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Just Another Club?
Written by singingtheblues on Wednesday, 28th Nov 2012 00:54

Every dog has its day, or so I’m told. There are a lot of clubs that have had their moment in the sunshine and, as football supporters, we all remember those moments, they define that particular club.

When we meet their supporters, the heritage flashes across our memory. The underdog, the ‘unfashionable’ side, you know who I’m taking about. Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang, Sunderland beating Revie’s Leeds in 73, Southampton overcoming Tommy Docherty’s Man U in 76, Cloughie's European Champions, Coventry in 87, Brighton for being groundless for such a long time and being a “and Smith must score” away from beating Man U in 83, even them up the road beating Bayern Munich back in the 90s.

Fortunately Town’s moments in the sun have lasted a while and have been repeated, the 60s side of Sir Alf, Sir Bobby’s heroes of the 80s and even George Burley’s team being in with a shout of the Champions League in 2001.

I have been a Town supporter for a long time and I have revelled in meeting other football supporters and hear the esteem in which Ipswich are held, hear them say that Ipswich is a wonderful club. Respected for their achievements on the pitch, respected fans, good away support, good honest old fashioned values; hell, we even had the Groundsman of the Year and the Match Programme of the Year. We were famous for sticking by our managers and not being controversial, a true family club. The envy of other fans, everybody’s favourite second club, something special.

But all I hear from other football fans now is “Ipswich, what’s happened to them?”

So what has happened? Four managers in five years, terrible performances, dodgy banners, infighting amongst the fans, fan apathy, uninterested players, gamblers, players arrested, goodness knows how many players have gone through the club, it just seems to get worse.

Sure, players drinking and gambling isn’t a new phenomenon, everyone did it in the 70s, but times have moved on. Also we’ve have our share of players in trouble in the past, Gary Croft springs to mind. But these were not enough to drag the club down to the circus that seems to pervade other clubs.

However, now I fear that we have become ‘just another club’ suffering the same problems that I used to look down my nose at other clubs and think ‘Thank heavens I’m a Town fan’. In short, what goes around, comes around!

But it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom, the decline doesn’t have to be terminal. Mick McCarthy might have inherited a mess of a squad but despite the thrashings, Town have won three games under him.

It will take a while to put Town right and there will be hiccoughs along the way. McCarthy was right to say that it was a point won against Peterborough. Many fans with higher and (I say) unrealistic expectations chided him saying that it was two points dropped.

Yes, a top-half side should be able to beat the bottom club, but times have changed, we’re not that promotion challenging club any more. Some fans really need to get a grip on where the club sits right now, any point gained has to be appreciated. I’m sure if we all get behind McCarthy we can dig ourselves out of this malaise, bit by bit. After all, it was 16 years between Town’s 60s and 80s moments in the sun.




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Marshalls_Mullet added 13:00 - Nov 28
"4 managers in 5 years?" That may be factual, but a little twisted view of the facts.

To be fair to Evans he stood by RK and PJ longer than most owners would...... which I think resulted in us being an attractive club to a relatively big name such as Mick McCarthy.
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bluethroughnthrough added 18:30 - Nov 28
Good blog, and I do sometimes wonder if are best years are behind us - if we ever will see an Ipswich team as good as we had under Burley, or even Royle, again.

Another point you made about Ipswich being a 'family club' is all well and good but I think it is all too often used as an excuse to justify a poor home atmosphere at Portman Road.
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oscarwhiting added 21:10 - Nov 29
A few weeks back I was at the Cardiff game, the first game I've seen at portman road since pj first home game in charge( I live in Portsmouth so you can't call me a bad supporter). And I have to say it was really dull no where near what I remember it being like I used to love the atmosphere at pr but now there is nothing behind the team. But having said that it may know have changed now mm is encharge.
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