View on Southampton

[MayFifth]

Hello
As a bit of context, first saw my team Ipswich play at The Dell in a 4-3 win to The Saints around in 1993. Great ground, great away day, I was just about to turn 20 and football was everything (almost still is).
Not hear to gloat post Monday - just wanted to say you have some great players and at times passed us off the park Monday. I like a team that tries to play good stuff. I really liked Downes when he was at Ipswich and I thought he was bossing it until the subs came on. Stuart Armstrong also good as was Fraser. 
Long way to go, you could be a very hard team to beat if you end up at Wembley with that wide pitch.
For what it's worth, I don't think we will go up but that's ok as I don't particularly want to go up if honest (will lose most weeks, won't have many Saturday 3pms and expectations will be ridiculous).
Only thing I would observe at the two games this season is you aren't great in both boxes but between them are the best side I have seen in the league.
Best of luck, good club

[S-Clarke]

Credit to you guys, you are riding that crest of a wave ourselves and Norwich did in 2010/2011 - back to back promotions is certainly on for you in my opinion, Leicester look like they have the weight of the world on their shoulders and that may well affect them further in the run-in. 

One thing I didn't quite understand, why were your fans shouting abuse at Downes and calling him scum? Did he leave you under a cloud when he went to Swansea? He's never struck me as the sort of player who'd kick up a fuss, so I was wondering if it was just the default ''he used to play for us, so we'll boo him'' stance  

[MayFifth]

2 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Credit to you guys, you are riding that crest of a wave ourselves and Norwich did in 2010/2011 - back to back promotions is certainly on for you in my opinion, Leicester look like they have the weight of the world on their shoulders and that may well affect them further in the run-in. 

One thing I didn't quite understand, why were your fans shouting abuse at Downes and calling him scum? Did he leave you under a cloud when he went to Swansea? He's never struck me as the sort of player who'd kick up a fuss, so I was wondering if it was just the default ''he used to play for us, so we'll boo him'' stance  

A lot of football fans are thick as mince.

[Whitey Grandad]

25 minutes ago, MayFifth said:

Hello
As a bit of context, first saw my team Ipswich play at The Dell in a 4-3 win to The Saints around in 1993. Great ground, great away day, I was just about to turn 20 and football was everything (almost still is).
Not hear to gloat post Monday - just wanted to say you have some great players and at times passed us off the park Monday. I like a team that tries to play good stuff. I really liked Downes when he was at Ipswich and I thought he was bossing it until the subs came on. Stuart Armstrong also good as was Fraser. 
Long way to go, you could be a very hard team to beat if you end up at Wembley with that wide pitch.
For what it's worth, I don't think we will go up but that's ok as I don't particularly want to go up if honest (will lose most weeks, won't have many Saturday 3pms and expectations will be ridiculous).
Only thing I would observe at the two games this season is you aren't great in both boxes but between them are the best side I have seen in the league.
Best of luck, good club

Thanks for your good wishes.

I used to live up your way from 1953 to 1964 at Dovercourt and my dad went to watch you in the early 1960s when Alf Ramsey was in charge. Our specialist shopping was either Ipswich or Colchester but my train set was bought in Ipswich as a Christmas present.
 

The Wembley pitch is the international standard of 105m x 69m.

Portman Road is 102m x 75m

St. Mary’s is 105m x 68m

Not a lot in it but your home pitch is at least 6 metres wider.

[Whitey Grandad]

4 minutes ago, MayFifth said:

A lot of football fans are thick as mince.

Only ‘a lot’ ?

[MayFifth]

5 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Thanks for your good wishes.

I used to live up your way from 1953 to 1964 at Dovercourt and my dad went to watch you in the early 1960s when Alf Ramsey was in charge. Our specialist shopping was either Ipswich or Colchester but my train set was bought in Ipswich as a Christmas present.
 

The Wembley pitch is the international standard of 105m x 69m.

Portman Road is 102m x 75m

St. Mary’s is 105m x 68m

Not a lot in it but your home pitch is at least 6 metres wider.

Great knowledge, never knew that - assumed, from the TV, that Wembley was wider than most.  

