Town chairman David Sheepshanks is not expected to be given a hard time by shareholders at this evening's AGM in the Centre Spot.

On the field the team are fulfilling his August 1995 claim that in five years Town would be at the higher end of the Premiership.

Off the field the South Stand development is under way with a new North Stand already in the planning stages and to be built at the end of the season should Town continue in the Premiership.

The increased capacity of the ground should allay fears over the lack of tickets at Portman Road, while some are sure to ask what Town are doing about the gridlock which surrounds the ground at Portman Road. Obviously this is the responsibility of the police and the Borough Council too, but some will be interestde to see how recent discussions have gone.

Ultimately a new multi-storey car park to be built as part of the hotel development on the Cattlemarket may increase the level of traffic in the future. However, the evening will over all focus on the success of the chairman and the club and the successful completion of Sheepshanks' Five-Year Plan.

The England squad for the friendly with Italy is to be announced today. Richard Wright will hope for a recall, while Jamie Clapham may get his first selection for an England squad.

Town have signed promising Northern Irish youngster Sam Morrow from under the noses of several other Premiership clubs. The striker from Derry was in the Northern Irish U15s in a Victory Shield win over England in October. He will also be involved in a match against Scotland U15s on Friday, a game that is live on Sky. Other clubs rumoured to be interested in Morrow were Manchester City, Leeds and Middlesbrough.

Two Town players will be busy polishing new cars as soon as training finishes today. Fabian Wilnis and Richard Naylor have new vehicles courtesy of John Banks, a Suffolk Honda dealership. For the next year Fabian Wilnis will drive a CR-V and Naylor a Honda Accord Executive "complete with leather seats and air conditioning". Bam-Bam an executive? Surely something more rough and ready like a quad-bike would be more appropriate. Then again we're the Tractor Boys...

Photo: Action Images

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