In response to complaints after a number of incidents involving a small group of fans during Town’s pre-season games, the Supporters’ Club, via chair Elizabeth Edwards’s column in tomorrow’s programme, are calling on those involved to “grow up or stay away”.

This is the first time I have ever asked Simon Clegg to agree my [programme] column before it is published. Read on and you will understand why.

I am proud to be an Ipswich fan — I am proud of our heritage and historic success, and I am proud of the way, as fans, we have kept loyal despite it being the best (or worst) part of a decade since we played in the Premier League.

Like many other fans, I follow Town home and away, not discriminating between the glitz of the Emirates and the somewhat more historic ‘charms’ of Selhurst Park. I also go to a lot of other games, around the world, both club matches and internationals.

And there is one thing that I always notice about following Ipswich — that makes us stand out from most others. It’s a simple thing, but it’s vital, and it is called respect.

Respect means knowing not to cross the line between ‘banter’ and ‘abuse’. It means avoiding racist, homophobic or obviously offensive chants. It means sitting down in the right seat, when stewards, police or other fans ask you to do so. It means making sure that anyone can happily follow Town, whatever their age, from the youngest to the oldest, from teenager to parent.

Sadly, over the last year or two, but especially recently, I have been getting a lot of complaints - from people who have been going home and away for years and from others who are just getting the habit.

They are all complaining about one, tiny group of antisocial so-called fans. Most of the time, their behaviour is low-level annoying (inane and sometimes abusive chanting) but occasionally it breaks out into more serious stuff, such as letting off smoke bombs, abusing police, stewards and other fans, let alone their ignorant and disgusting booing following the serious injury to Colchester player Andy Bond the other week.

They know who they are, and if you go to away games, especially, you will know who they are too. And, like me, you would be pretty upset to hear some of the complaints that I get.

I never, ever again want to get the kind of phone call that followed the Col U game. One of our most loyal fans, a friend to many of us, who called me straight after the game and said, “Tonight, I am ashamed to call myself an Ipswich fan”.

So, I have a message for that little group. The club are watching every move you make, because they don’t want that kind of fan. As a Supporters’ Club, we don’t want that kind of fan either — your silly childish behaviour, and your style of ‘support’ that is making others think twice about going to games.

Because of you, and your behaviour, we risk losing the kind of policing style that is reserved only for those who know how to behave and respect others. So, I'll give you a choice - either grow up, or stay away.

Let’s make this a season to remember for the right reasons.

Elizabeth Edwards

Chair, Ipswich Town Supporters Club

Photo: Action Images

Umros added 18:40 - Aug 12 Agree and know what fans you are on about, they were at Cambridge and are school kids from what I can see, smoke flare and generally abusive.............and this a friendly?. Surely smoke bombs etc they can remove them?
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ITFC1812 added 19:01 - Aug 12 Clegg responded “I would like to show my appreciation to the supporters' club for their concern over the reputation of Town's supporters. I hope that all genuine Town fans will also show their support for this important issue on Saturday.” His statement will be read out to the crowd at half time. What? Are we all getting a telling off at half time? Yes put it in the programme but this is going too far I think. We are talking about a small minority, most likely loving all the attention they are now getting.

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Bowls1e added 19:11 - Aug 12 I agree that the abusive chanting & general anti social side of things is wrong but every now & then I do love seeing a flair in the away end.. To many precious fans at our club sometimes.
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Nazemariner added 19:29 - Aug 12 What a load of chuff. You pay your money, you take your choice. If you don't like it, don't go. Or you could just facelessly slag them off on this websites bigotted forum.
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Cheshire_Blue added 19:38 - Aug 12 dusseldorf_blue, Some of us have more sense than to try engaging with a mindless idiot, no doubt tanked up on brown ale !!! Well said, Elizabeth, I agree with everything you say. I am all for creating a good atmosphere and I am one of the "older" supporters as I have been playing my part in supporting the club for over 50 years,through good times and bad.Ipswich Town FC can do without the small minority Elizabeth refers to, contrary to what they might think.

