I need some help. I want to fall back in love with the same thing that I did just over 30 years ago. It is, however, becoming increasingly difficult as the days, months and years pass by.

It all started so well. Back in 1980 I was growing up in a town in Staffordshire. Like every other boy my age I loved football. Unlike every other boy I wanted to be slightly different. The closest club to me was Aston Villa – that was the route that most of the other eagerly excited boys aged six would follow.

My uncle even bought me a Villa top, my first game was watching them play Southampton and seeing Peter Withe putting them in front with 40,000 roaring fans. As I said, I wanted to be different. Aston Villa were top of Division One, who else could I support. Simple decision – back the team second, it would give me great joy seeing that team pip Villa to the title. That team in second was Ipswich Town and the rest, as they say, is history.

Being over 150 miles away it really wasn’t easy to follow Ipswich often. My granddad who I will be forever grateful to always took me to the away games in the Midlands (he is a Derby fan). There was the odd trip to Portman Road (my first ever game was seeing Glenn Hoddle’s masterclass of a hat-trick in a 3-0 defeat to Tottenham) and every time I went the whole experience was simply fantastic.

Time moves on though, in my teens I started saving all my pocket money to go to matches – I did the same during university and despite being in Preston I got to a fair few games.

Then a job, a move to London, money to spend and during the late 90s to the early noughties I would get to around 50% of matches in a season, roughly half at FPR and half away. Even then, when we weren’t achieving the heights of top flight football we were regularly competing year in year out in the play-offs. Yes, they generally ended in disappointment but the seasons overall were exciting, we were competing, there was a friendly but vibrant atmosphere around Portman Road. It was fun!

Since the Marcus Evans era, and I’m not in any way blaming him because I believe he has done all he could, we have drifted down the division, playing less attractive football and the whole experience in general is a let down.

I now live 100 miles away in Northamptonshire. It is within reach for me to attend most weeks. I was there full of excitement for the home game against Blackburn. But the cons are outweighing the pros. The cost is £100 for a day out, I travel alone (know very few Town friends as have never lived in the region) and most importantly I don’t get entertained for what in reality is the entertainment business.

They could reduce costs and improve the match day experience but the bottom line is that that counts for nothing if we continue to put in the performances we have been doing. I can tolerate the odd defensive mistake (not the amount we seem to be capable of though), the miss in front of an open goal but I can’t tolerate the lack of passion currently running though the team. Oh, for a Matty Holland, Kieron Dyer or even Jason de Vos.

So what can be done to bring me back to Portman Road on a regular basis? I guess a manager who seems to know what he is doing tactically, one who makes the right signings more often than not, players who are 100% committed to the club and who show passion and enthusiasm. Basically just some entertainment would do. Other than that I really don’t know.

martleshamitfc added 22:11 - Oct 10 I am sure many fans can relate to your blog, a very sad story!
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Vaughan8 added 22:36 - Oct 10 This is definitely something i can relate to. Since I was a teenager I have always been an hour and a half away, which isn't a massive, but it does take a bit of effect. I went to blackburn game with the girlfriend and it cost over £120 including all the costs. With spare money tight at the moment I can't even justify spending that to myself, let along the girlfriend!! Ha In my teens I would travel everywhere to watch Ipswich but as you say that seems to have slowly faded especially with the increase costs of everything! I do find it sad not to get to fpr too often but I generally go to the games closer to home generally in and around London as travel and the match tickets are much cheaper!

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IamSpartacus added 22:58 - Oct 10 I concur with your feelings. I live closer and find it difficult to justify paying the (what I consider) extortionate amount for what has long since been entertainment. Not just the game but the peripheral aspects of food, pre-game entertainment, half time entertainment and the financial raping for just a programme. I think all sensible people can accept that success costs money short term, but many fans would be more patient if we were even looking long term at giving youth a chance. Like you say, someone with forward thinking ideas, an intent to play good football and someone that will instil the need to show a similar level of commitment to the club as the fans do. A tough call in this money driven arena, but doable.

