Whilst abroad this weekend I was checking TWTD and the BBC for the build up and coverage of the Hull game only to find there wasn't a lot of football being talked about. With a wry smile I read this statement from Liz Edwards and her club, the subsequent reactions to it all and just shook my head.

I find it hard to think of reasons why after some thought anyone would pay much credence to what is essentially Liz, like other Edwardses before her, stating the blindingly obvious (we don't racists or homophobes pushing their beliefs anywhere near us) backed up and almost buried by an avalanche of innuendo and vague threats, strung together by various digs at those she looks down upon across the spectrum of Town fans not just those who are clearly... well, scum.

No one can deny or argue in defence of the chant aimed at Mr Fashanu or what I understand as widespread booing at Colchester (I wasn't there, feel free to correct me), it's simply impossible to see how it is acceptable in any way.

However, Liz seems to have taken it upon herself to settle a few scores with “so-called fans” and those who do “[discriminate] between the glitz of the Emirates and the more historic 'charms' of Selhurst Park”.

She has used one controversial and emotionally-charged issue to push her agenda through. By putting her name at the head of it, this statement has also put a target on Liz's back I fear and made her and her club the subject of scrutiny for some.

The club itself are in a bind here as are most of fans it seems. By ignoring Liz and those she is railing against you condone the repugnant behaviour in question. Liz has had a good go at driving a massive divide between people, polarising an issue using a few selected events and demanded people choose. There are those clearly offended at the suggestion of guilt by association and those who quick to distance themselves from such slurs will jump right behind Liz without thinking.

This swells her ranks temporarily but as someone who has been involved with the club in the past, I found the official Supporters' Club a cliquey closed shop, where new blood and ideas are not welcome if they upset the status quo.

Many people who wish to ask too probing a question or suggest something that may imply existing failure on the club's part can be found drowned out by the sneering and clucking of the same few year after year at meetings. It's quite an interesting spectacle if like me you like to listen and watch as people bob heads and pat backs.

If one can find minutes of meetings, references to elections and attendees you will see the Supporters' Club has been stifled into a dying husk. Only its name lends it any credibility and I would suggest that has been cynically and wilfully exploited here merely to little real effect.

However, Liz like many other of the recent factions that have sprung up is at pains to ram home the time, money and sacrifice she makes to follow Town. To infer the honour and authority it bestows upon her and adds to her words.

Sorry Liz, I don't buy it. Forgive me for indulging you and being competitive for one moment, however, I'm the son of a chairman of one of Town's oldest and in my opinion best-supported branches. The job of any branch is to facilitate tickets and transport to games, maybe the odd the fundraiser and social event for its members and to do the thankless task quietly and efficiently.

I know all too well what happens to branches when the committee starts throwing its weight around publicly, it's why there aren't as many of them as their used to be.

In fact more generally I feel there's something slightly abnormal about going to every single game year after year unless it's your job. You're not some unappreciated scholar of ITFC if it's all you have in your life and it does not buy you the right to speak on my behalf. Whether from Haverhill, the Supporters' Club, Section Six, the Radio Suffolk phone-in or the ironically named 'Trust', wherever these people emerge from they all spent great efforts trying to convince us and themselves they were better, more worthy and more righteous to be mouthpieces than others. That seems to be where this statement of Liz's really rubs.

As she says rather patronisingly “if you go to away games...you will know” who these “anti-social fans” are. Well I do go to a lot of away games living in Manchester and I have to say that no I don't know who these “anti-social fans” are because the chant and behaviour in question seems to be sporadic, unpredictable and hard to confine to one group.

What there is is another group made up of a rival gaggle of fans who go to every if not almost all games who are young, slightly cretinous and a bit silly. Seems to me this is really who these attacks are aimed at.

After Leicester away at the end of the season we saw some rather embarrassing but harmless 'fun'. It's not my type of fun but I'm miserable and like to watch a game in peace, alone and alienated with the odd burst of swearing. But that's really the point in hand. If you go to a football match your behaviour there is your own responsibility and everything you do that draws attention to yourself will see you judged upon it. I don't expect my friends, family or anyone else to be ashamed, outraged or apologetic on my behalf, nor should anyone else.

