| 1992 and beyond 02:53 - Apr 5 with 2549 views | Jambo |
"No one can catch them now , son"
These are the words I remember my father saying to me back in 1992.
We were in his white Peugout pick up truck, listening to the game at Oxford.
If I am honest, I was completely unaware of the significance of the day.. but everything else about my unusally stoic father made it seem a very important day.
I was completely unaware of the day's relevance.
We had just sold some cattle at Norwich Cattle Market.
We are farmers. That's what we do.
A man who had experienced the very highs and lows of all eras.
His neighbour was Ted Phillips. His brother's bully.
My grandmother had suitably admonished Ted. My dad... well he had done something more.
All the years previous to Bobby.. well... they were halcyon days.
And so after years and years of misery when the chance came to take his son to the football...to the first derby game in years.. he waited in line.. bought tickets and presented them to me , to watch Norwich vs Ipswich.
And when presented with this extraordinary opportunity to witness the first game between us and Norwich City for years, I chose to not go.
I didn't really like football.
Later on, my mother would tell me, in confidence, that Dad felt like he had been kicked in the teeth.
This killed me. All he wanted was to share something with his son. And I just didn't get it.
It's something that I have carried with me for years and years.
Since then I have had opportunities to take Dad into the directors box, and he has been so pleased to rub shoulders with the likes of Sheepy et al.
Don't get me wrong, there is more to my relationship with my Dad than Town but these last few years have made me look at my own relationship with the club and now my own son.
Ipswich Town is not a fashionable club.
And lately it has not been a great club.
But, it is OUR club.
Dear Lord, we have seen some dreadful times. False hope. Failed new dawns etc.
I bought a half season ticket for my son and I in the Magnus Upper at Christmas.
He has not seen a loss.
What he has seen is attacking football.
Games where Town keep fighting and the crowd keep cheering.
His Club. Our Club. My Club.
What we are seeing now... it's history... we aren't sh1tkickers anymore.
WE ARE IPSWICH TOWN.
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| 1992 and beyond on 05:20 - Apr 5 with 2427 views | powinswitch |
Some of what you said resonates so much with me, that I feel compelled to reply. My father passed this to me. This love of our club. He died in 1979. I was 14. When my son was born, I lived in Germany, being a soldier. When we came back to Suffolk I took him to Portman Road. If it was during the season, leave dates would be selected so the maximum number of games could be attended, both home and if possible away. If it was in the summer, we would just go and visit the stadium. Just stand there. Remember dad, and wonderful days before he died and after just loving our club. When I came home from Iraq, it was wonderful to be reunited with precious family. But when we attended the first game, and as the players walked on to the pitch to Tom Hark, I was in tears. If you don’t get it, you don’t get it, but that was me coming home. To my dad. To my boy. My son lives overseas now, not as a soldier but an English teacher. I’m so proud of him. He came home for a few weeks in January/February. We went to games. We also had the opportunity to have photos with Marty Holland and Pablo.
I am usually a good communicator and quite articulate, but I cannot describe the thread that the club runs through my family. Not just father, me, son, but sisters, cousins. Whilst I want the club to do well and be successful, more than that I want us to play well, with integrity, strength, style, passion, determination. The owners of the club are really only custodians. But in the Cobbolds we had wonderful owners, who allowed great men to manage our club to unbelievable success far beyond what a town our size should believe possible. It seems to me we may have struck gold again. We are rich, well for our current league at least. But from what I have seen so far, we seem to be doing things the right way. And I hope that continues.
I miss you dad. I miss you son. But we have a beautiful thing to bind us all. I pray for success of course, and hope we continue to excel. But if it is not to be, I just hope that we sustain the high standards this club was famous for until the late 2000s, and which we are developing again. I will love this club whatever league we are in, because however pathetic this may seem, it’s part of me. It links my past to the now, and through to the future. Come on you Blues. Uppa Towen. |  | | |
| 1992 and beyond on 08:45 - Apr 5 with 2054 views | Churchman |
Thank you for this. It resonates.
I’ve said what my connection is to the club in other threads so won’t repeat. However, I went to my dad’s brother’s funeral in Woodbridge last Friday. Though he bought me my first ITFC book (the Ken Rice one) he was in not really a football fan. He went to the odd game, the last being about 2007 when he and my aunt were given tickets and I took them. I think they enjoyed it.
Anyway, in the tribute, as a reference to the football club, one of the early things said was that he never ever went to Norwich - which my cousin tells me was true. It surprised me because I didn’t think he was too interested. Maybe the club was in his DNA.
