Do you think you would still become an Ipswich supporter/follower now?

Here you can chat about everything and anything related to ITFC and other football issues. This forum also hosts the now Internationally famous TB.com ITFC match previews which contain insightful pre-match thoughts, previous highlights, news links relating to Town, form guides and other bits and pieces. Feel free to discuss meet ups/travel plans in here as well.

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marko69
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Re: Do you think you would still become an Ipswich supporter/follower now?

Post by marko69 » Wed Jan 13, 2021 6:09 pm

Having said that........ have you ever visited Brechin? The Scottish Cathedral City? It’s a very nice place. Gorgeous wee town centre.

But still. Hedge fkn tossers

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Re: Do you think you would still become an Ipswich supporter/follower now?

Post by Bluemike » Wed Jan 13, 2021 8:56 pm

Yes went through Brechin when visiting Glebe Park, seems a lovely little city, a lot of red brick buildings as I recall, f**king sh*te on the pitch though, and they took the tag of worst team ever a season or so back lol.

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Re: Do you think you would still become an Ipswich supporter/follower now?

Post by Charnwood » Fri Jan 15, 2021 1:53 pm

Bluemike wrote:
Wed Jan 13, 2021 4:52 pm
Charnwood wrote:
Wed Jan 13, 2021 12:11 pm
Bluemike wrote:
Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:58 am
Fantastic story Liz and OMG how I remember the Izal toilet rolls, cut my arse to ribbons as a kid, they don't know they are born today.

As for supporting any other team, not a chance in hell for me, ITFC or nothing, along with my beloved Forfar Athletic of course who I have followed for nearly 50 years.
Forfar Athletic FFS Mike that’s a long way from Ipswich, there must be a story there somewhere ?
It started back in the early 70s Andy when Forfar Athletic were officially and without question the worst team in Britain, something Marko would be able to confirm. I think it was 1975 when we finished bottom of the league for the umpteenth time with a meagre 9 points from 36 games, a solitary 1-0 win at Clyde being their only win all season, it started off as a gimmick and its grown from there.

I wrote to the club programme editor, a Mr David Mcgregor who sent me some complimentary programmes and a lovely letter, I was hooked and subscribed to the programme every season up to this very day, I made it my task to find and purchase every programme they have ever produced, this I achieved. I met David Mcgregor when I made the long trip to see us beat Clyde 4-2 with a certain Owen Coyle and Charlie Nicholas in the Clyde squad, I had the privilege of being shown around behind the scenes and was taken to the Forfar dressing room.

Over the years I have been mentioned in the programme several times and had a poem printed in 78 which I had written to celebrate our League Cup semi final appearance against the mighty Rangers, we led 2-1 with seven minutes to go but couldn't hold on and lost in extra time, it was the night the minnows of Forfar Athletic came within 7 minutes of European football, they will always be in my heart and will always be my other club.
Brilliant Mike, I knew there would be a decent story to tell, there just had to be cos nobody in their right mind would support them unless they were unlucky enough to be born there. Sadly it could be like that for Ipswich Town soon just like it was for Accrington Stanley and Darlington when I was a kid, and here we are in 2021 with Accrington above us in the league.

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Re: Do you think you would still become an Ipswich supporter/follower now?

Post by marko69 » Fri Jan 15, 2021 2:15 pm

“Unlucky enough to be born there” 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

As you’ve been mentioned in the Forfar Athletic programmes Mike, your fellow Loons no doubt know you’re a Tractor Boy. I hope they don’t browse this forum and read that.

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Re: Do you think you would still become an Ipswich supporter/follower now?

Post by arana peligrosa » Fri Jan 15, 2021 3:59 pm

On the subject of Forfar, Back in 1963 this supposedly took place. Got it from a sports publication, no copy and paste here every word verbatim from the book. Took a bit of time but feel it was worth the effort. Won't see it again so take the opportunity while it's there. Here goes :

'It was a great game at Station Park on Saturday although a few spectators braved the elements. Three seagulls and a dead sparrow occupied
the enclosure while the only spectator in the stand besides the 'Dispatch' reporter was a dispossessed field-mouse.'

