Supersub

Thursday 30 October 2025, Haverhill Rovers Under 18s 1 Ipswich Town Under 16s 3 - Suffolk FA Under 18 Midweek Cup, Hamlet Croft

As in previous years, Ipswich enter their Under 16 team in this competition to give them some experience against older players - Haverhill started strongly but after 15 minutes, Ipswich settled into the game and had most of the play, but a bit like the First Team, lacking the killer instinct with just shots from distance.

Second half, saw the introduction of a few Ipswich subs, as no programme or teamsheet, hard to know who they are but one was believed to be an England schoolboy international and he certainly looked a class above the players already on the pitch. he was involved in everything. Ipswich went ahead after 52 minutes but Haverhill were back on level terms 5 minutes later after confusion at the back but Ipswich were back in front after 65 minutes and then in injury time the 'super sub' won a penalty which he converted himself. A decent game and great to see the two young teams play in front of a good sized crowd. 

Could not take all the points

Tuesday 28 October 2025, Ipswich Town Under 21s 2 Preston North End Under 21s 2 - Premier League Cup, Group game, Bloomfields, Needham Market FC

Second visit to Needham this season, but first with the new Grandstand open - a big improvement on the old one, but do actually miss the wooden bench seating.

Larger crowd than at the U21 games held at Colchester, I for one, would rather see Ipswich invest in the facilities at Needham or Felixstowe rather than hire Colchester United for U21 and Ipswich Women games.

Preston started well but Ipswich soon found themselves two up with both goals coming from Jamie Mauge, a local Ipswich lad whose dad (Ronnie) played professionally for a number of clubs, mainly at Bury and Plymouth.

This was the Ipswich U21 Second XI, as only 3 players who started  against Brighton started today but it was still disappointing how in the second half they could not finish the game off and it was Preston who finished the stronger, getting one goal back from the penalty spot and then getting an equaliser late on.

Jack again

Saturday 25 October 2025, Ipswich Town 1 West Bromwich Albion 0 - Championship, Portman Road 

Left it late again and it was that man, Jack Clarke who saved the day again 

Duck to water

Friday 24 October 2025, Ipswich Town Under 21s 3 Brighton and Hove Albion Under 21s 1- PL2, Jobserve Community Stadium, Colchester

1st team may have made a stuttering start to their return to the Championship, The Under 18 team can't even get a point, however the Under 21 team have taken to the PL2 like a duck to water.

Three nil up at half time and even manged to miss a penalty in the second half- Brighton got into the game late on but just manged a one goal consolation.

Be interesting to see how much bigger the crowd is next Friday, when the Under 21 team play a rare game at Portman Rd. 

Double defeat

Tuesday 21 October 2025, Ipswich Town Under 17s 1 Norwich City Under 17s 4 - PL Under 17 Cup, group game, Playford Road

Norwich started the sharper and could have scored earlier but Ipswich started to get back into the game but then fell behind after 18 minutes only for Ipswich to equalise a minute later from a cross/shot!

Ipswich then got on top and on 58 minutes a Norwich player got a straight red when as last man he took the Ipswich Number 9 down but instead of Ipswich taking advantage of the extra man, it was Norwich who seemed to benefit, playing on the break and going ahead after 62 minutes, and then adding a third after 87 minutes then to rub slat into the wound, scoring directly from a free kick on 90 minutes. 

Game played on the main Training Ground (not Bent Lane) currently part building site/ training ground 

Then it got worse!!

Ipswich Town 0 Charlton Athletic 3 - Championship, Portman Road

Totally dominated the first half, numerous corners but closest to scoring was a shot that hit the bar and then second half the defence went missing- and Ipswich now have some serious issues if we expect to return to the Premiership at the first opportunity. 

Xherdan Shaqiri show

Saturday 18 October 2025, FC Basel 3 FC Winterthur 0 - Swiss Super League, St Jakob Park

Unlike my top of the table match in Zurich last season, this time FC Basel may have been playing the team at the bottom of the table, there was big crowd and great atmosphere. Stadium used for Women's Euro final in the summer and is impressive with a shopping centre built in to the main stand and below the ground.

Tram 14 is currently unable to get to the stadium as line being renewed but Tram 10 or 11 dropped you just 10 minutes from the ground, plenty of outside bar and food stalls in place with club selling a special scarf for a cancer charity and the club supporters raising money for a club museum. 

