From Nothing to Something - And Back Again?

Sorry but I just have to share this excellent article with you from TWTD. Gaffer and a few of the older generation will surely appreciate this as being a great read. Just shows how far we have fallen!

On the diamond jubilee of the rise of Ipswich Town from the old Third Division (South) we tremble on the edge of the abyss into which Coventry City have already fallen and have not yet hit the bottom.
There are certainly many Town fans who remember those days - how we rose once, in 1954, only to fail at our current level. But then Sir Alf took the club back up, and then, further than anyone could imagine, beyond the great achievement of Leicester when our stature at that time is taken into account.
Town had come late to the professional party in 1936, clocking up one full season in the Football League before the advent of war. In our 17th season we became champions of all England. After a quiet decade Sir Bobby took us to two second places in the top tier, three third places, two fourth places, two sixth places, an FA Cup win and a UEFA Cup. Forget Wimbledon, Coventry and definitely the Participants up the road - ours is the history of dreams.
At times more than a quarter of the population-size of the town itself was crammed into Portman Road to witness the entry of the gladiators. As modern managers never tire of telling us: wins bring watchers.
After the war, and the resumption of football, it was not until our first promotion to the old second division in 1953/54 that attendances climbed to the sort of regular figure we have grown accustomed to at the moment.
Even across that great 25-year period from Ramsey to Robson there were extended troughs, especially in regard to attendance. After the Ramsey years, in a period such as the mid-sixties when fortunes declined steadily having returned to the second tier, and there seemed small hope of improvement when for the next three seasons we failed to mount a challenge, there were more than 40 home league games when the attendance dipped below 14,000, and five games watched by fewer than 10,000.
And all this took place when you could bus to the ground, watch the game, buy a programme, have a Bovril and a bag of chips on the way home, all for a quid, and a season ticket to Man Utd could be had for less than a tenner. In other words, very few were kept at home by the cost of the event.
Today we look back over a 15-year desert, and the attendances reflect that. Not only so, but many more attractions and distractions lie at hand. Casual attenders resist throwing a leg at the next fixture when the arm for the preceding game cost them so much discomfort and boredom. The 1.5 per cent is indeed small, but the 101.5 per cent, for some, is no trivial consideration.
When there is no plan, only platitude, no attacking pleasure beyond the press of 'wingers' unacquainted with the chalk of the touchline; when there is such a massive disconnect between club and town; when 15th-placed investment brings you... well, 15th place, then many will gamble no more - 'when the fun stops, stop!' to borrow a phrase.
We came from nowhere to greatness. A fickle world has already passed on to the Premier so that our great triumphs are only recorded in our own parish records while national stats begin with Sky.
Our management team is managing something, but it's not us, not our club. There is no reason why Ipswich Town may not be returning to that great primordial swamp from which great men like the Cobbolds, Ramseys and Robsons dragged us - unless other great men take up the mantle.

 

Brilliant piece Warky, thanks for sharing. I felt hugely privileged to watch those glorious games in the late 1950's, the 60's and of course the Cobbold & Robson era when we felt the Club was ours, owned, run and managed by those who knew and engaged with their supporters. There was a buzz, an excitement and that vital life-blood of any sporting club - a sense of belonging, loyalty and passlonate pride.

Most of the above has ebbed away in the last 10-15 years. Yes, we know the dreadful lack of investment has held us back but it is much more than money, as many smaller fry have shown us.

 

Not been following Town as long as you Gaffer,but I was priveliged to see the two great teams Robson built and Burley's promotion winning side.The thing they had in common was a 'never say die' attitude.What p's me off most about the present incumbent is the shoulder shrugging indifference to trying to win games.We seem to be completing another circle,with him soon leaving us (hopefully) but in little better position,both in League standing and the overall state of the Club,than when he arrived.

 

Delete please

 

I was privileged enough to have grown up with the great Robson teams from 1972 onwards. In those days we were spoilt by the quality of football on offer and we feared absolutely no one at Fortress Portman Road. No one ever fancied coming down to Suffolk in those days! We sent them all packing! My heart is breaking over the sorry, sorry state of our once great football club. I really do blame Sheepshanks for landing us in this mess in the first place. These are sad times and I really do fear for our future whole Evans is still the owner.