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chepstowblue added 19:46 - Aug 12 Quite funny listening to morons trying to justify why they are morons,weve seen it all wk on the telly.Puberty is a difficult time and at the end of the day you cant educate pork.Being loud doesnt create an atmosphere,we see the idiots at the away games and at no time during the 90mins do they sing songs relating to anything Ipswich,half the time their not even watching the game and if we re 2down with 20 to go they conveniently walk out because as we all know....their hearts arent really in it. Funny that the loudest ones are the only ones who ever bring shame on the club that they supposedly love!!

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IP3 added 19:51 - Aug 12 WELL SAID Nazemariner Top comment. The atmosphere at Portman Road is non-existant, as witnessed on Tuesday v Northampton. Ever since the North-Stand was re-built there has been very few games which have been worthy to call a 'top atmosphere' FAR too many people prefer sitting down and moaning at half-time, rather than BACKING THEIR TEAM. We currently have one of the worse reputations in the land when it comes to vocal support. If you dont sing and back your team, whats the point in going?

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John added 19:51 - Aug 12 seems to be getting blown well out of proportion. behaviour has improved enormously since the dark days of the 70s/80s. Can remember getting covered in p*** at st etienne by the home fans and having stones thrown at my by aris salonika fans in greece. storm in a teacup anything genuinely unacceptable will be self policed by the majority. as someone said earlier problem is exacerbated away from home as all itfc fans are in the one area.

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LancsBlue added 20:08 - Aug 12 Nazemariner - "If you don't like it, don't go" Well if everyone took that advice the gates would be down to a few hundred because the vast majority don't like offensive songs and chants. Is that what you want? I've got a better idea why don't the mindless few stay away and gates might actually increase. As I said in my earlier post these people actually put people off joining in and they are therefore contributing to the muted atmosphere. Worse still they also put many people off from coming at all or from taking their kids. Let's get behind OUR team and stop directing mindless chants at other people.

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MoscowBluesSon added 20:12 - Aug 12 They all think they are hard, but they are just pussies. Probably all belong to that joke Section 6. I'd love to see them start a fight away at Milwall - then they would stay away.
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baker96 added 20:20 - Aug 12 Would you like names and addresses?! I have at least two of them. One I would love to bring down a peg or two and remind them that their no more than a child.
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Coastalblue added 20:22 - Aug 12 Maybe if a few more of the chants contained less bile and swearing more of the ground would be inclined to actually join in, and the atmosphere may improve a bit as a result.
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Kropotkin123 added 20:28 - Aug 12 For those of you posting who are too stupid to realise the point of this article I'll highlight it for you, and hopefully bring some clarity for you "Respect means making sure that anyone can happily follow Town, whatever their age, from the youngest to the oldest, from teenager to parent." So cut out "the racist, homophobic or obviously offensive chants. Sit down in the right seat, when stewards, police or other fans ask you to do so." This doesn't mean don't create an atmosphere. In fact, the last time we had a good crowd who made some noise (Loudest in the premiership), we (the old Northstanders) didn't need racist, homophobic or obviously offensive chants to create that atmosphere.

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Dg188 added 20:34 - Aug 12 That 'joke' section 6? At least they arent part of the sit on our seats, politely applauding the goal, whinging if someone stands at an away game, SILENT fans which overwhelm portman road these days. Yes, some songs have swearing in, if you don't want to hear it, go in the family section- problem solved. Are we going to ignore the banner displays carried out by these fans which were complemented in the national press several times. Just being loud may not create an atmosphere, but it goes further toward it than sitting in silence.

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Eggroy added 20:45 - Aug 12 I have to say I agree here partly. The worst game fan wise I have seen recently was the home Norwich game. Our fans were so disrepectful to the stewards ie throwing objects, etc for 1 simple reason....we lost. Also despite being a Norwich player was calling holt a peado a step to far - looking back I think it probably was. However whilst at Uni I did see a couple of Chelsea games and can see that clearly our fans are no way near as abusive as they were. My fear is like some comments above - will we take to much of a tough stance here and lose the atmosphere (remember some"abuse" is simply banter its more the way it is said). The last thing I want to see at PR is the already quiet atmosphere quieter and hear old boy john telling his mate about the good old days when footballers didn't care about money.

