Blues legend Terry Butcher has been named the new president of his hometown club Lowestoft Town.
Butcher, 62, used to attend games at Crown Meadow as a boy with his father Leonard, who remains a Trawler Boys season ticket holder, or his uncle.
Recently the former England skipper had a sports hall at his old school, Red Oak Primary, previously known as Fen Park, renamed in his honour.
"Crown Meadow, Lowestoft Grammar School, Ashlea boys club, Fen Park, Normanston park pitch one — this is where I learnt my football,” Butcher told the club’s official website. "Lowestoft is a great area for football.
"I was back in Lowestoft [to watch the first match of the season, a 3-1 defeat to Barwell] and it has all happened very quickly.
"It was nice to go back to Crown Meadow and I saw saw there were quite a few things that had changed but it was really good - apart from the result - and really nice to be sitting there in the stands again.”
He added: "The chairman had been in touch, obviously my father is a season ticket holder.
"It would have been about 1966, when I was six or seven, that I remember going to Crown Meadow with dad, or my uncle, if my father was working.
"Lowestoft had a really good side then with Mick Tooley scoring all the goals, Roy 'Rocky' Stephenson [previously a member of Sir Alf Ramsey's Town side] on the wing - they had a top team.
"They were winning games 8-4, 6-3 in the Eastern Counties League and it was a great time.
"I remember how I used to play behind the goal at Crown Meadow, opposite the dressing room, back then.”
Lowestoft currently have three Town youngsters on loan, Colin Oppong, Ola Bello and Tommy Smith, all members of the Blues U23s squad which Butcher worked with alongside Kieron Dyer last season.
"Playing men's football is certainly different to playing academy football and it is great that Lowestoft currently have the three lads on loan from Ipswich,” he continued.
"Last year [Town U23s defender] Levi [Andoh] was on loan and while he has now gone to a different team he certainly benefitted.
"I've spoken to Colin [Oppong] and said that if he is not performing and playing well at Lowestoft I will know!
"Certainly he did really well on loan last season and he was keen to return to Crown Meadow - and hopefully all three lads benefit.”
Of his new role with Lowestoft, he added: "I think it's a real honour for me. Certainly it is something I never ever thought about and it is a really nice honour to have.
"To be recognised and to be asked to become the club president is fantastic. Obviously I have a lot of contacts and I am keen to help the club and raise the profile.”
Lowestoft Town chairman Gary Keyzor said: "It was after John [Batchelor] stepped down as club president we discussed it at board level and Terry was the stand-out choice.
"He was brought up in Lowestoft, went to school in the town and went onto captain England.
"Football is his passion. Although he never played for Lowestoft (not yet anyway!) the club is so chuffed that Terry accepted the position.
"His father is a long-serving season ticket holder at the club, having had his own named seat in the stand for many years.
"Hopefully we can work closely together with Terry in the future and this is a massive boost for us.”
Butcher left his role with the U23s ahead of the start of this season with Town planning to offer him ambassadorial, community or commercial work.