Rookie manager Alan Lee got the better of veteran boss Bryan Hamilton as his side claimed the Portman Cup via a convincing 9-2 victory at Portman Road yesterday. Lee and Hamilton were taking charge of two teams of fans who had paid for the privilege of gracing the hallowed turf for an afternoon.
Prior to kick-off, the sides were introduced to their managers in the home and away dressing rooms and given Town kit bearing their names before taking part in a warm-up on the practice pitch and being given a team-talk.
Lee’s team, in this season's away kit, got off to a flying start and were two goals up via a quick-fire Chris Thompson double, although TWTD’s Phil Ham at left-back somewhat vociferously claimed that the second was offside.
A third from Richard Hibbert followed soon afterwards to give the away side a 3-0 lead at the one-third mark in a game played in three chunks of 30 minutes with everyone getting at least an hour.
The steamrollering continued in the second third — a certain Simon Milton by now added to the away team’s ranks — with David Higgins adding the fourth and away side skipper Peter Bennett notching the fifth from the spot. Almost immediately, Thompson completed his hat-trick.
Nicky Sudds netted goals seven and eight before Hamilton’s home team rallied late on with goals from Craig Bacon and, after Sudds had completed his hat-trick, Adam Cornish, but there was to be no Lazarus-like recovery.
The keepers were the stars of the penalty shoot-out which followed the match and ended level, home glovesman Pat Leese annoyingly just failing to keep out Milton’s cheeky Panenka chip down the middle. Both managers saw their spotkicks saved.
The home team were then handed the Portman Cup itself, which was promptly dropped and broken by Zach Ward, before a return to the dressing rooms for showers.
The main prize-giving over food in the Sir Bobby Robson Suite gave an opportunity to talk team-mates and opponents through earlier goals, fouls and offside incidents, as well as a chance to apologise to linesmen.
Phil ‘Jimmy White’ Ham took his now-record-breaking losing streak to four successive games with players already asking not to be on the same team as him if he plays next year.
Hamilton’s man of the match was his skipper Jimmy Simmonds, while Lee’s choice was midfielder Kevin Boyles. Hat-trick heroes Thompson and Sudds were given match balls and Sharpies with which to collect tributes from the rest of the players.
The Best Goal award went to Adam Cornish from the home team, Hamilton describing it thus: "A delicate chip over the keeper, who had come out and sold himself. But it was such a delicate chip, I remember doing that 45 years ago myself.”
Hamilton also handed over the game’s Memorable Moment Award to Matt Hope for a delightful nutmeg on Simon Milton.
The former Northern Ireland manager was disappointed to lose his previously perfect Portman Cup record: "Absolutely gutted because I had a 100 per cent record before today and it’s been completely blown out of the water by Alan Lee. But I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it, the lads worked hard and I think everybody had fun.”
He added: "I think I might get sacked after that. I’m expecting a call from the chairman any time now and I wouldn’t be surprised if I wasn’t invited back, it was a bit of a humiliation.
"But, to be honest, the important thing that everyone enjoyed themselves. Some good goals, some clever goals, some really interesting play.”
Lee was unsurprisingly delighted: "Last week I was in the Hall of Fame lounge and Bryan Hamilton was giving me abuse about my gear, but now forever more I’ll be able to mention this victory and hopefully he’ll stop giving me grief.
"My team were superb. I knew I had a committed team when I saw Danny Frost two-foot his own son outside the box and then went on to elbow Phil Ham in the face, as I told him to, and on both occasions he came away laughing. Fair play to you.”
The Republic of Ireland international continued: "I learnt a valuable lesson today, a manager is only as good as his players and I had some really good players in my team. I was a bit lucky on that.
"It was fantastic, loads of fun, everyone was very respectful and the game was played in the correct spirit, apart from Phil Ham, who had a go at the linesman.”
The home side’s veteran skipper Peter Bennett had paid tribute to his manager’s pre-match team-talk, which he felt had a big effect on his side and Lee outlined what he had said: "Basically, I just threatened them.
"I threatened them that if they didn’t come back in with a victory I’d sort them right out. They started out flying and got a nice lead early doors.”
The 35-year-old said he thoroughly enjoyed himself: "I’ve never seen anything like this at another club and I think it’s a testament to the commercial department that they think about things like this.
"It’s a good fundraiser for the club and it’s fantastic for those people playing today. When they scored a goal they were running to the stand, they got to see the dressing rooms, the way things work and you can see that everyone enjoyed it. It’s a win all-round.”
Simon Milton, who compèred as well as playing, was happy with the way the game went, despite the scoreline: "We try and put two teams together and you look at the ages and you try to mix old and young, but that was a bit more one-sided than we’ve had before because we like to have a bit of an even game.
"But I thought the home team had loads of chances but didn’t score, while the away team kept going up the other end and scoring.
"It’s still been a fantastic day. People get the chance to play on the main pitch and we’re indebted to people like Bryan Hamilton and Alan Lee for coming and supporting us and not just turning up in the dressing room and saying ‘I’m your manager, here’s the team’ but actually really getting involved.
"They really get involved because they know the importance of the day for the players and they try to give them the best day. They’re always really enthusiastic and that comes across.
"The penalties were fun, the keepers did well in the penalties, that gives them a chance to get more involved.
"We’ll run it again as long as people want to come and have that opportunity to come and play on the main pitch.”
If you’re interested in playing in next year’s Portman Cup, send an email to the club’s commercial department. Meanwhile, the club are still looking for teams for tomorrow’s Soccer Sixes. You can see more photos from the Portman Cup on the club’s Facebook page.
Home team: Pat Leese, Adam Cornish, Nick Sparkes, Stuart Rackham, John Simmonds, Jimmy Simmonds (c), Phil Ham, Luke Frost, Ben Frost, Craig Bacon, Mark Gonzales, Peter Brown, Simon Godfrey, Andrew Brown, Barry Sherwood, Matt Hope.
Away team: James Deacon, Peter Bennett (c), George Selfe, Chris Hodges, Kevin Boyles, David Higgins, Nicky Sudds, Chris Thompson, Mark Jubb, Richard Hibbert, Terry Blackwell, Zach Ward, Russell Claydon, Martin Swallow, Danny Frost.
Photos: ITFC