The kick-off times of East Anglian derbies, regular rail disruption and how owner Marcus Evans goes about choosing a new manager were among the questions put to MD Ian Milne and other members of Town’s backroom team at the now annual Meet the Club event staged as part of the Supporters Club’s AGM in Legends at Portman Road on Thursday evening.

Around 50 members of the Supporters Club quizzed Milne, regulatory affairs director Sally Webb, director of sales Rosie Richardson, finance director Mark Andrews, Liz Edwards and representatives from Centerplate, the club's concourse catering provider, who had supplied complimentary pies.

Earlier, academy manager Lee O’Neill and head of player development Bryan Klug were questioned on developments at Playford Road, the latter revealing potentially the best player he has ever worked with in his long and successful career is currently making his way through the ranks.

TWTD live-blogged the event on a thread on the Forum. If you were present and want to add your thoughts, feel free.

“I thought it went well, I think there were some very good points,” Milne told TWTD afterwards. “The thing about the trains and the police, for example.

“We ought to move on, the fans don’t like the 12 o’clock kick-off. I think we should have that discussion with the police and with Sky.

“I also think in this region we are so annoyed with the [regular disruption with the] trains. We keep battering our heads against Abellio [Greater Anglia] and, yes, we will have another go.

“The worry is that we’ve become complacent about it. We keep complaining, how many times can we can complain and they don’t take any notice?

“There was a good question about how we choose the managers and genuinely answered that. It is important to get the right manager as and when that might happen.

“Good comments, constructive comments, getting to the nitty gritty about beer prices. I was very concerned that I’m being charged more in the FanZone than in the concourse bars, so I’ll take that up personally.”

There were a number of questions about Centerplate relating to Sunday’s game, however, Milne said the club hadn’t received too many comments prior to the AGM.

“It’s odd because at the Norwich match we only got four emails [relating to Centerpoint] of complaint out of 26. It looks like they all came up this evening. I’m not downgrading the comments here, but they have performed a lot better.

“It is a difficult job to get staff in when we have only 23 matches. I think they do a good job actually, at the end of the day. I don’t think people were being critical of them overall.”

Milne was disappointed that Sunday ended in a derby defeat but says the mood in the camp was positive when he spoke to some of the players earlier.

“I was talking with Mick McCarthy and we both think Norwich weren’t anything very special, despite what people say I know the players gave 120 per cent through the match," he added.

“We all have our views on team selection but I think Mick got the team selection pretty right.

“It’s important now to recover from that. I went down Playford Road today and spoke to Luke Chambers, Tommy Smith, Freddie Sears and Jordan Spence and they were all up, the morale’s all high there. We move on to the next match and the next few matches are very important.”

Manager McCarthy said earlier on Thursday that he would decide on his future in the summer, adding that him remaining with the Blues wouldn’t be a fair accompli even if he were to be offered a contract extension by owner Evans.

“It’s between those two gentlemen to discuss as and when,” Milne added.

“As it stands at the moment, Mick’s the manager and I personally have great faith in him and get on very well with him.”

Will Evans assess the situation over the course of the season and take fans’ views into account when he ultimately takes his view? “Of course they will, the fans’ views will come into it and we’ll see. But I don’t think it’s on the agenda at the moment as Mick has inferred.”

Regarding the academy, Milne added: “We mustn’t forget, I don’t like going too far back in history, but the Crystal Palace match which was fantastic with those 10 academy players.

“We mustn’t forget, OK what Marcus’s investment is doing, but what Bryan and Lee are doing, which is a fantastic job. I love it.”

Earlier, during the business element of the evening, Steve Doe was elected chair of the Supporters Club, having been caretaker since Elizabeth Edwards stepped down to become the club’s supporter liaison officer in the summer.

Irene Davey was elected secretary, Mark Ramsey the treasurer, while Paul Voller, Sandra Cuningham, Julie Cooper and Martin Swallow other the other members of the executive committee.

Photo: Action Images

midastouch added 00:45 - Oct 27 Knock Knock... Who's There? Not Mick
6

midastouch added 00:48 - Oct 27 And how about rescheduling the EA Derby 6 hours earlier next season to spare us all the agony?
5

LimitlessBlue added 06:23 - Oct 27 All our fans are bothered about in reality are Beer prices and kick off times of one match. the general standard of play is rubbish, tactical decisions baffling. a Destructive AGM that highlighted that the supporters trust is pointless and that Milne equally so. Of course players will be 'UP' they are hardly going to be moping around when they really don't care as passionately as a fan does. Lets drift around for ANOTHER year until Mick makes his decision and with Milne saying he has great faith in Mick there will be zero movement on that front.

16

christiand added 06:39 - Oct 27 Wow only 50 fans there? This looks like a reflection of how many of us have now lost interest in the club. I wonder if that ever crossed Milne's mind sitting there last night? A club that had 25,000 turn up for the derby on Sunday, but only a minuscule of that attendance were there. This isn't a dig at us fans, more to do with the fact that the club's hierarchy have made ITFC so uninspiring and stale that our own supporters just can't be bothered to attend such an event - sad times.

