Wind and rain

Saturday 24 October 2026, Gosfield United 2 The Rodings and Waltham 4 - Essex and Suffolk Border League, Premier Division, Notley High School

G4 Card played but also meant only a short drive and completed my second closest Step 7 League

Astro at the back of the school, on the edge of Braintree, usual cage set up with spectator area on 3/4 of one side of the pitch. Astro in very good condition.

Heavy rain and swirling wind throughout the game but both team still attempted to play football. Both teams joined the senior division this season, so expected a close game however quite obvious that the visitors were much the better team when it came to attacking. They took the lead on 6 minutes however Gosfield were back on level terms after 18 minutes. The visitors missed a number of good chances before adding further goals on 22 and 41 minutes.

The second half was more even  and the home side pulled a goal back on 65 minutes, however the visitors secured the points with a 4th goal on 85 minutes and still had time to miss a couple more good chances.

Hard won point

 Friday 23 October 2026, Ipswich Town 1 Nottingham Forest 1 - Premier League, Portman Road

Forest were the better team, but we never gave up and our hard work deserved some reward

Easy win

Friday 23 October 2026, Ipswich Town Under 21s 5 Birmingham City Under 21s 0 - Premier League 2, Playford Road.

Hard to decide if it was great display by Ipswich or they just faced a very poor Birmingham side? Think it was a bit of both!

Ipswich could have scored about 3 in the first 5 minutes but Birmingham survived, only to go behind from an own goal on 11 minutes. Ipswich stayed on top with their full backs acting more like out and out wingers than defenders, further goals were added in the 28th and 39 minutes, Ipswich even managed to miss an open goal from 10 yards out.

Second half was still mainly all Ipswich but they just added two further goals in the 51st and 54th minute.

Game was played on the Playford Road site, whilst most games at U18 and U21 level have been played across the road at Bent Lane in the past.

Wind and rain

Wednesday 21 October 2026, Ipswich Town Under 17s 1 Fulham Under 17s 3 - Premier League Under 17 Cup, Group Game, Bent Lane Training ground

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Strong winds heavy rain and not a great game.

Even start to the game then Fulham got on top and took the lead after 25 minutes and added a second after 37 minutes. We also had a mass punch up- with just 2 yellow cards shown, start of the season we saw 22 player punch ups in the Under 16 and Under 18 games v Fulham - Coincidence?

​Ipswich had plenty of the ball but final pass was often poor and the Fulham keeper had little to do, whilst when Fulham attached it nearly always ended up with a shot on target.

Fulham added a third on 56 minutes, both teams made a number of subs and the Ipswich subs managed to start putting pressure on Fulham and pulled a goal back on 68 minutes. Ipswich had most of the play in last 20 minutes but could not add to their solitary goal.

Return to Europe (sort of)

Tuesday 20 October 2026, Ipswich Town Under 21s 0 Anderlecht Under 21s 1 - Premier League International Cup, Portman Road

Poor game that Anderlecht probably just deserved on their first half display, taking their goal well on 22 minutes. Ipswich were better in the second half but the visiting keeper did not have to do much, game came to life in the last 5 minutes when one of the Belgian team got a straight red card then the Belgian keep decided to pretend he had been shot and laid on the ground for a good 2 minutes, then suddenly recovered to take the free kick!

Never get wet here

Saturday 17 October 2026, Egham Town 4 AFC Portchester 2 - Isthmian League, South Central Division, Runnymede Stadium

Well, you would never get wet here watching a game, a decent seated stand however also 5 covered terrace stands!

Game was only a few minutes old and the first strong tackle went in, not a dirty foul but set the tone for the game with plenty of tough challenges/fouls from both sides.

Home side went in front after 3 minutes but Portchester were back on terms 3 minutes later. then the first of 2 Egham penalties, this one on 10 minutes as Egham took the lead again.

Portchester got back level on 48 minutes as the tackles/fouls were still keeping the Ref busy and on 65 minutes Egham went ahead again from the penalty spot, the Portchester player also got his second yellow card and an early bath.

Easy win

Thursday 15 October 2026, Woodbridge Under 18s 0 AFC Sudbury Under 18s 7 - FA Youth Cup, 3rd Qualifying Round, Notcutts

Woodbridge had done well to get to this round of the cup, but this was the end of the run as they came up against Sudbury, the West Suffolk club have dominated local under 18 football for at least the last decade.

Sudbury scored after 4 minutes but then the game got scrappy before they got a second with a great individual goal after 26 minutes.

Second half was all Sudbury as they added a further 5 goals, 2 from the penalty sport- and the Woodbridge keeper was probably still Man of the Match!

An Ipswich win

Tuesday 13 October 2026, Felixstowe and Walton United 2 Ipswich Wanderers 3 - Suffolk Premier Cup, Round 2, Dellwood Avenue

Lower division team going through and a deserved win, going ahead with the right back scoring a great individual goal after 17 minutes only for Felixstowe to get level in the last minute of the half. Wanderers then went ahead again after 54 minutes, Felixstowe then woke up and 10 minutes later were back on terms, but it was the Ipswich side who went though after scoring with a header on 85 minutes.

