U18s at Portman Road
Friday, 11th Nov 2005 13:16

Town's U18s take on their Norwich counterparts at Portman Road on Saturday lunchtime (KO 1pm). Frontman or midfielder Danny Haynes is the only player involved with first team experience, having made appearances as a substitute at Leeds and Burnley earlier in the season.

Another familiar name is striker Billy Clarke, one of the stars of last season's FA Youth Cup-winning run and an Ireland U19 international. England U17 cap Kurt Robinson is also in the side, as is Iceland U17 keeper Ã“skar Pétursson.

Central defender Chris Casement, capped by Northern Ireland at U17 level, was included on the first team squad's pre-season tour of Hungary, as was locally-born midfielder Liam Trotter.

FA Youth Cup final winning goal scorer Edward Upson is on the bench alongside another Iceland U17 international, midfielder Björn Orri Hermannsson, and Charlie Sheringham, the son of former England star Teddy.

The youngsters will wear the name of their new sponsor, ROL Reader Offers, on their shirts for the first time against the Canaries.

Previous Academy sponsor, Cruise Control, recently went into liquidation owing the club all of the £30,000 they had pledged as backing for the U9 to U18 sides.

Cruise Control, majority-owned by Paul Moore, son of Town board member Richard Moore, also owed Town £30,000 for this season's lease of a Britannia Stand executive box.

Academy sponsorship manager Simon Milton has now made up the shortfall caused by Cruise Control's collapse with each year group now sponsored by a different company: U18s - ROL Reader Offers, U16s - GAH Refrigeration, U15s - Hanbury Davies, U14s - Pentney Lakes, U13s - ITFC London Branch Supporters, U12s - Elite Electrical, U11s - Maritime Cargo Processing, U10s - Fred Olsen and U9s - MC Contracts.

Tickets are £5 for adults, £3 for concessions and £1 for juniors with only the Britannia Stand middle and lower tiers open. The club suggests fans arrive early.

Badges on eBay

The Ipswich Town Ist FA Youth Cup badges will be on sale inside the ground by the turnstiles, as will the latest issue of TWTD. The badges cost £5 and raise funds for the Academy's Regional Development Centres (more information here). They are also available online here.

The game is being sponsored by regular TWTD contributor and Ipswich Town Ist committee member Colin Kreidewolf.

Town: 1 Ã“skar Pétursson, 2 Luke Webster, 3 Kurt Robinson, 4 Liam Trotter, 5 Chris Casement, 6 Jack Haverson, 7 Tony Boto, 8 Oliver Fenn, 9 Billy Clarke, 10 Danny Haynes, 11 Stuart Ainsley. Subs: 12 Edward Upson, 13 Andrew Plummer, 14 Charlie Sheringham, 15 Björn Orri Hermannsson, 16 Kieran Leabon.

Norwich: 1 Steven Arnold, 2 Patrick Bexfield, 3 Adam Gusterson, 4 Andrew Cave-Brown, 5 Matthew Halliday, 6 Lee Howlett, 7 Jamie Eames, 8 Glen Thrale, 9 Chris Martin, 10 Seb Muddel, 11 Robert Eagle. Subs: 12 Asmat El Ouargui, 13 Phil Smith, 14 Michael Spillane, 15 Bally Smart.

Photo: Action Images

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