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alfromcol added 08:43 - Oct 11 Even living much closer to PR and shelling out much less than you, there is a growing doubt in my mind as to how much longer I can continue to attend matches that bring little enjoyment and a lot of disappointment. I suspect that if this season continues as it is , there will be numerous season ticket holder who don't renew. Season ticket holders now make up 80% of current attendances (about 13000 of 16000 attendance). I am sure that many season ticket holders,are only attending now because the money has been paid. Given a choice I don't think many would be attending week in and week out.

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TR11BLU added 14:29 - Oct 11 Yup, I get this. Due to move further away next year and whereas a few years back I would willingly travel, now, I doubt it. A 3 hour round trip every other saturday for this dross? Think I will keep my cash in my pocket and take up gardening with the radio on. When I first got a season ticket some ten years ago I thought that would be me but I wont be renewing next year. Not unless we replace the clueless one and things take a dramtic turn for the better.

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NoCanariesAllowed added 16:43 - Oct 11 A lot of this rings true for me too. I'm in Warwickshire myself and when strapped for cash (as I am at the moment), I generally need a 'reason' to choose any particular home match to travel down for. It's particularly difficult to consider it worth the effort if you think you're likely to be making the long trip back on the train or along the A14 moping about more dropped points - and the current Town side doesn't fill you with confidence and enthusiasm to make that gamble. Ticket reductions do help. I remember when we had the ticket offer for the 'Supporters Day' match against Palace, and it was the reduced price that prompted me to make the trip. Of course, what we really need is an improvement in results, but there are efforts the club can still go to bulk up attendances. Always saddens me to watch our attendance figures come in at around 15,000 or 16,000 each week when only a couple of years ago, they were always around the 24,000 mark.

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SuttonTB added 17:00 - Oct 11 Yep I can also relate to your well written blog. A good read and one that most will read whilst nodding their heads and relating to our story. I think that Town fans throughout the years have always got older and settled down and could not justify the costs so I guess that the question is is it the younger generation with "spare cash" who are spending it elsewhere? Has anyone done a comparrison of costs between 1980's / 1990's compared to todays costs taking into account inflation and other related costs i.e. how much a pint / petrol cost at the time. With everything else though if we start winning then people will return and attendance figures will rise and everyone will feel happy with life again.

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swede added 17:16 - Oct 11 I wish I could give you some help, but even though I live locally I feel the same. My first match at Portman Road was as an 11 year old in 1970. Ipswich beat Liverpool 1-0 with a goal from Mick Hill. I was completely hooked and missed only one home match in the next 12 years. Had the glorious experience of the Robson years, Wembley, UEFA final etc. I stopped going for a while after meeting the wife, mostly due to the hooligan problems at the time and she was scared to go. When my three boys were old enough (mid 90's) we all had season tickets for several years. The time Roy Keane took over co-incided with the last of the boys moving away to uni and I stopped going. Can't stand the man and just could not support my club with that thug in charge! As much as I am disillusioned with the game today that I have followed for 40 years, I still find myself glued to the radio/internet every time ITFC are playing. I am blue forever! I went once last season when my lad came home, but was just appaled at the lack of performance and commitment by the players. ITFC - if you want my money and presence at PR again, things need to change!

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aj3wilson added 18:16 - Oct 11 Thanks for all the comments. It's just all a little depressing really isn't it? I pretty much concur with all the above points. No Canaries Allowed - I live very close to A14 so maybe we could at least share petrol costs sometime?
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StavangerBlue added 10:12 - Oct 12 I attended my first game in 1986 and grew up in Yorkshire so for years away games thanks to the M1 and M62 were just an hour or so away. Now I live abroad but I was still making the venture back to PR every two or so months. However, having attended a game at the end of last season that was so awful that my friends and I opted to spend the second half in the bar, instead of in the stand, highlighted the plight that is Ipswich Town 2012. I cannot simply justify the cost which can be several hundred pounds to attend. I was a passionate fan who would travel because I love the club. Now, like an old girlfriend, the love is still there but with a sad realisation it will never be the same again.

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TractorRoyNo1 added 10:49 - Oct 12 looks like there is a supporters club in northants http://www.itfcsupporters.co.uk/WestAnglia.html
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thijssen4 added 21:05 - Oct 12 Sure is...come and join the WABITS. Email me on nparlett@live.co.uk if you are interested. We are a merry band spread from MIlton Keynes, Northampton, St Ives, Sandy and beyond.
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