This was a dozen idiots with a silly banner.

Those saying it besmirches all uf us had better think again, as sweeping generalisations like that labelling all of us means they've actually done something far worse - can't think of a name - 'Club-ism'?

There have subsequently been Brighton fans coming onto TWTD specifically to be abusive and offensive, calling us 'c-units' etc etc; a couple even said they hoped all of us would die. One of us challenged one Brighton fan about the last, the Brighton guy confirmed it. Some also suggested on their own site making a far, far worse banner.

'Dealing' with it by branding an entire Club as shameful and saying we deserve to die because a dozen plonkers made a silly banner is so ridiculously OTT, as well as being far worse behaviour than anything from the bannermakers, that I can't believe I'm actually having to write it down.

As I said last night, the proper way for Seagulls to have dealt with it would have been for them to post on TWTD some enlightenment and education about their struggles, in which case I'm sure the vast majority of us would have empathised, got on side, and good relations would have been established.

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My apologies I saw one photo yesterday which looked like there was, as i expected it, but zooming in on this photo I actually realise the Amex part is in quotation marks which has the same emphasis. I just asked banner makers by text and got response "We put quotes in" which changes it from a blank statement to an emphasis of 'disappointment' at corporately naming stadium. All in the week that one of our most iconic stadiums became the Sports Direct Arena.

Oh the joys of the English language and the difficulties in wording banners. This one was way too subtle and clearly open to misinterpretation.

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CauightInTheBrambles - I''ve read your 'nuances' and looked at the Brighton board comments and I stand by my blog. If I failed to check my facts I'd apologise but your comments don't suggest - and certainly don't prove - that what I said was wrong. Further, I can't see that what you said ''kills' my points; by the look of it very few others do either. The blog was an open letter to the people who wrote it to explain what they meant because most of us have read it as crass and offensive. One or two people here seem to think that this is an over reaction (they and you are entitled to yr opinion of course - the blog is mine) but most seem to see the problem because they care about what ITFC stands for on and off the field.

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CaughtInTheBrambles

Do I take it from that that those behind it are/were Section Six people?

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@Ryorry the banner provoked it though, sure if they did say those things it is an over-reaction but they wouldn't say them in the first place if those idiot hadn't bothered turning up to game. Quite frankly we don't need them as fans anyway, lets face it they tried to be smart@rses but fell flat on their faces...how could you not know the difference between AMEX and Mastercard. #EpicRetards

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PJ Needs D

If every club with a dozen idiot fans were blackballed by every other club's fans, there'd be riots in the streets outside every ground at every game and football as a sport would soon be banned altogether.

I've heard that Millwall fans were chanting some pretty homophobic stuff when they visited Brighton. Did the Seagulls go into histrionic meltdown over that, which was far more serious? No, they didn't complain at all from what I heard.

Most of us were sorry a dozen people offended them somewhat, but the whole thing's become ridiculously overblown now, and this blog is just adding to that.

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Damster (17.40 - 26 Feb)

Your suggestion of Brighton's 'fairweather supporters' couldn't be further from the truth. A simple look up at the facilities and capacity at Withdean would put you right. But you didn't do that, did you?

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so how are the moronic fans who produced this banner going to feel when Portman Road becomes 'The Marcus Evans Ground' to gain additional funds to achieve compliance with the Financial Fair Play rules, which is quite likely if you read the policy.......

Biting of nose to spite face comes to mind.... uninformed muppets.....

oh, and Garv, i usually agree with 99% of your posts on here, but i think you got this one very wrong......

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FWIW - for those that care, I don't think ITFC fans are going to come out of this too badly, especially as those I spoke to afterwards had no knowledge of this banner, didn't understand and didn't want to be associated with it.

Decent club, Ipswich Town - good luck for the rest of the season.

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TLO - hopefully that view gets around the footballing world and they dont pick up on the pics which appear and jump on the band wagon! Minority of people thats for sure......

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The B&HA fans would welcome some 'enlightenment and education' about the meaning of the arcane message on the banner, Ryorry.
I thought it was something to do with us signing Manchester City players on loan.
I can't speak for others, but I don't know if I've been offended or not.
Hopefully any animosity from a minority of our fans, towards a minority of yours will be temporary.

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Rosseden - We went out on the lash last night to celebrate our victory with some Ipswich fans who stayed down for the weekend. Naturally, they weren't quite in the same mood, but a great time was had by all.

The banner was so... un-Ipswich.

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I was asked about this banner by some home fans after the game yesterday, and as I was sitting in the front row I was completely unaware of its existance. I must have sounded like Arsene Wenger.

However had I "seen the incident" I would have been more than a little embarrassed. Having a go at Brighton? For having sold the naming rights of their new stadium? We're going to look a bit silly when we're playing at the [insert name of highest bidder] Arena @ Portman Road next season.

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Hi to all of you on here, I am a Brighton Fan, and I wanted to just put our point of view over.