Edited April 3 by MayFifth

[Micky]

39 minutes ago, MayFifth said:

Hello
As a bit of context, first saw my team Ipswich play at The Dell in a 4-3 win to The Saints around in 1993. Great ground, great away day, I was just about to turn 20 and football was everything (almost still is).
Not hear to gloat post Monday - just wanted to say you have some great players and at times passed us off the park Monday. I like a team that tries to play good stuff. I really liked Downes when he was at Ipswich and I thought he was bossing it until the subs came on. Stuart Armstrong also good as was Fraser. 
Long way to go, you could be a very hard team to beat if you end up at Wembley with that wide pitch.
For what it's worth, I don't think we will go up but that's ok as I don't particularly want to go up if honest (will lose most weeks, won't have many Saturday 3pms and expectations will be ridiculous).
Only thing I would observe at the two games this season is you aren't great in both boxes but between them are the best side I have seen in the league.
Best of luck, good club

You are the best team I have seen this season, not in terms of tactics, or players for that matter, but your desire to win is unmatchable, I just wish we had half the balls you have.   I said yesterday that I really wouldn't want to get you in the playoff final, if we scored 6 you'd score 7, that's the measure of your team spirit. I'm of an age that I remember the last time you were in the top flight and I think now your time come again at last - I'm certain you will get promoted.  If you manage to stay in for the first couple of years, that's the first big hurdle, but your right, you will lose more than you win and you manager will be picked off within months probably.  All of that said I wish you all the best for the rest of the season, good luck. 

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, MayFifth said:

Hello
As a bit of context, first saw my team Ipswich play at The Dell in a 4-3 win to The Saints around in 1993. Great ground, great away day, I was just about to turn 20 and football was everything (almost still is).
Not hear to gloat post Monday - just wanted to say you have some great players and at times passed us off the park Monday. I like a team that tries to play good stuff. I really liked Downes when he was at Ipswich and I thought he was bossing it until the subs came on. Stuart Armstrong also good as was Fraser. 
Long way to go, you could be a very hard team to beat if you end up at Wembley with that wide pitch.
For what it's worth, I don't think we will go up but that's ok as I don't particularly want to go up if honest (will lose most weeks, won't have many Saturday 3pms and expectations will be ridiculous).
Only thing I would observe at the two games this season is you aren't great in both boxes but between them are the best side I have seen in the league.
Best of luck, good club

I was at that 4-3 too, brilliant game. Great moment of terrace humour - Ipswich had a striker, Bontcho Guntchev, and he blazed a good chance direct at goal over the bar at the Milton end. Lad behind us was doing the usual early teenage ‘you’re a wanker’ routine of shouting and gestures and a middle aged bloke standing near us said in a droll voice ‘He won’t understand you - he’s Bulgarian’ 😂

Ipswich definitely got the better version of George Burley the manager.

The Robson/McMenemy peak teams were just before my time but would loved to see them play each other live, saw the 83/84 Saints side in my first season of being a supporter and the 84/85 one. Ipswich’s peak was probably 74-82. Wark, Talbot, Mariner, Brazil, Cooper, Beattie, Gates, Muhren, Thysen, Burley - some serious players there. There was an episode of Bobby Charlton’s scrapbook on Sky where it was another 4-3 at the Dell, might have been 1980/1, Keegan and Wark amongst the goals, my old man and his friends were at that one (lucky things).

Regret is that the Pochettino/Koeman SFC sides more recently didn’t win a trophy despite being in and around top 6 and Europe, were certainly good enough. 

 

Edited April 3 by Gloucester Saint

[AlexLaw76]

1 hour ago, MayFifth said:

Hello
As a bit of context, first saw my team Ipswich play at The Dell in a 4-3 win to The Saints around in 1993. Great ground, great away day, I was just about to turn 20 and football was everything (almost still is).
Not hear to gloat post Monday - just wanted to say you have some great players and at times passed us off the park Monday. I like a team that tries to play good stuff. I really liked Downes when he was at Ipswich and I thought he was bossing it until the subs came on. Stuart Armstrong also good as was Fraser. 
Long way to go, you could be a very hard team to beat if you end up at Wembley with that wide pitch.
For what it's worth, I don't think we will go up but that's ok as I don't particularly want to go up if honest (will lose most weeks, won't have many Saturday 3pms and expectations will be ridiculous).
Only thing I would observe at the two games this season is you aren't great in both boxes but between them are the best side I have seen in the league.
Best of luck, good club

I was at the 4-3 game. Remember come bloke being dared to run on the pitch if saints scored the next goal...we did, he did (and it was early on)

[Lee On Solent Saint]

To be honest, and this might sound like sour grapes etc, but wasn't particularly impressed by Ipswich over the two games we've had with you. Had we played you at St Mary's later than we did, I doubt if we had lost to you. You are quite a niggly team, few nasty and unnecessary challenges on Monday that with a stronger ref would I'm sure have resulted in a few more cards than you eventually got. I would argue that you didn't win the game, rather we lost it by poor in game management and the lack of clinical finishing by certain players. That's down to our manager who thinks he's re-inventing football every time we play. 

