The FA and Town have finally confirmed that Croatia will face England in a friendly in Portman Road's first ever full international on Wednesday, August 20th (KO 8pm).

The announcement was made at a press conference this morning in the Portman Road Media Suite by Town chairman David Sheepshanks, chief executive Derek Bowden and FA director of marketing and communications, Paul Barber.

The three were flanked by busts of former Town and England managers Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson, while the England shirt worn by Ray Crawford on his debut in 1962 adorned the wall.

Barber described the international as "the worst kept secret in football" and said the FA was very pleased to be holding a game in East Anglia: "We're absolutely delighted to be come to the East of the country. We've been just about everywhere else on our tour with the England senior team so far, and it is fantastic to come to Ipswich Town.

"It's a traditional stadium and I'm sure there will be a terrific atmosphere for the game. We've had tremendous support from David, Derek and all the staff at Ipswich Town."

Barber says the FA expect a good game from the Balkan side: "Croatia will be very good opposition, very talented and an attractive football side, and we're very much looking forward to bringing the senior team here.

"From our point of view the matches on the road have been a great success. The last match at Middlesbrough against Slovakia sold out in 52 minutes precisely - which was 35,000 tickets - and it will be interesting to see when tickets do go on sale how quickly the 32,250-odd seats sell out here."

The date when fans can purchase seats is yet to be set, however all tickets will be sold through the FA's ticketing partner Ticktmaster with none sold at Town's Ticket Office. It is likely that many Blues' supporters hopeful of attending will be disappointed.

Barber says that this is a very tricky area for the FA to strike a happy medium: "It's a difficult one. Clearly this isn't an Ipswich Town home game, it's an England home game and England is for the whole of the country.

"We happen to be in East Anglia, however it is very difficult for us to set a priority for tickets for people in the region.

"We always try and time things and publicise things in the local media wherever we can, so that the local fans have as good a chance as any of getting tickets.

"We also set aside about 10%, around 3,000 tickets, to work with the club to identify local schools and local schemes that the club may already be involved in so, whatever happens, there will still be a local flavour. That's been a great success wherever we've been.

"It will be good for the region with people from all over the country travelling here, staying in the hotels, eating in the restaurants and so on. There are benefits for the local economy."

Barber says that at previous England games around the country 50-60% of fans, in some cases 70%, have come from outside the area where that game is being played.

For Town David Sheepshanks thanked the FA for what he feels is an honour: "Needless to say, on behalf of all of us, we're very, very proud to be invited to stage a full international at Portman Road.

"It's a great honour for the club. I think it's a reflection on the huge amount of improvements we've made around the stadium and the professionalism of the staff is also clearly recognised.

"But, perhaps most of all, the extraordinary support that this club has generated over the years, and indeed our neighbours around East Anglia.

"This is the first full international to be played in East Anglia and, as proud as we are at Ipswich to host it, this is one for the people of our eastern region to thoroughly enjoy. And I hope, and I have confidence that we will, do the FA proud. We look forward to a tremendous occasion come August 20th."

Portman Road will effectively be in control of the FA on the night, although Town's matchday infrastructure - stewards, catering etc - will still be in place.

The FA are likely to have a number of marquees behind the Britannia Stand and will be responsible for selling the executive boxes, while all the usual Portman Road advertising and branding will be removed, creating a 'clean stadium'.

Town will make an undisclosed percentage from ticketing and commercial income, according to Sheepshanks: "All clubs who are asked to stage internationals receive a minority percentage. From our point of view it is very much the prestige and honour, but clearly money is very important to us all in life."

The game will be the first time a full international has been staged at a First Division ground, although had Leicester not been promoted they would have gained that dubious honour for the Slovakia match.

Portman Road has had its fair share of international football at lower levels in the past with England U21 matches against Switzerland (1980, 5-0), Romania (1985, 3-0), Albania (1989, 2-0) and the Czech Republic (1998, 0-1) all proving popular. An U23 match against Switzerland was hosted in 1972.

More recently, in 2001/02, the England U19s beat Germany 3-1 with Darren Bent scoring twice and Matt Bloomfield appearing as a substitute. The 20,000 crowd that night is cited as one of the reasons Town have been offered the senior game.

The ground also played host to a 1959 pre-Olympic Games friendly between Great Britain and the Caribbean FA ahead of the 1960 Games in Rome. It was also the venue for a hockey international fought out by Great Britain and West Germany in the summer of 1968.

Photo: Action Images

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