Remember, remember the 5th of November! Sadly for most town fans we have to for it was the only time James Wallace played any significant football in a blue and amber shirt!
But for us it marks as the strangest memory of the whole year that has paved the way for more ‘magical’ trips from IP3, IP4 & IP2.
The meeting of the latest recruit, Andy on the 10.30am train from Ipswich to London bound for Dagenham!
Cue stunned looks from Andy as he spotted not just one but two blue and amber shirts worn proudly but two men causally discussing the hopes for the day! We won 2-0.
So, let’s select rewind and look back at more 2011 memories.
The good…
- 5-1 by half time away in Lincoln on a cold Tuesday evening in February built on pace, passing and movement of players that ripped the Imps apart. Lionel Ainsworth superb quick fire hat-trick. Conversations pre-match were around Lionel’s place in the side and the need to show what he can do. Thank you Lionel for putting us in our place. Excellent night and top draw performance by the lads.
- The rise of one Jon Taylor. ‘He’s not very tall that Jon Taylor he’s not very tall’. In the space of 6 weeks from his full debut at the end of January scoring twice against Burton Taylor contributed to a feast of goals during February; 2-0 at Southend, 5-1 at Lincoln cumulating in with a stunning late winner at Northampton (3-2) in early March. A STFC star had been born!
- The Arsenal experience. 5000 blue and amber fans, James Collin’s header to put Shrewsbury in to the lead, grown men hugging each other and knocking a cup of coffee over Mike’s programme in the process (no names please) and the chants of ‘are you Wrexham in disguise’ will live long in every Salopian’s memory. Great night.
- In the same league cup run; 1st round at Derby in mid August. Storming to a 3-0 lead in the first half with exciting fast and rip-roaring play from Mark Wright, Lionel Ainsworth and ‘big’ Marvin Morgan.
- Magnificent Matty Harrold goal at Southend in February to silence his former fans barracking.
- Wish you were here? No thanks this is once seaside resort team that we hope to avoid. Stumped on three occasions by Torquay starting with our own visit in March to see the 5-0 defeat. Followed by TV nightmares losing out to the Gulls in the play off semi finals. Played three conceded 7 scored none.
- Shot in the foot twice - there’s no escaping the entire 90 minutes v Aldershot in April and in December without a ‘shot’ in anger…apart from the 11 red shirts from Hampshire.
- Keep us away from the TV…the lacklustre 1-0 defeat to Bury live on Sky Sports in late January.
- Finding out there are four of us in Ipswich
- The 12 Grandisons of Christmas sung at Aldershot and in part at Cheltenham in December 2011
- The rather annoying rumours websites throughout the summer that linked player after player with either a move to or from the Greenhous Meadow
- For a good cause but not for TV, the Movember top lips on show to all ESPN viewers live from Newport, South Wales in mid November.
- It still wangles (!) The goal that never was v Wycombe at home in March, costing us promotion. C’mon let’s get over it. But sadly we will probably never will.
Meeting the messiah himself, Mr Graham Turner himself pre match at the team hotel on the edge of Lincoln in early February.
While walking in to the hotel reception we were greeted by the man himself sitting with John Trewick and Michael Jackson. In the few moments we chatted, he enquired about our availability to be paired upfront (with two missing from the current line up) as the ‘tall and little un’ combination; sadly we had left our boots at home; then added ‘we’ll be all right lads’. We were 5-1 up at half time!
Prediction for 2012? We will be Champions in 2012 but knowing our luck all football will be suspended for the 2012/13 season owing to world financial meltdown.
Happy New Year!
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