Town chairman David Sheepshanks has apologised to fans for a mix-up which has seen some fans miss out on a trip to Old Trafford. The Town chairman explained that Town had been offered 2,477 tickets on a sale or return basis and thought they have been offered another 3,000 tickets on a no return basis.

In fact the club had been offered a total of 3,034 seats with 577 tickets being return only. The club felt that they would be unable to sell what they thought was about 5,000 tickets. They cited an average away crowd of 2,100 as evidence that we wouldn't be able to muster enough support to warrant the extra tickets, leaving the club with a financial shortfall estimated at a possible £80,000. It is worth pointing out that Town's average away crowd is only 2,100 because we have been limited to the number of seats we have been given at all previous away games. Had this not been the case we would certainly have a higher average and in any event the lure of Old Trafford would have been enough to draw a huge number of non-regular away fans.

When the club realised their error they quickly tried to get the 557 tickets from Manchester United. However, by this time they had been sold to fans of the home club. David Sheepshanks said of the cock-up: "This is our error and we can only apologise to the 557 Ipswich Town fans who would otherwise have been able to see the match."

He added: "We are very sorry for the disappointment caused to some supporters."

New signing Alun Armstrong is likely to be formally paraded at a press conference on Friday. The striker has told George Burley he will join Town and the Blues hope to have him registered in time for Sunday's game at Anfield. He will use the trip to the North-West, which also takes in the Manchester City Worthington Cup match, as a chance to get to know his new team-mates.

Town manager George Burley said: "The boy has phoned me. He has talked things over with his family and has decided he wants to join Ipswich."

Town legend Frans Thijssen has become manager of Fortuna Sittard. The Dutch club are currently struggling at the bottom of the League and the job might be seen as a bit of a poisoned chalice, an English equivalent being perhaps the Norwich job.

Thijssen was last in management at Fabian Wilnis's old club De Graafschap last season where he lasted just four games when he fell out with assistant Massimo Morales. Prior to that he had been manager of Swedish side Malmo.

Thijssen played for Fortuna Sittard between 1994 and 1987.

Jason Cundy has said that his years with Town were the best of his career. Speaking after announcing his retirement caused by a knee problem the former Town star said: "My time at Ipswich was the happiest of my career despite the injury and the cancer."

The centre-half, who now hopes to move into coaching, added that he still gets more letters from Town fans that he does from fans of Pompey, a testament to the regard in which he was held at Portman Road.

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