Members of the Italian Branch of the ITFC Supporters Club staged a heritage event at Ipswich School this afternoon where they recreated a team photo from 1885.
What was then known as Ipswich Association Football Club was started by old boys from the school with most of the players in the early days having been former pupils.
Wearing specially designed replica shirts for the occasion, members of the Italian Branch were joined by one or two locals, including TWTD’s Phil Ham and local politician and Ipswich School teacher Alasdair Ross, to recreate one of the earliest team photos (below).
The event was the idea of Italian Branch chairman Simone Longo, who explained: "I’m fascinated by the study of all football clubs, in particular the team that I support.
"So I investigated Ipswich Town’s foundation and two years ago I went to Broomhill Park where they used to play and to the Inkerman pub which was the changing room at that time. This is is the first time I’ve been to Ipswich School.”
He added: "The design of the shirts comes from pictures I have seen. One of my friends is a tailor and he made replicas of the shirts in the photographs.
"It was easy to realise them because it was a classic shirt. The crests on each shirt aren’t the same as they were embroidered by hand.”
Simone and the other Italian fans were given a tour of the school and visited its archive where they learned about its history and its relationship to the club before playing a game against some of the school’s current pupils, who ran out 3-2 winners.
The Italian Branch, which is now 10 years old, is based in Milan and has around 50 members.
Simone outlines how his support of the club developed: "First because my big brother Claudio, who is 15 years older than me, he remembered the Bobby Robson era very well.
"After that, in 2001 I went to watch Ipswich at the San Siro in the UEFA Cup match against Inter and from that moment I’ve supported Ipswich.”
The Italian Branch, who will be in the FanZone before tomorrow’s game against Brentford, are encouraging other fans to join them by wearing retro shirts to the match.