Town chairman David Sheepshanks has had his say on the move of the Worthington Cup semi-final second leg to January 31st. Like his Birmingham counterparts he is not happy:
"We are very unhappy at the situation but despite vehement protests to both the Football League and the Premier League, at the end of the day we have no option other than to accept the directive."
The ex-Football League boss continued: "It is incredible that we have been given only eight days notice to change a domestic semi-final at a time when both club's preparations are geared to the fixture and, just as importantly, both sets of supporters have purchased tickets for the 24 January."
He went on: "I understand that the problem has arisen because the police have apparently changed their mind about allowing two matches on the same night in Birmingham as Aston Villa have a rearranged match with Leeds on the same night. We have been aware for some time of doubts expressed by West Midlands Police and enquired on several occasions of Birmingham if there was any danger of a request for a change, most recently last week, only to be told that there was no problem and the match would go ahead on the 24th."
Birmingham City have been adamant throughout that they wouldn't be forced to move the game, which is perhaps why they failed to tell Town of the likelihood of a move. Sheepshanks was critical of the Football League: "It is hard to understand how the Football League have allowed this situation to 'drift' for so long, as the clash and potential problem has been known about since early December."
The Town chief added: "We now find ourselves in a position where Ipswich Town are expected to re-schedule not one, but two matches — to the added inconvenience of our supporters, as well as to their cost (those that have bought tickets for either fixture and are unable to make the new dates). What is worse is that both our fixtures, the Worthington Cup semi-final 2nd leg and the Premier League match with Aston Villa, are original fixtures in the Football Calendar, well known since before the season."
Sheepshanks is also not entirely impressed with Birmingham City's reluctance to play the game next Tuesday night: "I know Birmingham City are as upset about this as we are, but it is surprising to us that we are required to move two such fixtures, while Birmingham were permitted to change their normal Tuesday to a Wednesday on this one occasion, therefore creating the clash, simply because they are featuring on live television on the previous Sunday."
The Worthington Cup hasn't been easy for Town fans this year andthe chairman referred to Town's fixture away at Manchester City in the last round: "In the previous round of this competition we agreed to play Manchester City on the Tuesday in December, only two days after a Sunday match at Liverpool (not televised!). The whole problem does not reflect well on the management of the Football League."
A clearly annoyed chairman vented his spleen at English football's governing bodies who must take some blame in this fiasco: "It is astonishing that the three governing bodies have no mechanism that rules in favour of the original fixture in the event of a clash. It is equally disappointing that the Football League have not monitored the situation more carefully and much earlier thereby protecting their flagship competition, which I think has now been compromised."
The statement ends with a few words for supporters: "Finally, I feel sorry for this inconvenience caused to both sets of supporters but there appears to be little more we can do."
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