McKenna: It Was a Beautiful Stadium to Play In
Tuesday, 28th Dec 2021 16:33

Kieran McKenna will take charge of Town for the first time when the Blues host Wycombe Wanderers on Wednesday evening, but the new boss has already won a game at Portman Road as a player - when he also got on the scoresheet - and has both fond and painful memories of that evening.

McKenna, 35, whose career was ended when he was on the cusp of breaking into the Tottenham first team, was part of the Spurs reserves side which beat a Town second string 2-0 in November 2005 when he netted his team’s opener in the 22nd minute.

Reminded about the game and his goal, McKenna said: “I have played at Portman Road, I played in a reserve game there a good while ago. I don’t want to guess how many years!

“I remember the goal, I remember the stitches in my foot more so! I ended up getting five stitches in the top of my foot. I can’t remember the name of the striker, but he went on to do well and play a good few games for Ipswich [either Billy Clarke or Danny Haynes].

“He caught me on the top of the foot, so my main experience of Portman Road - apart from the fantastic pitch and the stands and that you come here and enjoy it - but of that game in particular was in the physio room afterwards getting stitches in my foot on a cold and wet night.

“It was a beautiful stadium to play in. Honestly I remember that of all the stadiums that I’ve played in.

“Just when you went through it you could feel the history, the steep stands, the atmosphere and the tradition around .

“And also at that point it was a fantastic playing surface as well that was enjoyable to play on.

“It will be nice to be back out there tomorrow night in a different capacity.”

Photo: Action Images

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Suffolkboy added 17:02 - Dec 28 Oh how good was that playing surface ? - something to be proud about , to point out to guests we brought BUT what's to be done now to resurrect such pride ? This man sounds the more genuine an article each interview ! COYB
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Bazza8564 added 17:12 - Dec 28 Yep the words are impressive enough lets just pray that the football is as good, COYB.
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itsonlyme added 17:51 - Dec 28 You can thank the wonderful groundsman we had at the time - Alan Ferguson award winner as well.
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therein61 added 18:08 - Dec 28

I fondly remember from my first game at Portman Road in 1958(beat Liverpool 4-1!!!) as an 6 year old(stood on a milk crate in the Churchmans) this was my first taste of what was to come in my support for our great club the atmosphere from the crowd was polite instead of noisy, the singing started in Sir Alfs reign when keep right onto the end of the road came from all 4 stands and players shook hands with a scorer instead of the mayhem we get now, i will always remember the chicken shed(later to be sold to Ipswich speedway)when the west stand replaced it we then had one of the finest playing services in the country using the same seed as Wembley and compliments rained in from all opposition until that fateful day when we built what was then the Cobbold stand to increase capacity when we were not filling the ground and the money could have been spent on the 2 signings that would have taken us to the championship as we were so close under Bobby but the squad was too small(his only mistake in my eyes bless him what a man he was) as a result through shade that side of the pitch suffered a great deal and affected good football which all Town fans love to see, but one thing remains and that is the fantastic atmosphere that our fans generate what ever the attendance in what is a cleverly designed stadium to keep the noise in!! I genuinely feel we are(if not this season as a man who is and proved to be useless without Richardson beside him has beggared it, hope i'm wrong) with the players in the building going to be a side to be reckoned with on a consistent basis, C.O.Y.B

methwoldblue1 added 22:26 - Dec 28 Town Fans Praised Again 31st Mar 2001 18:36 Town's fans have been praised again with Premier League chief Richard Scudamore using the Portman Road atmosphere as an example of one Premiership ground that hasn't become more like a library. 0
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LimerickTractorBoy added 14:45 - Dec 29 class memories 61, I was a regular at Portman Road in early 90,s, oh the memories of being in that wonderful stadium.
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therein61 added 18:38 - Dec 29 Hi Limerick thanks for that i made a mistake in saying Cobbold stand as it was named Pioneer after their sponsorship oh well that's what getting old and supporting our club in the recent past does to you, i'm so pleased to have seen the best(so far) of the club i love and the memories will stay with me forever.
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