In fact when an old man asked me to stop swearing in Churchmans at the last derby my lot were equally unimpressed despite my red-faced (it wasn't just the alcohol for the record) apologies – respect works two ways.

It's clear that collectively these kids (as they largely are, legally speaking and mentally) have more E-numbers than brain cells between them but that does not mean people should allow Liz's vendetta to see us turning on them or any other group 'we' don't like within the support. Town is a broad church and if you make it to a game whether once a season or more you're fine by me.

I would like to know though if Liz and the club are fully aware and watching as she sort of menacingly points out, why those guilty and known to be guilty weren't named and shamed explicitly in her diatribe? One has to ask why they are singing such a song when none of them were born when Mr Fashanu took his life, let alone did that rarest of things – be bloody good at football in a Norwich shirt. Who is influencing them to behave this way if at all?

Clearly those who would approve of such songs back when they were current would be around Liz's age or older, likely to be men and likely to resent the last generation of football changing irrevocably. These dinosaurs were the around the age the youngsters in question were when such things were permissible at grounds across the country. While Sky, consumerism and the democratisation of the watching football has seen them squeezed out, I'm not naive enough to suggest they are extinct amongst our fanbase.

Realistically there are three mechanisms for dealing with scum who chant filth and intimidate at games whoever they may be – you speak to them directly, not something anyone can do I grant you but it's possible.

You involve the club through their frontline as it were; stewards. It's their job, they can't ignore it and will have to investigate it even if you just have a quiet word in their ear. Lastly, the police who are present at matchdays will gleefully despatch a criminal caught in the act and that's what the people chanting these things are, criminals.

I, like anyone else vaguely normal, will agree wholeheartedly that I don't want racists, bigots or idiots anywhere near me at games. Unfortunately being an idiot is not illegal, so until they cross over into one of the former it's tough.

What I've seen is two very childish groups get entangled after a period of growing resentment, at least from one side it seems. I'd ask them both to think about why they go to football, why other people go and perhaps wind their necks in a little. I'm not interested in listening to anyone bicker, especially if they are arrogant enough to assume some kind of voice on my behalf.

UsualSuspect added 12:15 - Aug 15 Spot on.
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lurcher added 12:20 - Aug 15 I think this is bang on the money.
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StortfordBlue added 12:25 - Aug 15 Brilliantly written and totally correct - nice one Mullet
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wakeyblue added 12:26 - Aug 15 one of the best blogs i have ever read on this site. completely agree with everything you said
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ipswichjon added 12:26 - Aug 15 Agreed!
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yorkshireblue added 12:34 - Aug 15 Nail. Head.
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bluebyrd added 12:38 - Aug 15 Thank you for putting into words exactly how myself and my family felt on Saturday when being preached to at Halftime. We sit in the lower north stand and occasionally attend away matches and felt that the whole 'statement' read out was aimed at us due to the fact we like to attend a lively football match not one played in a library.
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FormerlyChico added 12:42 - Aug 15 I agree that its very depressing to see Ipswich fans slag each other off.
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Jon_456 added 12:47 - Aug 15 Best blog I've ever seen.
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CaughtInTheBrambles added 13:14 - Aug 15 A well written blog and I agree with the majority of your blog. Liz's statement seems to have annoyed and alienated an awful lot of fans. If the booing was aimed at the player (and most fans I have spoken to think it was in fact aimed at the ref) then she may have a point that does not confine itself merely to a dozen or so fans in their early teens or even earlier. But the appallingly badly worded statement and the 'message' pinned to the walls of the Lower North on Saturday (which went further than the EADT article) seem to have actually united fans in one sense. The moaners and the singers on Saturday were in agreement that it was misdirected, patronising and from a largely self-appointed voice of the Supporters. This is where your blog hits the nail on the head, like me you have an insight into how ITSC works (or rather doesn't) and how Liz got to be Chair. She may get complaints requiring action but should have the common sense to target the fans in question rather than manage to annoy the vast majority. If he probable idol David Cameron can hug a hoodie perhaps Liz can chat to some teenaged kids. Thankfully it may have also united some disparate sections of supporters who previously held diverse views of what supporting your team meant. They now seem to share a loathing of the statement and the veiled threats it contains. W

