Mid table, end of season, who says it can't be fun?
What must be one of the strangest seasons in the history of Ipswich Town football Club reaches its conclusion on Sunday afternoon.
The famous Suffolk punch on the badge hardly managed a trot at the start of the season, never even reached a canter mid term but suddenly is in full gallop approaching the final game.
The match against the ‘Sky Blues’ on Sunday, two sides with a recent history of mediocrity at best and nothing to play for between them would probably command a sub 20k turnout of die hard fans at best in normal circumstances.
Circumstances though at Portman Road are far from normal at the moment.
An attendance approaching 25,000 is expected to greet Town’s new Messiah and welcome him into his place of worship, many hoping to witness the miracle of I.T.F.C rising from the dead.
These are exciting times for any town fan, even those who remember the ‘Robson era’ and what would have been a going through the motions last game has been given a new status. Even the radio listening and mobile texting junkies in the ground will have a fix, tracking the fortunes or otherwise of ‘The Budgies’ as they cling with more than desperation to their precarious Championship perch at The Valley. Anyone for a Darren Ambrose hatrick?
Sunday’s events could prove to be very enjoyable for Town fans but the close season wait for the next game is going to seem immeasurably long, for myself anyway.
With no World or Euro tournaments to wet the salivatory glands (bring back the ‘Home Internationals!’) even the Fishing and Golf will struggle to bridge the gap between what promises to be two of the most contrasting seasons in the clubs history.
While some fans will be having an end of season celebration ours will be more like a Christening. I’ll see you there to ‘wet the babies head’ and let’s hope for a cracking first birthday party next May.