One thing is certain. You are right - it is our club. |  | | |
| 1992 and beyond on 09:23 - Apr 5 with 1920 views | bluelady |
Thank you for this.... my dad loved sport, all sports, but in particular football! I am an only child and a female, and dad and I had an amazing relationship that revolved around sport - either taking part or watching. So from a very young age football was in my blood! I used to swim on a tuesday night, so we would rush to the game after my session and get in for free at half time! i remember standing with away fans one particular night (it was during the 1981 season and was the early stages of the UEAFA cup, i remember having to very carefully remove my blue and white bobble hat and put it into my bag, then refrain from cheering when we scored! I also remember sitting with dad in front of the TV watching every single moment of build up to the FA cup final, then recording it on a tape recorder with external mike - you can hear every eww ahhh and the massive cheer when Osborne scored! Lost my dad 18 years ago, but i never lost my love for Ipswich. I was at the play off final 9 months pregnant - ive always said this, i spent half my pregnancy in and out of hospital as my son didnt move in the womb, often a sign something is wrong. I kid you not at the final he kicked every single ball from inside my tummy! When Dan was born a few days later, a new generation of fan was born. He went on to become the original radio suffolk tractor boy and we spent every home game together (he now goes with the 'lads' but we still go to away games together and share our love for town.
sorry a lot of waffle but your post resonates, I miss my dad, but I will forever thank him for the passion he passed onto me for this amazing sport and a club that will live in my heart forever. |  | | |
| 1992 and beyond on 09:52 - Apr 5 with 1831 views | Hullblue |
A brilliant bit of writing - thanks for sharing. |  |
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| 1992 and beyond on 10:42 - Apr 5 with 1718 views | Bbmaj |
| 1992 and beyond on 09:52 - Apr 5 by Hullblue |
A brilliant bit of writing - thanks for sharing. |
1992 was special for me and my dad too.
He wasn’t a sports fan, and actively disliked nationalism so delighted in an England loss, but I inherited my love for Town through the old man. Maybe it helped that we were champions when he was a teenager. As someone else commented, it was like a thread that tied us together, I used to read my grandads match programmes (he was the ST holder) so knew all about the 70s and early 80s players, which ones liked chicken and chips as a pre match meal etc. I also knew that we were one of the top teams!
My dad took me to my first game in the Churchman’s end, too small to see so someone found a box for me to stand on, leaning against the rail. It was around 1981 and against Liverpool, I think, but the result didn’t matter, I’d found my tribe, my happy place, however it was a few years until I could start going to games myself for financial and logistical reasons. When I was 17 my dad taught me to drive, and the following year we went to a couple of of games together with Oxford being one. I felt so proud to be taking my dad to the match, repaying him for that first game, and being champions meant the glory days had returned…. Or so I thought.
Now I share the love of Town mainly with my son, as my father and grandfather have passed, and look forward to the day when I have opportunity to take grandchildren to Portman Road for the first time. After 15 or so years of gradual decline, watching mick hoof ball, selling our talent and requiring blind optimism to keep the faith, finally a young man gets to enjoy the real glory of supporting Ipswich Town, the finest football team… I almost want us to end up in the playoffs, as the elation of winning at Wembley would exceed a 2nd place finish, but currently clinging on to the notion of winning the league outright.
These stories are not unique to Ipswich, but due to geographic reasons perhaps more pronounced. There aren’t any other clubs around. Even with some emigration there are generations of us folk, the suf folk, who will be true blue for a long time to come - but perhaps we have already lost some of the younger generation, and would have lost more, were it not for the new owners and manager.
Up the Town. [Post edited 5 Apr 2023 14:50]
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| 1992 and beyond on 12:47 - Apr 5 with 1565 views | clive_baker |
Some lovely posts, thanks all for sharing.
Re. the younger generation of Town supporters, I've been pleased to see so many in Town kits out and about in West Suffolk, at the local parks etc. Maybe the Ed Sheeran effect, maybe because we're winning games. Probably a bit of both.
A quick story about that, I was sitting in my living room a few Fridays back, my little girl was in bed and baby son had gone down too, his sleep was all over the place at the time. So there I am at about 9 o'clock with a glass of wine and the TV on quietly as to give them the best chance of not waking up when I hear some 'youths' walking down the street past my house singing and shouting. Naturally my instinct is to be a bit annoyed and hope it doesn't wake up the little ones, but equally I'm sure we've all been there after a few beers. It was only when the got closer and I properly tuned in that I realised this group of 4 or 5 teenagers were singing 'Edward Ebeneezer Jeremiah Brown'. I had a wry smile to myself and couldn't help but think good on them. |  |
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| I got little goosebumps Powers, good on ya on 12:57 - Apr 5 with 1547 views | Dyland |
| 1992 and beyond on 05:20 - Apr 5 by powinswitch |
Some of what you said resonates so much with me, that I feel compelled to reply. My father passed this to me. This love of our club. He died in 1979. I was 14. When my son was born, I lived in Germany, being a soldier. When we came back to Suffolk I took him to Portman Road. If it was during the season, leave dates would be selected so the maximum number of games could be attended, both home and if possible away. If it was in the summer, we would just go and visit the stadium. Just stand there. Remember dad, and wonderful days before he died and after just loving our club. When I came home from Iraq, it was wonderful to be reunited with precious family. But when we attended the first game, and as the players walked on to the pitch to Tom Hark, I was in tears. If you don’t get it, you don’t get it, but that was me coming home. To my dad. To my boy. My son lives overseas now, not as a soldier but an English teacher. I’m so proud of him. He came home for a few weeks in January/February. We went to games. We also had the opportunity to have photos with Marty Holland and Pablo.
