A Dutch tribute to Sir Bobby

Saturday 17th July 2010 - PSV Eindhoven 1 v Ipswich 0 Pre Season friendly

A weekend in Holland was an opportunity not to be missed, so my wife and I booked a weekend, which would see us take the short trip to Eindhoven on the Saturday. the game was yet another tribute to Bobby Robson, when two of his former teams would meet in a pre season friendly. It all looked so easy!

First error- like England, weekends are when work on the railways takes place so our journey time to the home of Philips was doubled, we even thought we would not get back to Amsterdam after the game, but a helpful Dutch Railway guard pointed us to the Rotterdam train and one change later we were back in Amsterdam.

The game? As expected we were outclassed but a fine goalkeeping display and a more determined second half performance meant we only lost one nil.
Strangest part of the day? A second half substitution, Timmy Simons was playing his last game for the Dutch giants and he was taken off to a standing ovation. nothing strange there but unlike in the UK, he was carried off on the shoulders off fellow players and then on the pitch was presented with a picture, then he made a speech - and the ref still only added one minute on!



Timmy after his speech!

The stadium was impressive, even with only 13,000 in the ground, plenty of beer outside and both Set's of fans mixing then it became a flashback to the anti football Thatcher years. The Town fans were put in the highest corner of the ground, searched and innocent everyday objecys removed from supporters and hen we were surrounded by a large glass wall. Very strange and so out of place in this fixture.

My pet subject of statues at football grounds was well catered for, two at one end of the ground, both of former players but at the other end almost hidden away was a white stone statue, no inscription but I believe it may have had more to do with one of the founders of the Philips Company than the football team - anyone help?



Oh and programmes were hidden from Town fans, now the hundreds who went have to search the Internet to get a souvenir of the match.

Cricket at Fenners.

Wednesday 23rd June 2010 - Cambridge University Crusaders v Oxford University Authentics (Day 1 of the 2nd XI Inter Varsity cricket match)



To take my mind off the England-Slovenia football match, I decided to spend the hours before the big match at Fenners, home of Cambridge University Cricket Club.
The match was the 2nd XI Inter varsity game, Crusaders v Authentics, not sure if Oxford were deliberately wanting to miss the England game but the Dark Blue side seemed keen to be spending the afternoon in the field, so just after lunch they found themselves bowled out for 76.



Fenners is a lovely setting for cricket, maybe not the most remarkable looking pavilion but the modern accommodation building belonging to Hughes College is a plus point of the ground, certainly the place I would like to have a room.





As well as the sound of ball on willow, you could also hear the grunts of college tennis players on the adjoining University Tennis Club, though the entrance to their club is very unassuming and not what you would expect of a Cambridge University run club.

No Arnie to be seen anywhere!

Sunday 30th May 2010 - England 2 Japan 1 - International friendly played at, UPC Arena Graz, Austria

This bank holiday saw my wife and I joining thousands of other England fans on a trip to Austria. The Sturm Graz ground was the venue for an international friendly match, England v Japan. Now Graz is also famous for being the hometown of Arnold Schwarzenegger, now once upon a time Graz were proud of the fact that this where the Hollywood star and now Californian Governor was born. They even named the stadium we were to visit after him, but somewhere along the line Arnie and his Austrian friends have fell out. So much so that you would find it hard to spot any mention of the ex bodybuilder anywhere in the city and the ground now has a new name - The UPC Arena.

What was great about the day was the mix of England fans, many couples, families as well as younger England fans, making it a very relaxing match day experience, maybe the team got that sense of relaxation as well, and it took them 45 minutes to wake up, even them Lampard missed a penalty and we had to rely on the Japanese scoring two own goals to get a much needed pre-World Cup win.



Another surprise was the large number of Austrians at the game who were supporting England, this along with a large contingent of Japanese made for a good atmosphere. the England team may not have impressed our new found Austrian friends but the noise the England fans made with the band and singing did impress them.

I know it was only a friendly and many England fans would be saving their holiday and money for South Africa, but the relaxed atmosphere has made me think again about returning to support my national team on their travels around the world.

Well done to all the England fans who attended the game.



Oh nearly forgot, the ground, a small tight stadium with no athletics track- bit of a squeeze to get through the outer gates but once inside, plenty of room, a good view and beer on tap plus salty pretzel's.

Cambridge Blue

Saturday 24th April 2010 - Cambridge City 0 Hednesford Town 3 Zamaretta League

For a number of reasons I found myself at Milton Road - the home of Cambridge City rather than at Newcastle United watching Ipswich.

First of all I didn't fancy watching 50,000 plus Geordie's celebrating a trophy which they had won easy, and also I thought at one time that this would be the last ever game of football played at Milton Road.
What went wrong? Well Ipswich played well in the North East and got a draw and Cambridge City have been given a further season at Milton Road , so the proposed ground share with Newmarket Town is now on hold.

The ground itself is more than adequate enough for City with one excellent stand that includes the changing rooms and the social club, trouble is the land is much sought after, so Cambridge still are not sure where they will eventually end up.


What they know is after this defeat that they will not be in the play offs and they now have a local derby v Bury Town to look forward to as they were promoted today. 613 was the attendance today, City's highest of the season, funny how clubs can take take separate paths and end up so far apart.
In the 1930's, it was Cambridge City not Norwich who were our fiercest rivals, as we were two of the 3 top teams in the Southern Amateur League, but we decided to go professional and ended up in the Football League after short stay in the Southern League (the league City are in now) so since being rivals in 1930, we have gone onto win the League, win in Europe and lift the FA Cup and today saw us hold Newcastle in front of over 50,000 whilst City find themselves now only the third best team in the vicinity of Cambridge.
The programme was a good read and had an Ipswich connection ( and not just because 5 of the City players once played for Ipswich) it included scans of the Cambridge v Ipswich programme from the game in 1930, where the police had to draw their truncheons after tempers flared between the rival fans after Ipswich won 5-3!



A good football day out, also a good day for a picnic by the river!

How good is Connor Wickham?

Saturday 17th April 2010 - Ipswich Town 1 Doncaster Rovers 1

How good is Connor and more importantly can we keep hold of him?

Will we ever win three games on the trot!

Saturday 10th April 2010, Nottingham Forest 3 Ipswich Town 0

Not if we play like that in every second half!

Clough Junior sent to the stands!

Monday 5th April 2010
Derby County 1 Ipswich Town 3
Clough Junior sent to the stands, wonder what Brian would have thought of that, and would have liked tp hear his views on the display of the two teams managed by two of his ex players
Oh and with the three points, it looks like we will be in the Championship again next season.