[Stu Man Do]

Me and my friend were told to F off by John Wark at that game for calling him a grandad (he was in his mid 30s), we were 8 and he seemed ancient! Great game though 😛 

[tdmickey3]

3 hours ago, MayFifth said:

Hello
As a bit of context, first saw my team Ipswich play at The Dell in a 4-3 win to The Saints around in 1993. Great ground, great away day, I was just about to turn 20 and football was everything (almost still is).
Not hear to gloat post Monday - just wanted to say you have some great players and at times passed us off the park Monday. I like a team that tries to play good stuff. I really liked Downes when he was at Ipswich and I thought he was bossing it until the subs came on. Stuart Armstrong also good as was Fraser. 
Long way to go, you could be a very hard team to beat if you end up at Wembley with that wide pitch.
For what it's worth, I don't think we will go up but that's ok as I don't particularly want to go up if honest (will lose most weeks, won't have many Saturday 3pms and expectations will be ridiculous).
Only thing I would observe at the two games this season is you aren't great in both boxes but between them are the best side I have seen in the league.
Best of luck, good club

You need to have replies from Gio, Notnowcato and Fabrice29 to get the real feeling here as we are just sad fucks

[Toussaint]

3 hours ago, MayFifth said:

Hello
As a bit of context, first saw my team Ipswich play at The Dell in a 4-3 win to The Saints around in 1993. Great ground, great away day, I was just about to turn 20 and football was everything (almost still is).
Not hear to gloat post Monday - just wanted to say you have some great players and at times passed us off the park Monday. I like a team that tries to play good stuff. I really liked Downes when he was at Ipswich and I thought he was bossing it until the subs came on. Stuart Armstrong also good as was Fraser. 
Long way to go, you could be a very hard team to beat if you end up at Wembley with that wide pitch.
For what it's worth, I don't think we will go up but that's ok as I don't particularly want to go up if honest (will lose most weeks, won't have many Saturday 3pms and expectations will be ridiculous).
Only thing I would observe at the two games this season is you aren't great in both boxes but between them are the best side I have seen in the league.
Best of luck, good club

Ipswich have a "never say day" team spirit, that became clear very early on this season. We haven't had that for years, which one reason we dropped out of the premier league without a whimper, or even barely even a yellow card. We are like the Harlem Globetrotters of the championship!

I didn't have a problem with your sides physicality in Monday's game, although a lot on here did. Why not ,I say, all is fair in love and war when playing for the big prizes. Good luck to you, your impressive team and manager.

[Convict Colony]

3 hours ago, MayFifth said:

A lot of football fans are thick as mince.

Ah a long term visitor to this forum then huh 😀

[ecuk268]

4 hours ago, MayFifth said:

Hello
As a bit of context, first saw my team Ipswich play at The Dell in a 4-3 win to The Saints around in 1993. Great ground, great away day, I was just about to turn 20 and football was everything (almost still is).
 

That game brings back memories in that it was the first game that I took my 7-year old son to. 

Seven goals, a penalty and a 90th minute winner from Matt Le Tiss.  He loved it, although I warned him that not every game was like that.

However, he stuck with it and now takes his lad to St Marys (if it's not school the next day).

[AlexLaw76]

Here it is

Shambolic defending all round 😆

 

[bangkoksaint]

‘Small’ club, punching above their weight who have had a myriad of issues in the last few years. Good luck Ipswich if you go up I hope you do well and upset that apple cart that is the PL

[warsash saint]

To be honest i hope 

5 hours ago, MayFifth said:

Hello
As a bit of context, first saw my team Ipswich play at The Dell in a 4-3 win to The Saints around in 1993. Great ground, great away day, I was just about to turn 20 and football was everything (almost still is).
Not hear to gloat post Monday - just wanted to say you have some great players and at times passed us off the park Monday. I like a team that tries to play good stuff. I really liked Downes when he was at Ipswich and I thought he was bossing it until the subs came on. Stuart Armstrong also good as was Fraser. 
Long way to go, you could be a very hard team to beat if you end up at Wembley with that wide pitch.
For what it's worth, I don't think we will go up but that's ok as I don't particularly want to go up if honest (will lose most weeks, won't have many Saturday 3pms and expectations will be ridiculous).
Only thing I would observe at the two games this season is you aren't great in both boxes but between them are the best side I have seen in the league.
Best of luck, good club

To be honest i hope you get promoted.  Went on Monday - first time since the 90's & have to say Ipswich still a real family club with a great ground like i remember it.  All the fans i met really chatty, police, stewards the same .... was showing my nipper the statues & was approached by one of the 'fan's liaisons' - she wouldn't stop talking .

