Ipswich Town had no game today but a non-league match just outside the town provided numerous historical links to ITFC.
Westerfeild play their home games at Ipswich School Sports centre, and it was old boys from the school who formed Ipswich Town at the end of the 19th Century. Today was a Suffolk Senior Cup game, a cup won numerous times by Ipswich Town. The first time they reached the final they played Ipswich School.
The school is still in the centre of town, but they recently purchased the Rushmere Sports Club, football is played on the northern side of the complex. But unlike it in the 19th Century football is no longer the main sports played at the school, after the First World War, like many Private schools, football was dropped and they turned to Rugby Union but it is obvious that when you visit the sports centre, it is now hockey that is king - and with 2 of the 2016 Olympic Men's Hockey team starting their hockey career at the school they must be doing something right.
Not to say football is totally forgotten, the manager of the sports centre is Roger Osborne, the man who scored the winning goal for Ipswich in the 78 FA Cup final.
The pitches may be on the edge of the complex but they are in great condition, plus quality wooden dugouts and tea and coffee from a portakabin make this a pleasant place to catch a game of football and the match today was certainly one worth watching.
Felixstowe Harpers dominated the first hour and found themselves two up, however a goalkeeping blunder let the home side back into the game and Westerfield kept the momentum up and got a deserved equaliser right at the end of the game.
So the game would be settled by a penalty shoot out, and after his earlier error the Harpers goalkeeper suddenly went from zero to hero, as he saved the first three Westerfield penalty kicks. So it is the Suffolk Coastal team that find themselves in the last 8 of the cup.
If they make it thorough the next two rounds they will find themselves at Portman Road, the modern home of Ipswich Town, another link between today and ITFC.
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