The game was the Xherdan Shaqiri show  - scoring a penalty, making an assist, creating/involved in the best move of the day, taking every corner and Free Kick. He does not look very fit anymore but his passion for the game was on show and some of his passing was out of this world.

Afterwards, easy walk back to tram stop, 2 minute wait and back at hotel in 15 minutes. 

No local morning games, all games played seemed to be late afternoon, so clashing with the FC Basel 6pm kick off, the club were offering cheap tickets for the indoor Basel indoor tennis tournament evening session, being held in the large sports arena next door to the football stadium

Sunday, no games for me but a large non-league calendar was in place, but nothing that stood out, all local games seemed to kick off between 12 an d 3pm - so again a double was impossible unless you were  willing to get a train 30 miles plus to get an extra morning kick off game in.

Left it late

Saturday 11 October 2025, Everett Rovers 5 Buckingham 3 - SSM League, Division 1, Dobb Road

A goal fest as the league leaders had to come back from 1-3 down to win 5-3. The ground is a cage on a large sports field with a small but very modern clubhouse behind one goal. inside the cage you can watch from one side and behind one goal. A very small covered terrace, no seats.

The home side are top and today they played another side in the top 6. It was the visitors who took the lead after 4 minutes, game was played at a fast pace, and both teams were keen to attack and the home side got back on level terms after 18 minutes. The visitors went back in front on 39 minutes then extended their lead when a home played headed into his own goal on 44 minutes, but there was still enough time left in the half for Everett to pull one goal back.

Second half saw Everett do most of the attacking, but it seemed they would end up losing at home as they could not break down the well disciplined Buckingham defence, but with 10 minutes left one of the better Buckingham players hurt his knee and had to be subbed off, his replacement had a nightmare and gave a penalty away on 83 minutes which Everett converted. .

This gave Everett a great boost and they got in front after 88 minutes and added a 5th goal, deep into injury time.

Everett have a very good chance of winning the division, but it would mean they would have to undertake quite a bit of work to be able to play at Step 5.

Mad end

Tuesday 7 October 2025, Brantham Athletic 2 Tilbury 2 - Brantham Leisure Centre, Isthmian League, North Division

Brantham bottom, Tilbury not much higher and for 80 odd minutes we had a very poor game, Brantham looking the better team, but Tilbury took the lead after 53 minutes with their first shot on target in the game.

Looked like an away but then we had 4 minutes of madness, a Brantham sub equalised on 88  minutes, then a minute later the same sub got, what Brantham thought was a winner after a terrible mistake by the Tilbury keeper, but it was too good to believe and in the 93rd minute, Tilbury were back level after a looping header. B

Both teams look like they will continue to struggle for the rest of the season.

My first visit to Brantham this season, and no noticeable improvements since promotion 

Long wait over

Sunday 5 October 2025, Ipswich Town 3 Norwich City 1 - Championship, Portman Road

Took 16 years, but in the end an 'easy' Deby win with a great short cameo from Nunez

Friendly club

Saturday 4 October 2025, Mutford and Wrentham 1 UEA 1 - Anglian Combination, Premier Division, London Road

Weather spoilt the game, wet and windy first half and then just windy second half - plus a poor pitch, meant football hard to play, credit to both teams - as they both still attempted to play football, Both goals in the second half with the home team scoring first, both teams had chance to win it, a few hard tackles but nothing to write home about, game played in good spirits, so a surprise when the Ref red carded the home team coach in injury time!

Mutford, promoted last season and had gone up the leagues' quite fast in the last few seasons, players have stuck with them through that rise, but they might struggle now in top division.

Ground is basic, on a field right next to the A12, Fully fenced off, two wooden dugouts and a very, very small wooden stand - however the club is well worth a visit!

Tea, coffee, rolls and cake (Victoria sponge, today) all available and just for a donation- in the hut next to the changing rooms, plus the room was warm, dry, carpet, even coffee tables to put your mug of coffee down on. Club badges on sale and at the end of the hut a table crammed with old team photos, programmes from Norfolk FA Finals from the 60's, medals from more recent cup wins , old club committee papers- a real bonus to the visit. Locals all keen to chat and made everyone welcome.