That doesn't seem too fair on Chippenham. When they agreed that as part of the deal I imagine they were expecting the first team or at least some of them!!

Agree with Pauld1 - I guess we don't know the details of the agreement so we can't be sure of what it actually says - but I reckon they expeced us to send a few first teamers down. Doesn't seem the decent way to behave to me. We might as well have done a Lazio and not turned up.

Whilst I know we need to look after ourselves I think this is poor form. No harm in Chopra going and at least 6 others with a view to them playing on 45 minutes.

It could also send the wrong message to young Mings.

Isn't this similar to when Lazio bought Sereni off us, for 10 sacks of pasta and the promise of 2 friendlies? Think we ended up with only 1 friendly and absolutely no sign of any pasta!!

Disgraceful and an insult to the south west fans.
My son had arranged to take his kids and 3 other friends to their first big match.
Very poor ITFC.

Not good PR from PR

Really feel for Chippenham, I'm sure 3 or 4 players could have played at least especially when they only played 1/2 each on weds

How downright out of order. This really would have been a big deal to the Chippenham players and fans, but what Town have done is just disrespectful. Okay, I'd never expect us to play out first team, but what would be the harm in sending a handful of familiar faces. There would be no harm in sending Chopra or Loach or Nouble, for example.

I can just imagine you lot going apoplectic if some of our senior players played and got injured.

The more I think about this, the more annoyed I'm getting. Chippenham players and fans would have loved to have had a game against some decent opposition. Probably the turnout will be poor now too. Whoever took this decision should be ashamed of themselves - and I don't care if it was MM. Sh*t public relations ITFC

Hey Homer, are we going to wrap them in cotton wool until the first game of the season?

Not the sort of action we expect from Ipswich might be OK for some clubs but we are better than that. Be ashamed of yourself this time McCarthy show some respect.

I don't get what the big deal is....
This was ALWAYS advertised as an "Ipswich XI" - meaning that this would not be a game for first teamers, but youngsters and a few squad players.
Get over it, i'm sure Chippenham knew the situation!

Blimey, some excellent blubbing here! This game had "Reserves XI" written all over it from the moment it was announced.

Hey bluehook - you missed the point of the post didn't you.

Im surprised that some of the the younger guys from the team that played against crawley are not involved. I couldnt care less about how Chippenham will feel about it. just a good chance for the younger lads to get a game together.

Not at all Homer, unless you'd like to explain it to me.

send a few 1st teamers down even if only sign a few autographs

If he has to explain it, then it just sums things up.

I live in Chippenham myself and this is the first I'd heard of the lack of first teamers. When I first saw the fixture I thought we'd be bound to send the kids down, but given its part of the deal for Tyrone I personally think its not in the spirit of things to send the u21s down. personally i also think treating our first teamers Like that just breeds arrogance. Send them to the less glamour games such as Chippenham and earn their wages, I think it's dangerous to start picking the ties to put the effort in for as it rolls over into the league when we're heading to places like Yeovil on a rainy wet day!
Personally I think the fairest thing to do would be to have a 50/50 split with first teamers and u21s, great opportunity for our young lads to play with more experienced first teAmers whilst keeping our end of the bargain in the correct spirit.

It's worth pointing out that as I am based in Chippenham I can tell you that neither Chippenham nor the local pair are advertising this fixture as an 'Ipswich XI' they are straight forward promoting it as 'Ipswich town fc'. A lot of dissapointed people tomorrow, my kids included.

This is shown as an Ipswich Xl on the fixture list so I'm guessing it was always planned as such.

Hi, sorry that should have read neither Chippenham fc or the local paper in Chippenham are showing it as an XI

disgusted at this tbh..

Wilshireblue - thats probably because they want to attract as many supporters as possible. If they had it advertised as an Ipswich XI, then i'm pretty sure not as many will turn up.

We used to be a club with high principles!
Very poor form.