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NathItfc added 20:49 - Aug 12 What a load of old s**t, we have stewards to control this, surely its there fault for not taking tougher action to these 'hooligans', i have not once heard racist chants or any chants that would offend personally me or anyone i know, bring back the atmosphere to PR i say. This has been taken so far out of proportion!
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huddersfielditfc added 20:51 - Aug 12 I'd be interested to hear what the racist chanting was? If it's the Fash song, just because he was black doesn't make it a racist song in any shape or form. I don't sing this song regardless, but I'm intrigued to see which it is reference to. As for show respect to stewards & police, and sit in your designated seats. When stewards and police treat us with as little respect as they tend to, they will get the same treatment back. Designated seating is a wholly bad idea and causes the majority of standing problems, so I personally won't start doing that either. Seems like anyone below the age of 25 is lumped in a collective as being mindless etc.

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MoscowBluesSon added 21:05 - Aug 12 I'm all for standing at away games. I prefer to. And Section 6 are a joke and whoever the 5 kids that turn round jumping up and down claiming to do ''the Ipswich''. Its just so embarrassing. It only works for the Eastern European teams and Man City. I have a friend who is a season ticket holder at Chelsea and we all have a good laugh at those Section 6 losers.
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MoscowBluesSon added 21:06 - Aug 12 I'm all for standing at away games. I prefer to. And Section 6 are a joke and whoever the 5 kids that turn round jumping up and down claiming to do ''the Ipswich''. Its just so embarrassing. It only works for the Eastern European teams and Man City. I have a friend who is a season ticket holder at Chelsea and we all have a good laugh at those Section 6 losers.
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Talbs77 added 21:09 - Aug 12 Dg88 I think your spot on! Can I 1st of all say that I was NOT 1 of the fans booinng that nite at collie but a lot of disorganisation occured at that match which help. I find Elizabeth Edwards lecturing me about behaviour really really patronising by somone that chooses to simply support town in a different way to say the north do. I have been going to town since I fell in love with Dalian atkinson as a 9 year old in 1987 and if people think fans are offensive now they should have been around then! But I was 9, I was in this electric atmosphere and it was a buzz, still is and always will be and its already on its knees and doesnt need to be killed off completely by a middle class daily mail reader.

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HARRY10 added 21:17 - Aug 12 Unfortunately we do seem to have attracted a rather cretinous bunch of chavs - who are at best annoying and at worst a complete embarrassment. Petty acts of vandalism coupled with a tedious obssession with the budgies has hardly endured them to the rest of us. How many other club's fans spend most of their time singing songs against their rivals. Who really gives a toss about the budgies ? I'm sure they are not too bothered about us at the moment. By all means lets have a bit passion. Let that passion reflect the working class roots of the game and have a fair bit of humour about it. But having to tolerate the antics of a bunch of boorish juveniles trying to act out some kind of 'ooh look at usm aren't we hard' fantasy is not what that passion is about. No one wants a library, but we don't want a playschool full of kids who sound like it's way past their bedtime - and act likewise.

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Dg188 added 21:17 - Aug 12 Moscow- "it only works for eastern european teams and man city" any why doesnt it work at Ipswich, because you don't join in, instead of complaining about 'kids' remember they have as much right to support their team as you. If all you want is people over 30 to behave perfectly then good luck filling the ground, ITFC is for all ages. I am yet to see a regulation saying you can't make noise because your a so called kid.

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MoscowBluesSon added 21:22 - Aug 12 All I'm saying is that the younger generation just sing songs with swear words in and embarrass the Ipswich fans as a whole with songs like ''shoes off if you love the town''
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Coolpooper added 21:27 - Aug 12 And this is why I rarely attend away games anymore. Highly embarrasing and shameful!
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Dg188 added 21:30 - Aug 12 From experience, if you don't like the songs start your own, they will join in, i'd rather have 'shoes off than' ........................ 'clap clap clap clap clap'
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