Match Twenty-Six – Millwall 1 – Ipswich 3
This was an unusual match for me, in that I went both ways between my house and The Den, by using a single bus and a couple of walks to the stops. Admittedly the walk at the Millwall end was longer at fifteen minutes, than the couple or so, it takes to get to the stop for the 21 bus at my house.
When I was at Liverpool University, I may have taken a bus to and from Liverpool or Everton from my first year digs in Huyton, but I can’t think of any other instance in my life. I have gone to both Leyton Orient and Charlton totally by bus, but for those grounds, I did have to change. I took these pictures on my journey and at the match.
As to the match, it wasn’t very exciting and since the last meeting between the clubs, Millwall seemed today to have made no progress. They did lose both matches by two goals as well.
Ipswich’s third goal summed up Millwall. The ball was flicked to Jonathan Parr and he proceeded to run across the Millwall goal with it, just outside the penalty area. No attempt was made by the Millwall defenders to close him down, so he tried a shot, which he aimed just inside the post. It went in and looked to be a classy finish. But he shouldn’t have been able to have the shot.
FA Cup Match Two – Ipswich 0 – Southampton 1
Every year these days, Ipswich never seem to get past the Third Round.
And this year was no exception!
I agree with Mick McCarthy’s comments.
I’m always disappointed when I lose but I thought the game was a damp squib. We were OK until they scored and then they killed the game.
At least because there was no extra time, I did get home easily, if very slowly.
Abellio Greater Anglia Make Football At Ipswich And Norwich Difficult
A couple of seasons ago, my getting to Portman Road for the football was made very difficult, as virtually every match was difficult because of works on the line and it meant getting on a bus for most of the day.
So now Network Rail is sorting out the ballast on the track and from the 31st of January until the 22nd of March there will be no direct trains between London, Ipswich and Norwich at weekends.
A typical journey will now take nearly two hours, as opposed to the just over one it normally does. As that is twice, I really must get a lift up and back from somewhere.
Luckily it would appear to only be three matches; Wigan (31st Jan), Reading (21st Feb) and Brentford (7th Mar), as most in the period seem to be on Tuesday evening or we’re away at easier places to get to like Rotherham or Middlesbrough.
Tuesday night matches seem to be OK at the moment. Although, if we have extra time and penalties in the FA Cup replay on Wednesday, getting home might be tricky. As I write this there is a lot of anger on the forums complaining about no late trains after the match to Cambridge, Lowestoft and Felixstowe.
For the Norwich match on the first of March, which thankfully has a 14:05 start, it looks more feasible to go via Kings Cross and change at Cambridge.
Obviously, the ballast cleaning has to be done, but Abellio Greater Anglia could have used this disruption to fans getting to and from matches as a vehicle to show how well they can deal with adversity, instead of getting the old tired solutions out of the box.
For example, Abellio Greater Anglia have several rakes of Mark 3 coaches that run the services up the East Anglian Main Line. Could they not use a diesel locomotive to on match days run a football special either via or from Cambridge? Properly done, it might retrieve their battered reputation and encourage more people to travel by train.
But they can’t even get their information right. This was a poster at Liverpool Street on Saturday the 10th.
Greater Anglia Gets The Dates Wrong
That is unless it’s me who’s got the wrong dates. At least they said the first of January was New Year’s Day. Although, it was a Thursday not a Wednesday.
It would be interesting to know how Norwich fans are coping during this period, as I think quite a few are dependent on using the long-distance trains to get to both home and away matches. Surely, during this interruption, they should seriously think about running direct diesel-hauled services from London to Norwich via Cambridge for all passengers. Does granny visiting Norwich really want to spend hours on a coach, when she booked a comfortable train? Especially, if it’s crammed full with angry football fans worried about missing the match or getting their onward connection in London.
Yet again, Abellio Greater Anglia have shown all the conservatism and arrogance of their Dutch masters, who managed the Fyra fiasco and introduced one of Europe’s worst ticketing systems to piss off foreign visitors.
Match Twenty-Five – Ipswich 0 – Derby 1
If the biggest crowd at Portman Road for four years had welcomed Charlton, them the cowd for the visit of Derby must be one of the largest at the ground for a televised Championship match, with the exception of an East Anglian Derby.
Sadly though, Ipswich lost after giving away a silly goal and are now down to third place, one point behind Bournemouth and Derby.
Network Rail have decided to play rebuilding the railway again, so despite going to the match in style, I came home in an uncomfortable Class 321 train, with no wi-fi or onboard catering.
I don’t think I’ll be going First again, until normal service is resumed.
It’s funny, but we’ve played two lunchtime matches at home this season and lost both one-nil. The other was against Norwich.
We shouldn’t play any more!
FA Cup Match One – Southampton 1 – Ipswich 1
Ipswich took around 5,000 supporters to Southampton.
And with a bit of luck we might have come away victorious. The BBC said this, when describing Mick McCarthy’s reaction.
“I just said to the lads, ‘well done, it’s the last thing we really wanted’ – but that was tongue-in-cheek.
