Gerald Hicks, the man who wrote and sang the famous Town song Come On The Town under the name Edward Ebeneezer and Supporters, died on Christmas Day aged 81.

The song, which is currently being played prior to Town’s home games, was recorded in 1972 and is widely known as Edward Ebeneezer Jeremiah Brown.

Hicks’s cousin Stephen Jolland told TWTD how the song came to be recorded: “He used to be in the Cavendish Players and he used to write plays and one day one of the Cobbolds came and watched and he asked if he could have the song for Ipswich Town.

“That’s how it got there in the first place. He was an Ipswich Town supporter and he put the song in his play.”

Jolland says Hicks took along a lot of his friends from the village of Wickhambrook near Bury St Edmunds to record what was his only single.

“He sang and he asked a lot of us from the village to go with him and we joined in on the chorus,” he added.

“It was him and a lot of his football mates from Wickhambrook FC. And he played the piano, he was very good on the piano.”

Stephen says Gerald, who was living in Spain when he died, was a decent footballer in his younger days as well as a Town supporter: “He watched Ipswich when he could. He was a good player too and they’re scattering his ashes on the Wickhambrook pitch.”

Photo: Action Images

textbackup added 13:57 - Jan 8 RIP Ted!
2

kizaitfc added 14:05 - Jan 8 Definitely need a good sing of that saturday
5

NoCanariesAllowed added 14:07 - Jan 8 I'd love to hear folks sing this more. It was recorded long before my time but that doesn't stop me joining in whole-heartedly any time it bursts out at an away game. Surely no better time than now to bring it back to the stands in force. RIP Mr Hicks.
4

bohslegend added 14:08 - Jan 8 RIP
1

jalapenosteve added 14:12 - Jan 8 Sad news. RIP Gerald. Your music has made me smile over the years. I bought that record when it came out and I still have it!
1

Godzilla added 14:17 - Jan 8 RIP and thanks for a great song, which I learnt word for word as a young lad and can still manage to sing with the necessary lubrication when required to do a star turn. I think we are missing a trick by not singing at least part of it during a match. Words may be a bit dated now, but to me that's part of the attraction of it (history), and it hasn't stopped our rivals singing the awful dross that is their signature piece.

3

carsey added 14:19 - Jan 8 It's a real shame more people don't sing this particularly in the north Stand. A great tune, daft lyrics and completely inoffensive. Much better than that rubbish that lot up the A140 sing about "never mind the danger" and "have a little scrimage" WTF is that all about
3

dubblue added 14:25 - Jan 8 RIP Gerald. His song goes right back to the start of the great Town team of the '70s when we were rarely outside the top 4 in the old 1st division.
1

nthstd added 14:26 - Jan 8 Dodge used to sing this all the time beside me in the Lower Sir Bobby, when it was the Lower North. Always good to hear it. Would be excellent if all the town fans new it and gave it their all at the games on telly
1

Kulturarv added 14:31 - Jan 8 This should be our "official" song, like Liverpool's YNWA. As an overseas fan (Sweden) I think the song is perfect for a "traditional English football club" that hasn't lost it's soul being owned by an oil billionaire and overloading the team with over paid players from southern Europe and South America.
5

blrmy added 14:34 - Jan 8 Just got a cold caller when reading this, said I'd have to put her on hold for 2 minutes but I was interested in her solar panels, so please wait. Then played it down the phone, and bless her she was still there at the end. Said I'd have to put her on hold again and repeated. She was not there after then second time......
3

blrmy added 14:35 - Jan 8 PS. Love this song, learnt the lyrics when I bought it and still find myself singing from time to time, always makes me smile. RIP.
1

blrmy added 14:35 - Jan 8 PS. Love this song, learnt the lyrics when I bought it and still find myself singing from time to time, always makes me smile. RIP.
0

runaround added 15:22 - Jan 8 RIP
0

BLUEBEAT added 15:24 - Jan 8 Was he Johnny Cobnut too?
1

Tufty added 15:30 - Jan 8 Surely one of the best football songs. Still have my copy in the original sleeve. Thanks for the song and the memories it evokes Gerald. God bless you
1

Blue_Meanie added 15:38 - Jan 8 Should have our 'anthem' years ago. Much more genuine the Singing the Blues, and a better sing-a-long Totally agree with Kulturrav comments. RIP Mr Hicks
0

johnwarkstache added 16:32 - Jan 8 My nursery rhyme repertoire isn't the biggest & I often sung this to my nipper to get him to sleep. Proud to say he's 2 and a bit now and can sing along to most of it Your legacy will continue. RIP & God bless
1

itfchorry added 16:36 - Jan 8 Iconic song that sums up how great it is to be a Town fan. RIP
0

Daniel72 added 16:46 - Jan 8 @Bluebeat I dunno if he was Jonny Cobnut but the Ipswich Football Calypso is a total classsic!
0

stumpysausage added 17:41 - Jan 8 (we are missing a trick by not singing at least part of it during a match. Words may be a bit dated now, but to me that's part of the attraction of it (history) @ Godzilla I 2nd that
1

potter added 17:46 - Jan 8 RIP
0

Letchworth_Blue added 18:04 - Jan 8 My 10 year old boy has learnt all the lyrics and sings it when at PR and in his bedroom. Says it all really. RIP.
0

Bluespeed225 added 18:17 - Jan 8 Great to get to know the history behind the song! Should be belted out on Saturday. Was played as The Dalai went out.
0

JWM added 18:52 - Jan 8 Far Better than that god awful Budgie song!
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