I am usually a good communicator and quite articulate, but I cannot describe the thread that the club runs through my family. Not just father, me, son, but sisters, cousins. Whilst I want the club to do well and be successful, more than that I want us to play well, with integrity, strength, style, passion, determination. The owners of the club are really only custodians. But in the Cobbolds we had wonderful owners, who allowed great men to manage our club to unbelievable success far beyond what a town our size should believe possible. It seems to me we may have struck gold again. We are rich, well for our current league at least. But from what I have seen so far, we seem to be doing things the right way. And I hope that continues.
I miss you dad. I miss you son. But we have a beautiful thing to bind us all. I pray for success of course, and hope we continue to excel. But if it is not to be, I just hope that we sustain the high standards this club was famous for until the late 2000s, and which we are developing again. I will love this club whatever league we are in, because however pathetic this may seem, it’s part of me. It links my past to the now, and through to the future. Come on you Blues. Uppa Towen. |
and the others posting here.
COYFB |  |
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| 1992 and beyond on 13:06 - Apr 5 with 1490 views | blue62 |
That brought a lump to my throat.
Never miss an opportunity to share experiences with your family, we don't have them forever. |  | | |
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| 1992 and beyond on 13:16 - Apr 5 with 1454 views | tractor_lady |
| 1992 and beyond on 13:06 - Apr 5 by blue62 |
That brought a lump to my throat.
Never miss an opportunity to share experiences with your family, we don't have them forever. |
How right you are, I wrote my message whilst on route to hospital to visit my poorly mum, enjoy every moment with loved ones! She despises foodtball btw 😂 luckily my daughter is a big fan and when Dan went to uni she took his season ticket over for 3 years :-) | | | |
| Could this be pinned? on 13:18 - Apr 5 with 1450 views | ketton_itfc |
Love reading these, please keep them coming! |  | | |
| 1992 and beyond on 13:27 - Apr 5 with 1411 views | StochesStotasBlewe |
Great thread.
The one thing that will mean more to me than anything is if/when we get promoted this season is I will be sharing the feeling of elation with my son.
He’s 23 this Friday and I won’t be able to go to the game with him due to other commitments.
He was a bit down in the dumps driving home from a few games during our wobble in form and said he’d never seen us be successful in the seventeen years we’ve been going together.
I told him that our time will come and I was still confident of the team making a good run at promotion.
Chuffed to bits that he’s really into following the Towen. Special sharing that.
COYFB. |  |
| We have no village green, or a shop.
It's very, very quiet.
I can walk to the pub. |
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| 1992 and beyond on 14:14 - Apr 5 with 1290 views | Vic |
Blimey, reading this lot has brought a big old lump to my throat. Might need to go and have a wander and let the dust settle a bit!
One thing ... I really, really hope that Mark A and the owners get to read this thread. I bet it will choke them up as well and I reckon they'd be chuffed to read it, and further honoured (as they like to say) to be custodians of such a club with such supporters. [Post edited 5 Apr 2023 14:18]
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| 1992 and beyond on 17:51 - Apr 5 with 1044 views | Churchman |
As a follow up to my earlier post and thinking of 1992, a friend got me a couple of tickets for the Norwich v Ipswich December Monday night game (Sumo wrestlers and all that).
So, I drive up to Suffolk. My dad and I put away a few frames of snooker before heading up the road in his rather nice BMW. We get to Norwich and parking looks a nightmare. We are sort of drifting around and this bloke waves us over. He said ‘you’re obviously going to the match, why don’t you park in my parking space?’ He had one next to his little booth out of the front of his work place.
‘Thanks’ we say, usual gratitude and a few £ offered which he refused. Well we park up, find a pub for a restorative, on to McDonalds for the obligatory burger, fries apple lava pie and coke and then to the game. We won. Happiness.
We get back to the car walking on air as you do and my dad says ‘I really need a p*ss.’. ‘Well find a dark corner’ say I. ‘Nah, this’ll do’ he says and then proceeds to water the booth of the bloke who gave us the parking space. Beer, coke and water meant the little hut thing got a full coating, lock, handle n all.
‘Why did you do that??’ I ask. ‘The man generously allowed us to use this space!’ ‘Ah f&*k him, he’s from Norfolk. I hate Norfolk, Norfolk people, everything about it’. ‘But you married a woman from Norfolk’ says I. ‘That was different, she was stunning looking’. ‘So you’re just an animal aren’t you’. ‘Nah, I just don’t like Norfolk people. Besides, back in the 50s I’d come up here with my mates for football, beer and a fight. The bloke got off lightly’.
‘So why when we were staying in Yarmouth visiting Grandma did you take us to the odd Norwich game?’ Says I. ‘Just wanted to check you were normal’ says he.
‘Let’s go home’ says I. Logic like that just wasn’t worth trying to unravel. Great evening though. [Post edited 5 Apr 2023 17:55]
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