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YerevanBlue added 13:24 - Aug 15 I couldn't agree more, Mullet. I guess we can all understand why Liz Edwards got upset, but she has exaggerated the problem, and used emotional blackmail to make her point. As you rightly say, our club is a broad church - but that doesn't mean we need to be preached at. It's a pity that those who allowed her unbalanced remarks to be published in the matchday magazine (and read out at half-time, I see) did not think about this, and consider the better alternatives for dealing with trouble, where proved. They should also remember that she does not, by virtue of her position, actually represent the majority of Town supporters.

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AndrewPC added 13:37 - Aug 15 Living outside the UK I am not able to visit games very often. However, my last trip to Portman Road was the victory over Crystal Palace towards the end of last season. I sat in the Britannia stand. Could not help noticing that the average age of those present was probably about 60 and that the noise level generated was miserable, even when Carson scored that incredible goal from the touchline. It seems to me that many of the fans at the game these days are pretty tepid at best. PJ complains of a quiet team. He could equally well complain of a quiet crowd. When I got to an away game earlier in the season there was a far better atmosphere as the Town fans were all tightly congregated together. Last but not least, I hope we are all 'big enough' to tolerate a little industrial language from time to time. As some one else said on this site recently people go to matches also to be emotional as supporters and that can translate into some occasional crimson prose.

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TractorRoyNo1 added 13:53 - Aug 15 a good read! we do not want 'football in a library' and certainly don't want smoke bombs and 'nasty stuff' that said i fear that the chair / chairman / person / woman (sorry don't know exact title) has really put her head on the block over this we are regarded as woossey by most other fans and i'm sure many hull fans went away thinking the supporters club is an off shoot of the WI

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brogansnose added 15:18 - Aug 15 totally agree with all of that Mullet. I have been reading the debate on both sides of TWTD without commenting myself and you have written what I was thinking. I also feel that compared to sections of fans of other clubs our so called percieved problem is miniscule and there will always be an element of muppetry amongst any group of fans. It would help if the quiet sectors of our support made more noise to drown out the infrequent negative chanting, from a very small minority, and demonstrated what proper support is all about rather than sighing or tutting. As for Liz Edwards, I feel that she has painted herself into a corner ( I wonder how much of her comments result from her living in London SW11 the scene of much of last weeks rioting and a reaction to those events) and gone over the top with her statement leading us to be possibly viewed in the media as a club with deeper seated problems than we actually have, whilst her patronising attitude is grating at the very least. Conversly, those that insist on being homophobic or rascist can do one and those that think its ok to ridicule ball boys at Cambridge or boo at Col U, just grow up. Look forward to your match reports Mullet, and by the way, you didnt miss much on Saturday.

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RegencyBlue added 16:40 - Aug 15 Spot on Mullet. I know absolutely nothing about Liz Edwards at all but cannot see why she wanted to blow this up out of all proportion. If there is a problem then it can be dealt with by the Club stewards and or the police without the rest of us being preached at and treated like naughty school boys (or girls!) I think Liz Edwards owes the vast majority of Town fans an apology quite frankly.

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BaltachaFanClub added 17:51 - Aug 15 Good lad Mullet, I know you well enough to know that this is bang on with everything you do and say... I truly hope Liz goes and apologises for her actions now
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SouperJim added 18:58 - Aug 15 In general I have slightly more time for anyone who tries to improve the atmosphere at games, but I'm as disgusted by what the boring brigade managed to get printed in the programme (telling other fans to stay away etc) as I am by a few ill thought through incidents from the kids. To be honest I'm not sure which group's actions I find more shameful, but you're spot on Mullet, neither of them have the right to speak for me or the majority of fans. The club need to tread very carefully here, as no paying fan should be put off from coming to games and supporting their team.

