Maidstone boss George Elokobi has hailed his side’s fourth-round FA Cup tie against the Blues at Portman Road as a “fantastic” match for the National League South club.
Town were paired with the Stones, the lowest-ranked team still in the tournament, in this evening’s draw. The game will be played at some point over the weekend of January 27th with it appearing likely to be among those selected for live TV coverage.
"Ipswich is a fantastic club - it’s a huge club,” Elokobi told Kent Online. "In my opinion, they’re a Premier League club to be and rightly so.
"They’re playing incredible football under their management and we have to go there and enjoy the occasion and make sure we showcase ourselves and bring the Maidstone that everyone’s been watching and admiring.
"I’m sure the Ipswich fans will welcome us. It’s a fantastic FA Cup match for us. It’s going to be an amazing occasion for our group of players who have got us this far. The magic of the FA Cup and the dream is still very much alive here.
"In our preparations we’re going to be showing Ipswich every bit of respect leading towards that game.
"We’ll be ready to go out there and compete against a Championship team who are really well equipped to get into the Premier League.
"It’s important we understand the fanbase they’ve got and they’re flying high in the Championship. They’re on the up and it’s important we go there and enjoy the occasion.
"I’m sure we’re going to take a few thousand there ourselves to make sure it’s a great occasion for our football club. It’s going to be a fantastic day and a fantastic occasion for us all to celebrate.”
The Maidstone squad includes former Town academy defender and ex-Debenham High School pupil George Fowler, who made one senior appearance for the Blues, and one-time trialist Reiss Greenidge, another defender.
Elokobi played for former Town boss Mick McCarthy at Wolves with the ex-Republic of Ireland manager having watched their 1-0 victory over Stevenage in the last round.
The Cameroonian was a player at Colchester between 2004 and 2008 and knows the locality well, although his time in Suffolk hasn’t always been positive.
"I’ve mixed memories because in >2008/2009 I dislocated my knee and that kept me out for a long time,” he recalled. "That happened at Portman Road.
"It was a local derby when I used to play at Colchester and I’m sure some stick will come my way for that because I used to be fierce against their wingers.
"But I’ve got fond memories playing against Ipswich and it’s a stadium I know really well. I’m going to make sure our players understand they are going into such a beautiful environment and the stadium itself and the fanbase are huge.”