First Time ITFC; Tripreport (tl;dr)

[VenloITFC]

Friday 10-04-2015

It’s always good leaving the office on a Friday but having a cracking weekend ahead definitely adds to the experience. After seeing my hometown team – VVV Venlo – beat FC Eindhoven 2 to 1 and basically locking up a play-offs seat, I pre-burn some calories in the gym before making my way to the midnight meetup for my first ever Ipswich trip.

I travel quite extensively but the usually a little more exotic than the UK. I’ve been wanting to visit some UK Football matches for a while but somehow never came around to actually planning a trip. So, when I heard some fellow VVV supporters plan a Ipswich trip I was quick to lock up a seat. Luc, Mark & Alwin have been coming to Ipswich ever since they met the infamous Ipswich supporter Ray Slegg on one of their European football trips, years ago.

I started following ITFC performances after we planned the trip about four months ago. Recording the Football League Show, checking out this forum and F-5ing Livescore during games. I was actually quite bummed out about the Huddersfield loss. Bummed out over a loss of a team I’ve never seen live from a city I’ve never visited. Funny how that sh*t works.

After watching the highlights of the Dutch Championship matches we make our way towards Calais around 01:30 well on time for our 06:16 Eurotunnel trip. We are lucky enough to walk into a complete mental scene at a Belgium gas station around 03:30. A group of 6/7 people is throwing everything in their reach at the counter. The dude behind the counter is going bonkers and screams at top of his lungs while viciously punching the glass wall that separates them. Good stuff.

We sip a cappuccino and watch the freak show until the cops show up to calm things down. This whole mess was about no less then € 15,- in change. Unreal. No train delays so we arrive at the Ipswich PentaHotel around eight in the morning and check in for a three night stay.

Saturday 11-04-2015

While I take my seat at The Golden Lion Hotel for breakfast around nine I realise we are the only four in the joint not having a pint at this hour. First thought: ‘I could definitely live here’. We start talking to some Ipswich fans from Norway as Luc & Alwin and these guys coincidently have a mutual friend in Norwegian ITFC fan ‘Tom’.

Off to Manning’s around 11 for some power drinking. I’m impressed with the international following of ITFC as I only seem to meet people from Norway, Sweden & Germany. Some of them season ticket holders making the trip to Portman Road every two weeks. I can only hope to fall in love with ITFC that much.

Ray was friendly enough to arrange tickets for the Blackpool & Cardiff games and we meet up at The Mulberry Tree around 13:30. Few pints and it’s game on for my first trip to Portman Road. The stadium is a classic of course and about as English as it gets. I’m not going to lie, I was fairly disappointed about the atmosphere during the Blackpool match. Especially after the equaliser. With Ipswich fighting for it last change I expected more. Probably the fans were nervous and luckily ITFC managed to squeeze out a late win.

After the game we hit McGinty’s for the Burnley – Arsenal match and the group starts to deteriorate. Not sleeping and power drinking can be heavy. Mark is the first one to go around eight and Luc last about an hour longer. I have one of those rare days where alcohol doesn’t seem to affect you. I only had breakfast and I’m closing in on 20 pints but I still feel like I could drive a car. I’m pretty sure that’s not true though as I don’t remember any of the pubs we hit on our way back to the hotel were we arrive around midnight. I try to stay awake during the Football League Show but fail miserably. Pretty f**king awesome fist day in Ipswich.

Sunday 12-04-2015

Mark and Luc are off to a Suffolk Sea pub-crawl with Ray. They got up at eight so Alwin and I respectfully declined that option. A full English breakfast at the The Golden Lion Hotel is much needed. After breakfast it’s 11 in the morning and with f*ck all to do we start ordering pints as if they are going out of fashion. We make our way to c*ck & Pye for the QPR - Chelsea match and the Manchester derby and go on our own pub crawl afterwards.

We make our way to The Fat Cat and somehow end up at The Water Lilly later. The Water Lilly is pretty epic. You could unleash a blind horse and not make a 100 quit in damages in that pub. We were there for two pints and I saw no less than three people not able to pay for the drink they just ordered. I definitely don’t laugh at poverty but there was something comical about the whole ordeal.

Don’t ask why but we ended up watching a league Pool game at the bar across from Portman Road before meeting Luc and Mark in the away pub at the Riverside Hotel. The boys wanted to stay at the Riverside Hotel this trip but I’m glad I intervened. The place looks like a homeless shelter and the barkeeper closes shop while we are still in the pub. He just shut the lights down. Message received.

I switch to Corona’s at the PentaHotel bar which is open 24 hours. We have fun with some railway workers from Sheffield before I head to bed around one in the morning. Another good 14 hour stretch of binge drinking in the books.

Monday 13-04-2015

Road trip day. I’ve arranged tickets for the Liverpool – Newcastle match since I didn’t want to ‘waste’ another day knocking back pints in Ipswich. After breakfast and a visit to the ITFC Fan Shop we start the road trip. We arrive at Liverpool around 5 and grab a quick pint before meeting the ticket guy. We get four season tickets for The Kop. Nice. A swift visit to Goodison Park and a pint at the fan court before KO.

The YNWA song was a ‘bucket list’ kind of thing and the minute of silence for ‘the 96’ was impressive but besides that it wasn’t all that. The atmosphere was sh*te at best. I just can’t wrap my mind around the fact that people support huge clubs such as LFC, United, Barcelona or Madrid. Unless you are born in that freaking city and your father took you to the ground when you were 6 weeks old there is no excuses for supporting these commercial factory’s.

We made our way out of Liverpool faster than expected and were due back at the hotel around two in the morning. Little did we know the Road Blocking World Cup was held this Monday night. For f*ck sake. About every exit we needed was shut down to the point that I wanted get out of the car and kick a road workers as*. The prearranged beers make the trip manageable. Back in the hotel around four in the morning. Beat.

Tuesday. 14-04-2015

Check-out at 12. Alarm at 11:30. We meet Ray in some Pub for lunch. Ray wanted to take us on a tour through Ipswich to watch some painting and visit ‘Sir Alf’s’ grave. Luckily Ray realised we are to much philistines to appreciate such a trip and only Luc joins him for the walkabout. We hit Mulberry Tree’s terrace for some pints and enjoy the lovely weather.

Off to Portman Road around 7 for the 19:45 KO against Cardiff. Walking on to the stand a realise today is going to be a shitload different atmosphere wise. We are on the same stand - The Sir Bobby Robson Stand, section six – as Saturday but this time the stand is packed while it overall attendance is 2K down compared to the Blackpool game. The atmosphere is electric. This is what I came to the UK for!

After the game it’s a swift goodbye to Ray and back to Venlo wheels spinning. Back home at 06:30 tired as f*ck but with an excellent trip in the books. With two wins and great results on the other pitches we saw ITFC move from eight to a playoff spot with a three point margin. Not bad for a first trip. With an excellent draw at Wolves this weekend I’ll be at Portman Road mentally this Saturday when a win over Nottingham basically secures the play—offs. I would have definitely been back for the Play-offs if it wasn’t for a Thailand trip taking up most of May. I am back at the 25th though. So, COYB and make that final.

[Bluemike]

A great write up of your first experience to Ipswich & Portman Road, so glad you had a great time and saw Town win twice.

[marko69]

You are a f**king alcoholic, mate! I'm an in the blood Scotsman but even I'd struggle to keep up with you lot.

Sounded like one awesome trip though, taking in some decent football matches.