Town have announced that the August 1st pre-season friendly at home to Spanish club Athletic Bilbao is off. The Blues will now arrange an alternative fixture with an August 2nd visit to FC Twente Enschede looking on the cards.

The Athletic fixture was all set to go ahead until the Basque side, also scheduled to play Charlton and Stoke, decided abandon their British tour.

TWTD learnt earlier in the week that the club were discussing playing an away friendly at old UEFA Cup opponents FC Twente Enschede should the Athletic game fall through.

Twente last visited Portman Road in the summer of 1999 for a friendly and beat the Blues 2-1, the Dutch side's goals coming from Jan Vennegoor of Heeselink and Scott Booth while James Scowcroft notched for Town.

The Dutch side also provided the Blues with midfield pair Arnold Muhren and Frans Thijssen in the late seventies and eighties while Romeo Zondervan also turned out for them during his career.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls