Monday 21 April 2014

Cherries will give their all at the great Portman Road stadium

I don't know about you, but when I think of Ipswich Town FC I think of Paul Mariner, Alan Brazil, John Wark, Arnold Muhren and Eric Gates, etc. It's a long time since those names have graced the top tier of English football and I know I am showing my age, but the team that Ipswich had in the 1980s was the envy of Europe and it has been hard for subsequent Tractor Boy teams to emulate anything like what the team under Bobby Robson achieved.  

Just to visit Portman Road though will bring back memories to me of that period in football and when I think how far AFCB have come in such a short period it will eventually hit home at the season the Cherries have had and all the big grounds that the team has gone to. The Easter Monday game is now even more exciting as the crunch match of the season for Ipswich and AFCB. Whoever comes away the worse from this game is surely going to find it too hard to regain enough places for the play-offs with just two games to go. But a draw could equally hurt both teams, so I can't see anything but a full out assault by both teams this afternoon in one of the homes of English football. It should be some game.

My sons are too young to remember Bobby Robson, but they know who Alan Brazil is when he comes over the airwaves on TalkSport. I don't know how many games Alan has attended this season at Portman Road, but I do hope he attends this game as both teams play attacking football and if Alan likes wingers he will find much to like about Bournemouth's present day line runners including a fellow countryman - Ryan Fraser. It is the fiery Scot that has surprised me the most this season with his appetite and hunger to improve and his tenacious running that has rewarded him with more than a few goals this season.
Ryan Fraser - one of the new breed at AFCB that will
be looking to have a big day at Portman Road.
It is on players like Ryan Fraser that AFCB have build a tremendous season and he is one of those who has a big future at the club. But like my boys he may not know too much about some of the massive games that have been held at Portman Road in the past, but just like my Robert and Stephen I bet he can't wait for the match to begin. Let's give our all today and get behind the Cherries - UTCIAD!

2 comments:

  1. As a very old Town fan how nice it is to be reminded of those long past Glory days and for the uninitiated Cherry fans it is worth pointing out that was not the actual beginning of the Town's days of glory. We like the Cherries had come from being a very small club yet under Sir Alf Ramsay (the gentleman who won the 1966 World Cup for us) we reached the very pinnacle of English Football in short time before Sir BR joined us and set the world alight. Unfortunately for us those days are now a dim and distant memory and many of us older fans are unhappy at what has happened to our once great club. You will find a great welcome at Portman Road because so many Town fans respect your Club for what is in the process of achieving and it is a pity, on this occasion, that the winner takes all. I note that at the time of writing this all of your forecasts go for a Bournemouth win, well being really frank, that will probably depend on which Town team turns up but after today I and many, many, other Town fans will wish you luck.

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  2. Hi BillBlue, Thank you for your post. I felt it would be a 1-1 draw so I guess I was not too far out even if my AFCB fans predicted a win. It is great to hear that you liked the post about the Ipswich side of the 1980s. We saw the Sir Alf Ramsey statue and the Sir Bobby Robson statue when we came up and we did have a great day which you can read more about on Wednesday.

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