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DalianAtkinson added 19:40 - Aug 15 Enjoyed this read and in my opinion Mullet you're spot on, Controversial to offer an alternative opinion but I agree Liz Edwards doesn't represent me.
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Mossy added 19:57 - Aug 15 An excellent Blog, sir. A very persuasive argument. One i totally agree with.
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runaround added 21:21 - Aug 15 Brilliant blog, spot on, puts into words exactly the feelings of me and, judging by the previous comments, many other fans. Whilst most people find racist/homophobic chanting abhorrent, I also find some of Liz Edwards statement abhorrent. It has a threatening tone to it. I fear her statement will alienate the supporters club from the people it's actually there for, the supporters!

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godeangogogogo added 21:40 - Aug 15 Portman Road is no longer an intimidating place for clubs to visit due to people such as Elizabeth Edwards. If they're happy to sit quietly at games with their picnics that’s fine but don't belittle the supporters who want to create an atmosphere. I don't for one moment condone the tasteless Justin Fashanu chant but I feel she’s tried to gain support for the statement by implying its racially motivated. Every club has its minority of idiots but it’s unfair to tare everyone with the same brush.

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BYRNE_16 added 22:39 - Aug 15 Liz Edwards is not an Ipswich fan. She is in a paid position from the club to oversee the clubs fan base. Not true fan of Ipswich would have written a statement like she did. The message is clear, like other clubs you get a small minority of idiots who are hell bent on causing offence, but 9 times out of 10 are and will be ignored, hopefully chucked out. The chants about Justin Fashanu are deplorable and disgusting and have no place in any ground!

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singingtheblues added 00:30 - Aug 16 very sad that the disappointments on the pitch of the last few years have seen the clubs 'supporters' degenerate into a bunch of infighting whingers ... c'mon it's not rocket science - get behind the club, PJ & the players or bug*er off - whoever you are, wherever you are, however many times you can get to watch a game -just because you can get to x many games a year doesn't make you any bigger supporter than anyone else .. fans are not all the same, i can't get the the games these days but i've bought shares (twice) .. & look at the benefit that's given me? .. if i had any real sense i'd have given the money to a proper charity .. but i didn't .. i'm an itfc fan & i've got my way of being a part of the club & participating - by the way .. racists, homophobes & bigots will always be amongst us .. it's a part of freedom of thought - but it's up to the rest of us to persuade them otherwise or else dob them in when they overstep into illegal territory once again ... lets get behind PJ & the team .. & support the club in your own (legal) way - (with the exception of watching the highlights on some dodgy pirate stream, which doesn't really count .. not that i do, but i would, if i could !)

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chevblue added 12:23 - Aug 16 Agree with pretty much everything you have said but why did you feel the need to make the … “In fact more generally I feel there's something slightly abnormal about going to every single game year after year unless it's your job. “ … remark? On the one hand you’re criticizing Edwards for her opinion of a certain set of fans while making similar sweeping generalisations of your own. I have a number of friends (a diverse group including a farmer, a stock broker and an accountant) who travel to every game (one who has missed just one game in the last twenty years) and I can assure you that they are some of the most balanced, level headed and intelligent people I have yet to meet.

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Mullet added 12:59 - Aug 16 Thanks to those who have taken the time to read this and been complimentary. @chev - isolated like that perhaps some may take offence but it's my opinion and it would be dishonest of me to state otherwise. However in the context of the piece I'm merely pointing out that just because you go to every game that doesn't make every game yours to lord it over other people. The issue of attendance in relation to fandom is always a sensitive one however. Whoever you are if you're just a fan like me you have no right to think you can speak for or down to me and others because you go to more games or even all the games possible. I was merely trying to prick at the egos who pop up and foolishly take this viewpoint as Liz has here, she's not the first and won't be the last but "I go to every game..." is an irrelevant statement more often than not.

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