Left it late- but great finish

Saturday 10 October 2026, Ipswich Town Fulham, Premier League, Portman Road

Fulham have not got a win this season and was not surprised by that as very little attacking intent shown, however they did take the lead, but Ipswich left it late but kept going and won it in injury time!

Exciting, but no win

Friday 9 October 2026, Ipswich Town Under 21s 2 WBA Under 21s 2 - Premier League Cup, Group Match, At Colchester United

WBA took the lead from the penalty spot on 5 minutes but then Ipswich took control with an equaliser 2 minutes later, a great goal direct from a free kick and then Ipswich took the lead 6 minutes later. Ipswich were then denied an obvious penalty, but Ipswich were still on top however it was WBA who got the next goal in injury time so it was 2-2 at the break.

Ipswich started the second half on top and hit the bar and missed a number of other good chances, WBA then had a period on top and they also hit the bar but surprisingly there were no further goals in the second half.

Savage needs a haircut

Tuesday 6 October 2026, Colchester United Under 21s 1 Swansea City Under 21s 2- Professional Development League, Florence Park

Then: Peterborough United 4 Ipswich Town Under 21s 1 - Football League Trophy, Group Game, London Road

My first visit to Florence Park this season and good to see they have moved both U21 and U18 games to the top pitch by the main gate (not the main pitch) but far better than the pitch used last year, where you had to wade through mud to get there! Pitch railed on one side.

Colchester played a number of the 1st team squad (you could tell by the increased moaning at the Ref!) and started on the front foot and went ahead after 8 minutes but they wasted a number of further chances and Swansea started to get back into the game and were level on 43 minutes. Second half saw Swansea get on top and they got a deserved winner on 64 minutes.

A quick drive across Essex to join the M11 and then A1 north to Peterborough

After Ipswich got battered at Luton, not sure what would happen here plus with Robbie savage in the dugout expected to see Posh go for it.

But for 24 minutes it was quite even, then Ipswich gave away a soft penalty on 25 minutes and the floodgates opened, with further goals on 27, 30 and 35 minutes. However the second half saw Ipswich get the only goal on 50 minutes so Savage will know he has plenty to still do, to get Peterborough back up the table.

Goals and plenty to enjoy

Sunday 4 October 2026, Needham Market Phoenix 3 Ipswich Sports Reserves 2 - Ipswich Sunday Football League, Division 3, Thornhill Rd, Claydon

One of my rare visits to see a game in the local Sunday league, took advantage of the late summer weather, to cycle to Claydon a village just north of Ipswich. The Recreation Ground is on the high ground above the village, the changing rooms and the car park are at the entrance to the Recreation Ground. The pitch is on a lower level, feels enclosed as trees/hedges on 3 sides. Pitch was flat but very hard due to lack of rain.

Impressed to see at Division 3 that both teams had plenty of subs, and it actually turned out a more entertaining game that I thought it would be, a few stupid tackles and verbal's but the Ref kept a lid on it and so just a few yellow cards needed and no red cards.

Needham took the lead on 12 minutes as they beat the offside trap, however a bad back pass meant Ipswich Sports were back on terms 3 minutes later. On 26 minutes, one of the best moves of the day saw the visitors take the lead but a soft penalty conceded by Ipswich Sports on 32 minutes, meant it was all square at the break.

Second half saw chances at both ends but it was Needham who got the only goal of the half and the winner on 56 minutes.

Goals galore

Saturday 3 October 2026, Sudbury Sports 6 Gosfield United 3 - Essex & Suffolk Border League, Premier Division, AFC Sudbury Community Arena

Took me a while but have now ticked the new G4 at Sudbury, a cage but better than most as you can watch the game from the whole of one side, not the 3/4 of a side as at most cages, plus a number of wooden benches in place to sit on.. AFC Sudbury Reserves were home on the main pitch so those of us watching this could use the catering facilities at the main ground. Hope Sudbury look after the G4 better than the G3 pitch in the main stadium, poor condition and now fundraising to replace it.

Football wise, a cracking game, plenty of skill from both sides, plenty of goals and even a red card!

Sudbury Sports took the lead on 14 minutes only to concede on 17 minutes, back in front on 31 minutes before the Sudbury keeper punched into his own goal on 36 minutes, still time in the first half for Sudbury Sports to add two further goals on 37 and 41 minutes.

Second half saw Sudbury add a fifth goal  53 minutes, after 70 minutes they were down to 10 men as the ref sent a Sudbury Sports player off for a deliberate elbow, looked a harsh decision, as none of the Gosfield players made a fuss, and in a game where there had hardly been a foul in the whole game, think a yellow card would have sufficed.

Being a player down did not stop Sudbury attacking as they added a further goal on 74 minutes before Gosfield got a consolation goal a minute later. Great entertainment. 

No penalty kicks needed this time

Thursday 1 October 2026, Woodbridge Town Under 18s 2 Great Yarmouth Town Under 18s 0 - FA Youth Cup, 2nd Qualifying Round, Notcutts

After watching Woodbridge scrape through on penalty kicks in the last round, thought I would see how they got on in the next round. Woodbridge started well but Yarmouth probably had more of the ball in the first half and looked the better team, Woodbridge did find the back of the net after 38 minutes but it was offside.