23

JCBLUE added 06:54 - Oct 27 Anyone know who is the best player Klug has ever worked with, currently coming through the ranks?
0

Seasider added 07:46 - Oct 27 There would have been more there I am sure if Mr Evans had made his first appearance before fans, similar goes for McCarthy. There absences shows how little respect both have for our once great family Club, When David Sheepshanks sold Mr Evans to us shareholders after due diligence a decade ago.He said that this would make us more competitive by wiping out external debt;; so Ipswich would not need to sell etc His enquiries failed to reveal that this glorified ticket tout had already fallen foul of sporting authorities which has continued during his disastrous ownership of our club. He has never , to my knowledge,ever met fans publicly,and never even attends his clubs AGM. McCarthy treats both the press and fans with disdain as happened after Norwich loss,not bothering to turn up for an hour and being tetchy and curt according to the Guardian. Us fans are stuck with this duo for the foreseeable future,and meanwhile the club stagnates at best. ITFC R.I,P ,,

27

martin587 added 08:08 - Oct 27 It should be a 3 PM KO.I think it's quite clear from the press talk yesterday lunch time that MM will be leaving at the end of the season. He has now run his time and I doubt very much he will get much of a transfer kitty in January.Time for the owner to start looking for a successor.Please don't leave it till the summer.If, whoever we bring in he needs time to adjust to the players,who stays,and who comes in. All I can say is Mr.Evans if we are in this situation at the end of the season,please make sure you get a forward thinking manager.

4

cat added 08:12 - Oct 27 The clubs a fecking joke from top to bottom & run by idiots. Great topics discussed, lol. I won't be lining their pockets anymore this season as the only way to hurt these buffoons is too stay away. ME out Milne out MM out
17

jas0999 added 08:26 - Oct 27 Waste of time. Same old rubbish. Focus on the wrong things. Mick must go regardless of whether we beat a very poor Burton.
17

Campag_Velocet added 10:13 - Oct 27 “The worry is that we've become complacent about it. We keep complaining, how many times can we can complain and they don't take any notice?" Yes, Milne, frustrating, isn't it?
12

BlueBlood90 added 10:23 - Oct 27 I feel sorry for the poor sods who came out of there thinking their opinions actually mattered. Nothing will change while all these muppets are running the club.
12

bluehook added 10:44 - Oct 27 Sounds like he was totally let off the hook by those present. They've absolutely zero intention of taking any notice of what the peasants have to say - except the price of beer in the ‘fan zone'.
6

Lightningboy added 10:59 - Oct 27 12pm kick offs kill matches (cheers Sky💩)...Leeds are playing Sheffield Utd tonight at 7.45 & I guarantee it'll be a much better game and atmosphere than our recent damp squibs at noon.
5

coolcat added 11:22 - Oct 27 I was there last night. I came up from London. I go because I support my club. It was a good meeting & doesn't sound like went on for much after I left about 9.20 as had to get a train back to London. There was about the same amount of people there as there has been last 3/4 years I've been going. Maybe a surprise to some who don't go the Ipswich AGM very often.
2

lightingblue added 13:05 - Oct 27 Instead of talking kick of times why not talk about who the manager will be next season
3

Swn98 added 13:15 - Oct 27 Full Respect Coolcat.
-3

blueboy1981 added 15:08 - Oct 27 ......... the fact that the entertainment is boring, the gates dropping radically etc; - the most important thing is the price of a pint, and the Catering arrangements. You couldn't make it up. No McCarthy there, No Evans - what a shambles, and totally useless excercise. The only people there in terms of Supporters it seems were the Happy Clappie Brigade - along with their Autograph Books who managed to get Milne's for probably the tenth time, and went home (as they do ) - HAPPY -each and every time they visit to Portman Road, Whatever has happened to our Club ? - it was never, ever, the shambles it is today.

5

itsonlyme added 15:20 - Oct 27 Total respect Coolcat. I would have liked to have been there but not sure I would gave heard anything that would have set the pulse racing. I gave said it before, the deep rooted problems are not all Micks fault and whether we like or dislike him, he has my respect. You can be absolutely sure that there will be no shortage of clubs wanting him to manage them when hopefully he leaves in the summer. We need a complete overhaul!

1

cornishblu added 15:45 - Oct 27 ....kick off times or the actual day itself ....shame we are in ongoing dispute with the police (believe it's still on appeal) as to get them to change it to a Saturday would be fantastic .....much fuller ground and better atmosphere ...proved when they did go to Saturdays a couple of seasons back .....and perhaps get it off the telly ...get the fans there ...the extra 5k would more than pay for the poultry tv rights we get ....and based on last 8 performances against them we are hardly winning fans by televising it.....get it on a Saturday 3pm ...off the telly and get the ground full...then a new generation can start to understand what the rivalry is about....even if it's not fully known on the pitch! COYB

5

1RWR added 18:22 - Oct 27 " I was talking with Mick McCarthy and we both think Norwich weren't anything very special, despite what people say I know the players gave 120 per cent through the match," he added. So what the frigg does that say about us??!! Sorry Mr Milne you are a pompous idiot! Did no-one question Milne on Evans' thoughts on the continuous dwindling attendances especially a lowly 25k against Norwich which in years gone by would be a near sell out!

5

KMANSers added 19:56 - Oct 27 🙈🙉🙊 = ITFC⚰️RIP
1

dirtydingusmagee added 21:57 - Oct 27 what a crock of s##t.
1

NBVJohn added 22:03 - Oct 27 ‘'How many times can we complain and they don't take any notice'' Breathtaking. What a total waste of space this man is. By the way Mr Milne, 24,000 against Norwich says your ticket strategy is hogwash too. I'm also delighted to know that you and MM get on well. God forbid that any conflict might result in you challenging yourselves to do better. August seeems a long time ago - normal service is resumed. Poor football, spin and the select few claiming everything is OK.

3

itfchorry added 22:23 - Oct 27 Milne - you make Clegg look good Sad days - created by you and your cronies Please go - taking MCCarthy and Your boss with you
2

dukey44 added 14:20 - Oct 28 Can't wait until the club starts giving us good news again.... been a long time coming but the whole set up of club is a shambles. Then it has its usual picked Ipswich supporters and same comments come out.. the question we all want answered us who's our next manager and when? Simple really?
1

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls