While I sit in day 10 of my enforced 3 week isolated quarantine, please excuse the self indulgence so I can release some boredom, reminisce about happier times, and write a thank you to ITFC for an amazing experience with 2 of my boys (19+27), one of which I hadn’t seen in more than 2 years due to travel constraints.
With the HK quarantine rules not relaxing, I finally had to bite the bullet and make the trip with son 2 to settle him into university. Having fixed the flights, I then went to check what matches were on during the time I was back (Oct 6th-24th), being: Shrewsbury, Cambridge, Portsmouth, Fleetwood. With the need to actually do some other stuff while I was back, I decided to forego Cambridge, and plan for the other 3.
Son 1 was already an Ipswich fan as I raised him right. His lifetime fanship was cemented at his first live match on 17th August 2002, with our 6-1 drubbing of Leicester. I was therefore hoping for the same for son 2 vs Shrewsbury for his first ever real live football match.
As a side note, it should be said that raising any child overseas to be an Ipswich fan where the schools are filled with kids supporting the top 6 teams has not been the easiest these last 25 years. Not wanting to make excuses for the poor football upbringing of son 2, but just stating the facts. On the brighter side, he does not really have a favourite team, so the chance to cement him as a Town fan was still open.
So we arrive at Portman Road on the 9th which coincided with my birthday, had a burger with Sir Alf, then headed high up into the Pioneer stand opposite where I used to sit with my Dad back in the late 70’s early 80’s. Nostalgia flooding back. We score first, then the typical equalizer after a defensive error. With tenseness palpable in the air, victory is secured with Bonne’s beautiful head.
Onto Pompey where we met an old HK mate (Pompey fan) I haven’t seen for 6 years since he left, who sportingly agreed to sit in the Milton End with us directly behind the goal. Needless to say much fun was had, and as with most of the Pompey fans by the end of the night, he had joined the singing blue army with a look of utter bemusement on his face I’ll remember forever.
The day before I flew back was Fleetwood. Praying for a 3 out of 3, I was almost expectant that it had to happen. How could the gods make it any other way, it just wouldn’t be right. At 1-1 with five minutes of injury time added, I couldn’t help it. I still believed. I needed to believe. I wanted it so much for me and the boys, I wasn’t prepared to think about any other ending. Sitting in the North Stand section 3 we had the perfect view as Evans cross looped in. When I saw Janoi, I knew he was going to connect with the ball. But how and where would it go……….. what a touch, and what an incredible explosion as Celina slotted home. The roar of the stadium and sheer joy in the moment will live with me forever. And I hope, will live with son 2 forever too, as he begins his long and often painful journey as a town fan (with moments of sheer unadulterated bliss which are ALWAYS worth the bad times).
Just as a bonus, yesterday I stayed away from all communications and watched the Wycombe replay on iFollow “live”. Dancing, jumping, cheering and shouting in my isolated room as we ripped apart one of the best teams in the league probably caused my quarantined neighbours some concerns. But that is the one single good thing about these enforced 3 weeks, literally nobody can see me or disturb my madness.
Thank you Ipswich Town Football Club. Thank you for the memories. Thank the new owners and management for bringing the structure, and having the belief in our club to persuade these players to join us. Thank you for the entertaining football, and thank you for allowing us to believe again that great times could be close with a team which is enjoyable to watch, and one we can be proud to support.
COYB!! |  |
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