“I didn’t want to lose, that’s for sure. Why can’t we have a cup run as well? I came down here and watched Arsenal play and Southampton were worthy winners.
It will hopefully be an interesting replay at Portman Road on the 14th.
Walking To St. Mary’s
St. Mary’s Stadium is not ideally placed for the main Southampton Central station, as this Google Earth view shows.
Southampton Central To St. Mary’s Stadium
It took me about twenty minutes and what slows the walk is the initial hill. If I ever go again, I’ll leave a little bit earlier and then have a cup of tea or a drink on the top.
At least St. Mary’s is one of the few grounds, where the Away supporters’ stand is closest to the train station.
But look at this enlarged Google Earth view of the area around the stadium.
Rail Lines By St. Mary’s Stadium
The South Western Main Line from Basingstoke and London comes into this picture at the top to the left of the two gas holders. Note how the lines curve to the west to go through the Southampton Tunnel under the centre of the city. The portal of the tunnel is just at the edge of the picture.
The rail tracks to the left (west) of the stadium are the route to Southampton Docks and the now closed Southampton Terminus station. Before electrification to Southampton in the 1960s, this station was the main one for Southampton and there was also another station at Northam, which was somewhere in the area to the west of the stadium.
Plans have been put forward in recent years to put a station at the stadium and also one on Southampton Waterfront. Some have been grandiose, but the City Council has safeguarded a route from the Waterfront to Romsey, Halterworth and Chandler’s Ford.
If Southampton Football Club stay in the upper reaches of the Premier League and decide to increase the capacity of the ground, I would not be surprised to see a metro link running on the line, with an interchange at say Eastleigh.
The route would also mean that passengers for cruise ships could get closer to the Cruise Terminals by train, just as they used to in the days of RMS Titantic.
Match Twenty-Four – Ipswich 3 – Charlton 0
The biggest crowd at Portman Road for four years welcomed Charlton, who were efficiently dismissed by three goals to nil.
So Ipswich cling to their second position, just one point behind the leaders; Bournemouth.
I do think that Greater Anglia could provide a better service after an evening match.
It had been a very cold night and the match had overrun a bit, so perhaps if the coffee and other drinks had been available later, it might have made the journey home for a lot of fans better.
As it is I went home in an ordinary Class 360, rather than the Mark 3 carriage with an attached buffet car you get on Saturdays.
But at least getting back to the capital afer a midweek evening match is easier from Ipswich, than quite a few places I could name.
Match Twenty-Three – Brentford 2 – Ipswich 4
I’d never been to Brentford for a match before and I suspect it’ll be unlikely again I’ll go to Griffin Park again, unless it’s for the play-offs this year, as Brentford are trying to build a new ground nearby.
A Pub At Each Corner
The picture shows the narrow streets around the ground which is unique in having a pub on each corner.
It’s not much bigger inside either and we had to stand.
Standing At Brentford
At least in a couple of weeks, we’ll be playing Millwall at the Den, which has one of the best Away areas in the country.
As we left the ground, Ipswich were top, but by the end of the day we’d been overtaken by Bournemouth.
I think that Mick McCarthy is going to have an interesting transfer window in January. At least by the end of month given another couple of wins, I would suspect that Ipswich will be safe from any relegation.
A Must-Read For All Ipswich Fans
This interview in the East Anglian Daily Times with Luke Chambers gives a deep insight into the team and its dynamics.
Reading this, I do sometimes wonder that Mick McCarthy’s biggest skill is finding players that will get on with the others.
I think this season, I’ve hardly seen a difference of opinion on the field between players, even when they’ve given away a silly goal or even lost!
I believe that if this spirit stays they might even be able to at least draw at Carrow Road! To many fans a result against Norwich City is more important than promotion.
Is Teddy Bishop Like Ray Wilkins?
Not my idea, but in this report on the BBC, Ipswich legend; Mick Mills compares Teddy Bishop to Ray Wilkins.
“He’s like a quarterback,” Mills told BBC Radio Suffolk.
“He’s so young to be doing that sort of thing. I remember playing with Ray and that is all he would do – never going beyond the ball but always supporting.”
I never saw Wilkins play so I can’t judge Mills’s statement.
However, the build-up to the second goal against Middlesbrough, where Bishop exchanged several close passes with David McGoldrick amongst others, and then the pinpoint curving and teasing cross was exactly what you might have expected from a certain David Beckham in his prime. But then so many of today’s young players have grown up watching Beckham, so how many have decided to follow his example?
One of the most important parts of football is the taking of corners and free-kicks, as properly taken they can lead to a goal and if taken badly they just give the ball away.
This season, Ipswich have improved in this area, with several players now taking corners that have led to quite a few goals. But the biggest surprise was one match, where Bishop was assigned to take the corners. In all my years of watching football, I’ve never seen the baby in a team given that job. Did Beckham and Gerrard take the corners, when they broke through into the first team?
The taking of corners, says that he has already earned that most rare of accolades from his team-mates; trust!
He’s certainly one of the best eighteen-year-olds, who’s come through the youth system at Ipswich.
How far he’ll go only time will tell!
The Anonymous Widower 