Big Fish in a little pond
Its now three years since IpswichTown decided to return to Suffolk's Premier Cup competition and the question many are asking is, is it working? In their first year back the crowds flocked to Felixstowe, Ipswich Wanderers and Needham Market to get a glimpse of the so called 'stars' of the future sprinkled with a few well known names. In the first year they swept all before them culminating in lifting the trophy in their own back yard. The next season they crashed out at the first hurdle and this year they have just began their quest. On Tuesday at a freezing Victory Road, a lower than expected crowd witnessed a few 'stars' of the future sprinkled with some well known names dispose of Ridgeons League Leiston, so are Ipswich Town not the draw they used to be? Leiston have attracted large crowds on their monumentous FA Cup run but clearly the regions big fish doesn't warrant the same attraction. Maybe had their first team not been playing the same evening one or two would have visitied expecting to see a few more house hold names but there are certainly one or two who would not bother next time around should it happen. Before the match a father of one of the visiting players aimed a tirade of abuse at the gateman because he wasn't alowed in for free. 'Unfortunately we don't do complimentary tickets for players Dad's' said the gateman to which he received an array of Anglo Saxon profanities ending with a 'hope you go bust' quote. Charming! Then at the final whistle as a handful of freezing young fans hung around hoping for autpgraphs, the visitors slipped away straight onto their waiting coach avoiding the freezing youths and the excellent hot food hospitality prepared free of charge inside the clubhouse. You wouldn't expect that in the Ridgeons League so why should you expect it in the County Cup. I'm sure Needham or Walsham will have a bumper pay day in the Semi Finals. I for one hope one of the village teams turn em over!