Firstly before I start with the banner, let me tell you what the majority of the Brighton fans opinions of Ipswich fans were before the game. I had conversations with fellow Albion fans, and they had the opinion that Ipswich fans were very much like ourselves, a community club, with decent fans, and there was no beef between them, in fact it was viewed that Ipswich were a club that have been through good times and the bad times. Just like ourselves.
Brighton Fans are subject to the homophobic abuse week in week out, and to be honest with you we couldn’t give a rat’s arse about that, and we see that as Banter, and nothing more than that.
However the few idiots that clearly know nothing about the trials and tribulations that Brighton has been through have caused a rift between the 2 clubs by making that banner. The feeling that Ipswich fans were decent, have now been tarnished. Albeit from a few idiots points of view.
Amex only provides money for the naming rights of the stadium, of which is no different to the Brighton shirts having Brighton and Hove jobs or Donatello’s, it is a source of income. Yes Brighton have now got a great owner with some funds available, but is by no way a multi billionaire that is going to throw idiotic amounts of money around.
After so many years in the wilderness of the Withdean stadium that held 6.5 k getting a ticket as a non-season ticket holder was difficult, however with the new 22.5k Amex stadium there were more seats made available. (Just look at the Brighton catchment area Portsmouth to the west, palace to the north, and that’s it regarding professional football league clubs). The club thought that they would only sell 12k of season tickets, and they would be able to provide tickets for casual fans. They in fact have sold 17k season tickets, and have a waiting list for 5k+ currently. This is why the club have applied for another 8k seats. The club is also one of very few clubs that allow away fans to mingle with the home fans for a beer after the game in the home stands (I say very few, but I have not experienced it anywhere else).
SO before pissing off the opposition fans moments before kick-off, just have a think about what you are doing, maybe do a bit of research in to the history of the club, and maybe you won’t alienate them against you. In future just call us poofs, we will call you inbreds and everyone will be happy.
I hope this bannergate doesn’t carry on to next season..

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The fact that there was no question mark completely negates all the previous comments made by CaughtintheBrambles and Ryorry as I was at the match I can tell you that more than a dozen or so fans were 'embarrassed'. It was a totally mindless act which had Brighton fans around me enraged and Ipswich fans apologising for the morons who wrote it. For a club like ours in hock to Marcus Evans to have a go at a club like Brighton who have fought to survive was hypocritical in the extreme. We have a lot of making up to do and can start by outing these morons and banning them.

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I didn't agree with the banner (I didn't understand it for a start)

Why such a massive over reaction by so many? ...including our fans

My kids were subject to nasty verbal abuse by some foul mouthed middle aged female Brighton fan over the the bloody thing, outside the stadium.

and yes it was a talking point with the normal Brighton Fans on the train... No-one getting worked up over it.

.... and now all this.

I think people should watch/listen to the news (not Sky Sports News) and look what's going on in the real world to put the whole stupid little episode in perspective.

.... and move on.

Next?

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I take your point Arthur but had their been no banner there wouldn't have been the subsequent abuse over it.
Its a shame that we don't address our own problems as a club owned by a wealthy businessman before commenting on other teams matters. Sorry your kids had to suffer.

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Whilst you talk sense regarding the banner you spoil it when you say Brighton played us off the park. No Way!!!!!! Result flattered them & we were better side at least in first half.

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Hi, guys, Brighton fan here. Yes the banner thing was a big surprise! Before the game I had been saying to my son that Ipswich were a decent club, with good fans and strong travelling support. We had just enjoyed the visit of the morons of Millwall last game and I was saying that Ipswich would be a breath of fresh air by comparison. Also it did not seem to make any sense at all which made it worse! Having read the majority of the comments here, my initial positive thoughts about Ipswich were right. To those few misguided souls who produced the banners; we are not a club with rich, foreign benefactors, just a club that have been to hell and back in recent years. We now have a well off chairman who is a long term fan, who has invested in our new stadium and who is happy to support a class management team with sensible investment in quality players. A new Academy is being built shortly and the stadium capacity is being increased to 30,000 for the start of next season as we have the support base to justify it. The objective is the Premiership in the next few years, which will reward us long suffering fans for the misery of the last 15 years or so! Hope to see all decent Town fans back at the Amex next year.

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its worth pointing out Amex are the biggest private sector company employer in Brighton, so most of the Brighton fans at the very least probably know someone who works for the company or they themselves do, its surely the essence of a community club to have local employers like that, who have a big impact on the fan base, involved sponsoring, whereas try and get a Town fan to explain what the Marcus Evans group actually does for a living, I bet it wouldnt fit on a banner even if they could.

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Fatcatevans - you appear to have misread something I said - which was
"Most of us were sorry a dozen people offended them somewhat"

Right, that's it, spent far too long on this already - as Arthur rightly says, there are more important things going on in the world to be fretting about.

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This blog needed to be written. I saw the mention of the banner in the match report and it does not make sense, coming across as a dig to a club that has suffered. Holding up a banner by fans during a match does make it look like the whole support contingent support the banner. How long we're they holding it up? Looks like our own fans will have to police this lot and pull the banner down next time.

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gorse added 17:05 - Feb 26 ... "Good blog post, which hopefully will be seen by the Brighton fans. Thank you. "

Yep. Seen. Understood. No grudge held.

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gorse added 17:05 - Feb 26 ... "Good blog post, which hopefully will be seen by the Brighton fans. Thank you. "

Yep. Seen. Understood. No grudge held.

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I've only just heard about all this : I think it's quite funny - spelling and punctuation correct, and clearly ironic. I suspect only very stupid people would take offence. Of which both clubs have many (in our case as employees, not just fans).

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