EDitorial ± 23-Oct-2000

Up Where We Belong

I'd never claim to be the most fanatical fan, but I've been paying good money to see Ipswich Town play football on & off for the last 25 years.

First game for me, fact fans, was season 1974-75, a 3-0 victory at home to the mighty Arsenal (with Jimmy Rimmer in goal). Scorers that night, according to my copy of The Men Who Made The Town, by John Eastwood and Tony Moyse, were Mick Lambert (2) and one Kevin Beattie. Also playing that night: George Burley, Mick Mills, Bryan Hamilton, Trevor Whymark and (the original) David Johnson. What names! I was all of 8 years old, by the way.

All of which is a long-winded way of getting to this point: as I write this, Ipswich are 6th in the FA Carling Premiership! S-i-x-t-h! Ahead of Spurs, Leeds, and Chelsea. Oh, and West Ham too.

ITFC 2000

Having grown up in Ipswich through the 70s and 80s, it was easy to take their level of achievement for granted. Always qualifying in Europe, FA Cup winners 1978, and UEFA winners 1981, before things started to go horribly Pete Tong with the loss of Bobby Robson to England, etc. But now we're back.

Not being a season ticket holder, nor a Portman Plus member, there seems precious little chance of seeing the boys in the flesh this year, alas. But that's the price of success, I guess.

If You Take Away With You Nothing Else
This week's moral is three-fold:

  1. enjoy success while it lasts,
  2. stick with your local side,
  3. and come on, you blue boys!
Be seeing you!

Ed