As i said on the post match thread, day only ruined, by result obviously, but having to witness our idiot supporters trying to fight every Ipswich fan at we left the stadium!!

 

Edited April 3 by warsash saint

[Badger]

7 hours ago, MayFifth said:

Hello
As a bit of context, first saw my team Ipswich play at The Dell in a 4-3 win to The Saints around in 1993. Great ground, great away day, I was just about to turn 20 and football was everything (almost still is).
Not hear to gloat post Monday - just wanted to say you have some great players and at times passed us off the park Monday. I like a team that tries to play good stuff. I really liked Downes when he was at Ipswich and I thought he was bossing it until the subs came on. Stuart Armstrong also good as was Fraser. 
Long way to go, you could be a very hard team to beat if you end up at Wembley with that wide pitch.
For what it's worth, I don't think we will go up but that's ok as I don't particularly want to go up if honest (will lose most weeks, won't have many Saturday 3pms and expectations will be ridiculous).
Only thing I would observe at the two games this season is you aren't great in both boxes but between them are the best side I have seen in the league.
Best of luck, good club

Thanks for the views, interesting observations and comments.

First visit to Portman Road and Ipswich on Monday. Bastard of a journey but nice place, and good traditional ground. 

Not a great fan of some our passing it around for the sake of it sometimes but on Monday thought we passed it well and for most of the match with a bit of purpose moving it forward. 
Ipswich as others have said certainly have a winning spirit about them and keep going. 

Hope we both go up, although we’ll have to endure the play offs ( and will probably balls it up). Expect it’ll be Leeds and one other. 
 

Don’t remember the 1993 match, but other memories of Saints v Ipswich are : 1969 - my second league match - Saints won 4-2. First time I saw a Saints goal disallowed (don’t recall why). Sense of ‘injustice’ has lived with me ever since. 
1981- Saints won 4-3 after being 1-3 down at HT. those were the days, our current lot would go defensive second half for damage limitation or concede another six. 

[Badger]

7 hours ago, MayFifth said:

Only thing I would observe at the two games this season is you aren't great in both boxes but between them are the best side I have seen in the league.
Best of luck, good club

This is quite a telling, and accurate observation that most on here would agree with.

But let’s not advertise this too much or loudly as it’s the type of stat that RM and Rasmus W.  would get a ‘hard on’ over. 
Dress it up as this is how we exceed expected passes between the penalty areas type of bollocks. 

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

Ipswich fans must be having the time of their lives, 2 excellent seasons on the bounce and (like us) a big chance of consecutive promotions. Good luck to them.

My best trip there was (I think) 1981, a midweek game back in the Keegan days, decent Saints crowd up there and won 3-2 that night! Games in East Anglia have always been a long boring drag, Norwich was always a tedious journey particularly back in the 70s/80s on long slow roads.

[Whitey Grandad]

I have fond memories of the ‘Chrissy Marsden football genius’ waltzing through their team and rolling the ball into their net.

[AlexLaw76]

2 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

I have fond memories of the ‘Chrissy Marsden football genius’ waltzing through their team and rolling the ball into their net.

I re watched that the other day. He literally ran in a straight line for that goal, yet I recall him doing a 'messi' 😅

[MayFifth]

On 03/04/2024 at 13:23, Lee On Solent Saint said:

To be honest, and this might sound like sour grapes etc, but wasn't particularly impressed by Ipswich over the two games we've had with you. Had we played you at St Mary's later than we did, I doubt if we had lost to you. You are quite a niggly team, few nasty and unnecessary challenges on Monday that with a stronger ref would I'm sure have resulted in a few more cards than you eventually got. I would argue that you didn't win the game, rather we lost it by poor in game management and the lack of clinical finishing by certain players. That's down to our manager who thinks he's re-inventing football every time we play. 

I guess there’s a skill to staying in every game, and another skill in winning so many late on, not least with attackers who (loanees aside) weren’t considered top-end Championship talents before now. The majority of our lads have spent the majority of their careers in League One.

We annoy some sides as we are so resilient. The defeat in the 100th minute to Cardiff a few weeks ago would killed some teams but instead we crushed Sheffield Wednesday 6-0.

Good luck for the rest of the season.

Edited April 4 by MayFifth

[Andrew Watson]

MayFifth,very good posts,as I posted when another Town fan came on a few months ago it is extremely sad that your greatest ever player Kevin Beattie is not around to see his beloved team doing so well. 

[Dr Who?]

20 hours ago, Whitey Grandad said:

I have fond memories of the ‘Chrissy Marsden football genius’ waltzing through their team and rolling the ball into their net.

I was at that game, I did think he was going to screw up the finish but there was some Saintsy defending by Ipswich.