That was how the Forfar Dispatch introduced it's report of the imaginary game between Forfar Athletic and Stirling Albion during the big freeze winter of 1962 - 63. Snow and Ice layered the pitches and terraces, matches were postponed en-masse and a major casualty was the football pools, until the introduction of a pools panel to fix the results of imaginary games.

The pools companies first disclosed the plan in the third week of January. If there were more than 30 postponements a panel of experts would
forecast results of games postponed - home win, away win or draw. (In the 1960s 0 - 0 draws counted the same as other draws in pools points) Doubts about the legality of the scheme were overcome and a panel brought into action. It consisted of Lord Brabazon of Tara (chair) and four ex-international players, Ted Drake, Tom Finney, Tommy Lawton and George Young.

The objectives of the scheme were very clear - to help the pools companies and provide a continuing outlet for the nations gambling impulses. This was little consolation for non-gambling soccer fans, who had no chance of following a game.. unless they read the Forfar Dispatch. The reporter took the panels imaginary result and unearthed an imaginary game which was exciting from the very start.

'Straight from the first blast of the imaginary referees kid-on whistle, Albion swept into the attack. Lawlor, scrambling over a large heap of salt in
the Forfar goal-area, got his boot to a loose ball but kicked it high over the bar. Play was held up for five minutes while the luckless inside-right
assisted by his team mates searched for his boot in the adjacent field'. You get the idea ?

You are given a result - in this case an away win to Stirling Albion - and you write the match report to fit the result. I'm surprised more reporters
don't try it.

The Forfar Dispatch spared us no details. We learn about the first goal - scored by Park while the Forfar goalkeeper had his foot caught in the side-netting and the three incidents needing the non-existent trainers magic sponge : D1ck shot over the bar and landed heavily when he came down on the other side ; Cuming, in agony, pink in the face, clutching his stomach, needed a new piece of elastic for his shorts ; and a Forfar forward, through on his own, hit the post and was carried off with a nasty bump on his forehead.

Reid scored Forfar's equalizer - his colleagues pelted the Stirling goalkeeper with snowballs - and it was 1 - 1 at the end of the first half, which lasted for 63 minutes as the referee had difficulty defrosting the pea in his whistle.

Both teams scored early in the second half. Soon Forfar led by the odd goal in five, and a very odd goal it was, scored by D1ck, who tied his boot-lace to the football-lace and ran 50 yards into the net. An excellent imaginary pass by Stirlings Fish started Stirlings recovery. They went 4 - 3 ahead but Forfar equalized. Four-Four. Time running out. The Forfar Dispatch captured those last tense moments with typical brilliance : 'Forfar officials were already on the phone to London to tell the panel of pools experts that the game was an imaginary draw when in the dying minutes, Johnstone notched up number five for the visitors, a kid-on away win'

The reporter added a footnote about the Stirling Albion defender who on hearing his team had been awarded an away win, went to his manager and asked for his win bonus. "Surely I must have told you" said the quick-thinking manager. "You were dropped for that game"

All fiction perhaps but this imaginary game had its roots in the reality of a pools-panel away win. From the town that had once provided one of
footballs most alliterative 5 - 4 results - Forfar 5 East Fife 4 - now came the most vivid account of an imaginary 5 - 4 result. And, just for the record, the pools panel had it correct. When the teams met later in the season Stirling Albion recorded an away win. The score, though, was 2 - 0.

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Re: Do you think you would still become an Ipswich supporter/follower now?

Post by Bluemike » Fri Jan 15, 2021 4:46 pm

That is fab SJ and I have that book !!! Or at least a book with that article in it

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Re: Do you think you would still become an Ipswich supporter/follower now?

Post by Charnwood » Fri Jan 15, 2021 9:07 pm

marko69 wrote:
Fri Jan 15, 2021 2:15 pm
“Unlucky enough to be born there” 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

As you’ve been mentioned in the Forfar Athletic programmes Mike, your fellow Loons no doubt know you’re a Tractor Boy. I hope they don’t browse this forum and read that.


Oooops sorry Marko, but no surprise for you PC never has been one of my strong points 🙁

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