Second half saw Woodbridge get on top and they had another goal ruled out for offside on 68 minutes but 5 minutes later they were in front and the linos flag could not save the team from Norfolk this time.

The goal did get Yarmouth to get on the front foot and Woodbridge started falling back deeper and on 86 minutes the Woodbridge left back got a straight red card,  thought a yellow would have sufficed, but with 10 men it was Woodbridge who then pushed forward and they got their second goal on 89 minutes to secure the tie.

Very impressed with the Referee, who handle the time wasting by Woodbridge very well.

Local cage

Wednesday 30 September 2026, Ipswich Town Foundation Under 21 Women 2 Oaklands Under 21 Women 5 - National Football Youth League, South Premier Women, St Joseph's College 3G (Ipswich)

​St Joseph's a private school in Ipswich, better known for Rugby Union with a couple of recent England players starting their rugby journey here, but it is football that the girls at the college concentrate on, with a few national titles under the coaching of former Bristol City and Ipswich player Cole Skuce.

About 2 years ago, they put a new 3G Football pitch on top of the hockey astro, still in a cage but no spectator area inside the cage. The 3G is a joint venture with the charity/community arm of Ipswich Town - the Ipswich Town Foundation. The college is only a short walk from Portman Road. You have to watch from the small grass bank between the car park and the cage but unlike many 3G pitches there are not numerous pitch markings on the surface. You enter via the back of the college- Birkfield Drive, car park can get very full.

Game kicked off at 1.35, was meant to start at 2pm! Even start to the game then the visitors, Oaklands Wolves (from St Albans) started to dominate, going in two up at the break.

Start of the second half and it looked bad for Ipswich as the visitors scored in the 50th and 51st minute but Ipswich got one back straight away in the 52nd minute then dominated the game themselves for a while and got a second goal on 70 minutes, but Oaklands came back and got their 5th and final goal on 74 minutes.

The pitch is used by the school and the Foundation but a Suffolk and Ipswich League Saturday side, Achilles used it at the start of this season when their own pitch was unplayable.

All over in 45 minutes

Tuesday 29 September 2026, Needham Market 4 Stamford 0 - Southern League, Premier Division Central, Bloomfields

With Stamford at the wrong end of the table, expected a Needham win and the home team went ahead after 3 minutes and after 24 minutes were 3 up with Ryan Miles claiming a hat trick and then Needham added a 4th on 44 minutes.

Expected a tough half for Stamford in the second 45 minutes, but it did not work out like that with neither keeper having to make a save in a very poor second half, certainly not what was expected after an exciting 4 goal first half. 

Not much quality

Saturday 26 September 2026, Clacton Regent 0 White Notley 1 - Essex & Suffolk Border League, Premier Division, Clacton Leisure Centre

Need to stay local today, so short drive down to Clacton as I visit one of the new clubs in the ESBL, just one more to do now to re-complete the league.

Newish G4 pitch inside a cage, pitch in a very good condition, helped by entry to the cage is only after you have walked through the Leisure Centre. Spectator area inside the cage on one side, the usual 3/4 of a side

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Only one goal in the game, however White Notley were the better team throughout most of the game. However neither side had much quality on display.

Should not enter

Tuesday 22 September 2026, Luton Town 6 Ipswich Town Under 21s 0 - EFL Trophy, Group game, Kenilworth Road

Hated it when we were in the Trophy and we had to play U21 teams from the Premier League and hated it even more as a Premier team watching your U21s taken apart by a good Luton team.

Plus point, Luton making it cheap admission and trying to attract more families, those who turned up supporting Luton (the Trophy holders) would be pleased, less so the few Ipswich fans who turned up, especially as diversions on the way home meant still a late night, even with a 7pm kick off.

Dockside

Saturday 19 September 2026, Everton 1 Ipswich Town 0 - Premier League, Hill Dickinson Stadium

Football wise, we should have got at least a point, Everton are well organised but a poor team- undefeated but lacking much attacking wise and offering little entertainment value.

However this was an opportunity to visit a new stadium, inside- great seats, sightlines but quite basic (certainly not as good as Spurs) but outside it does look great, blends in with the old Dock wall and the large tobacco and tea warehouses, it really does help improve the dock area.

Connah's Quay to a Convent

Friday 18 September 2026, Connah's Quay Nomads 1 Cardiff Met 0 - Welsh Premier, Cae-y-Castell

Decided to make my Saturday trip to Everton last 2 days so a chance to get another game on the Friday night. Connah's Quay play down the road at Flint, arrived and very wet, quick beer in clubhouse, which is about 100 metres from the ground. Ground is G4 pitch and an assortment of seated stands, including a large main stand.

Wet and windy for most of the game but the football was of good quality with the home side dominating for most of the game but only managing the one goal on 69 minut3s, they did have an earlier effort on 40 minutes disallowed.

Struggled to find a hotel or B & B in the are but ended up staying at a convent (breakfast included) in Holywell - strange to say the least!