad truth is that football is lot different nowadays back then teams struggled (your Bury's, Crewes etc etc ) where as now they seem to be more matched and maybe thats why things arent so great, the standard of teams has improved.

However lets not take away those glorious years, we were unbeatable at PR exciting to watch and those were some of the best years ive had watching football.

One day i hope we are able to bring this back.........one day......

So Burley was given less time than Jewell to turn things around!

Rob Flecks Waistline - that was a wonderful game. I can recall dancing in a conga when the 5th went in. Also, Fleck kept getting called a 'fat b**tard' and even briefly put the ball up his shirt and staggered around making fat faces before being booked for either time wasting or provoking the crowd.

We love you Sweden, We love you for your po*n,
We love you Sweden, for Benny and Bjorn,
We love you Sweden, but we beat Helsingborg!

So many good memories and one hilarious flashback to us being 4 up at Swindon and our RB, probably Wilnis, smashing long balls up the line for an ageing Micky Stockwell to chase, and chase he did. Each time the balls were played, Stockwell would give chase, often without joy and would then look back in disgust at Wilnis, who smirked each time Stockwell turned away! HAPPY DAYS THAT SEEM A LONG LONG TIME AGO NOW

Wow reading through all those has made me smile !
Harrys bar anyone ! that falcon lager !

TWTD

Town 2 sunderland 0 night match. Atmosphere electric noise incredible into town afterwards few beers, brilliant

Beating Man Utd 2-1 in the Carling Cup whilst we were still in the Championship, and almost doing Chelsea in the next game. Remember those triangles down the flanks and taunting the opposition with the 'You Don't Know what You're Doing' chant? No one had mentioned Burley bringing through Titus Bramble yet, have they?

I feel sorry for the young fans we have, as i think it will be a very long time before we see these joys again......if ever!
Can you imaging Evans dancing on the wembley pitch like sheepshanks did?
Nope me neither!!
Football was fantastic back then, In the top six every season, Fantastic atmosphere at portman rd, brilliant value for money, great players who cared, a great manager and overall a lovely family club who people both feared and respected!!
Now look at us hey, a mere shadow of what we were!
Lets hope we see those times again!

Burley and Dale Roberts were responsible for a great period to be Town fans. The football and entertainment was top draw. Kept going each year even though they had to replace many top players who were bought by bigger clubs.

Regarding Crewe, I remember they had a good side in those days. If memory serves they got a winner over us at Portman Road that ended up costing us automatic promotion. I remember the game as it was one of only 3 games I have ever watched from the Cobbold Stand (North Stand usually). I think there team included a young David Wright and Kenny Lunt and they out footballed us (which was rare in those days) normally we got outmuscled like in the playoff semis against Sheff Utd and Charlton.

The Sheff Utd game I was also in the cobbold stand. Never been so upset at losing a game of footie. Uhlenbeek fell over, no one could clear the cross and we were doomed to the 2nd tier for another season. I still have not watched the highlights of that game even after all these years.

Highlights for me were the 0-6 at Swindon, 5-0 v Norwich, the play off final and the 1st season in the Prem. I really enjoyed the 3-0 home win over Spurs the 1-1 with Utd and a whole host of others from that season. A real low was the hammering at home against Liverpool in the next season.

0-6 against swindon with 2 Mark Venus penalties, the playoff semi final against bolton on my mum's birthday(still not been forgiven, but Super Jims hat trick is worth it haha) & the 0-1 to town at liverpool Marcus Stewart. Matty Holland, Reuser, bam bam & all rest great days

Ahh TWTD indeed.

I forgot Jamie Clapham, proper left sided player

I remember when we played Charlton in the first-leg of the Play-offs. We lost 1-0 but it is still the most partisan and aggresive atmosphere I have been to at PR

Fantastic memories for me best times ever going to follow the super blues. We had this pass and move football down to a fine art. I remember going to Charlton away and beating them 3-1 Johnson and Magilton scored we were fantastic that day. Best game ever for me has to be Bolton playoffs went to both home and away. In 1st leg we looked out of it then from nowhere two fantastic goals from Stewart. (What a player) Then of course the wembley final that was a fantastic day we had a wonderful team and spirit. No big time charlies just players who loved playing for ITFC. In premiership when we went to Anfield and won 1-0 when Stewart danced his way round Westevald in goal fantastic. We beat Mancity, Everton away and who can forget Southampton away 3-0 Stewart hattrick and he chipped keeper from penalty spot. TWTD would give anything to see that again.

I remember watching George play as a kid and was chuffed to bits when he got the managers job. He bought so many good players thru and bought some absolute gems. He had some tough times to.I remember we lost at home to Stockport County 0-2 in about oct/nov 98 and there was a crowd of about 8,000 and we were half way thru our 5 year plan and things didn't look good, but he turned it around that season and we got what we deserverd in the end- Wembley joy in 2000. His best buys in my opinion were Matt Holland and Marcus Stewart. His best deal was to get rid of Steve Sedgeley and get Mark Venus and £500,000. Best days out Wembley,Anfield and Inter at home. Agree with some of the previous posts,i thought he bought poorly in the summer of 01/02 and we never recovered. Loved him as a player and even more as a manager.Thanks George you were and are a Legend. BURLEYS BARMY ARMY,BURLEYS BARMY ARMY........

Hairs standing up on arms reading all this turns a dull wet autum day into bliss !!!!!