 

Being born in 1986, and not attending my first town match until the 2003 4-3 thriller fa cup loss at Sheff Utd, I certainly have had less ups than many of you on this forum. I wish looking back I'd gone to Milan for the Inter away game, and would have loved to travel to Portman Road.

The closest I've come to success was the league cup semi under Keane - approaching the final third of the second leg we were ahead. I couldn't get a ticket in the town end back then ( the SW supporters club means I'm forever sorted now ) however it was fun sitting with them damn arrogant Arsenal lot expecting 7/8-0 and getting into a good few arguments during the game.

Royle was the first gafa I went along and for me by far the most entertaining - superb away days them. I'd know during 04/05 we'd absolutely batter the opposition - I wouldn't know whether we'd win but .... yeah it was fun. Felt sorry for Royle when Miller / Kuqi / Bent / Davis all left and he was supposed to do it again on a shoestring budget.....

I liked going under Jim - the underdog. Played decent stuff and fun until he was sadly given £££....

Not going to waste any time mentioning Jewell / Keane.... nuff said.

14/15 was fun under Mick, last season felt a disappointment however lucky enough to be in Aus this year. Awful.

Having Gio Dos Santos on loan was the stuff of footy manager, absolutely unreal to see him wear our shirt with pride and perform. Been great to see some kids come through, your Wickhams etc.....

I'd give anything to have seen us in the 80s though.... very jealous of you fans who've seen it all and I understand it must be soul destroying the last 10 years for many on here. How far we've fallen - that said we punched well above for over 10 years.

I guess realistically the best I'm likely to see is a cup run. One day we'll win one, and I will be there.

 

Now, I'm probably going to sound like a killjoy here, and as much as I totally agree with how our club is nosediving into the abyss, you can probably say that about dozens of football clubs. Isn't that how the world goes, and evolution? Teams come and go, new owners come in, change the fortune of a club for a short while, and then bigger fish turn up at other clubs, and turn their fortunes round while the ex-big fish slowly fade away again. It seems to go in cycles - clubs have a very productive and fruitful period, fall away, then slowly try and get to the top again. It happens at every league and in every country. Look at Liverpool..one of the so called biggest clubs in Europe, if not the world - there was a huge period where they were just an average team. You see it at Man Utd now, and possible even Arsenal. Ok, it's not quite the scale of the likes of Coventry, Sheff Utd, Leeds..etc, but what I'm trying to get at, is, as much as we've had a great past, that shouldn't mean we are entitled to that again - there are 91 other league clubs trying to do the same, all trying to out-muscle the other clubs to get to the top. Like all relationships, you have to take the rough with the smooth, there'll be good days, and there'll be bad days. Lets be thankful we have a fantastic history and heritage, because there aren't too many cubs that can say they've won a European trophy, and FA cup and a league title, and for a town with a population of less than 135,000 - that's a pretty dam good achievement.

 

I completely agree with you Stretchy which is why I absolutely DESPISE the way £££££ is governing the game across Europe.

* Look at the Champs league for instance. 4 entrants from three nations making up more than 33% of the sides in Europes top table. How the hell this is fair on the likes of Feyenoord, Red Star Belgrade, AIK Solna, AEK Athens, and many upon many of Europe's former big glory sides that nowadays have to QUALIFY for the damn cup despite winning their league. When they do, they are rewarded with being in pot FOUR and getting a group from hell. Even Ajax can turn up to Nou Camp and lose 5-0. Absolutely laughable how Europe has come and gone. The Ajax 95 dreamteam quickly disembled by a certain Mr Bosman. At least they learned for Sneijder, V D Vaart etc and raised big transfer fees. However nowadays with the ££££ of Europe's big clubs, scouting networks, any semi promising talent aged 13 - 17 will often move before they've played a single game for their club. Take that Danish lad who is now at Madrid. HORRIBLE times and I absolutely hate UEFA for this.

* Again now £££££ is such a big factor in England, you have - Liverpool / Chelsea / Arsenal / Spurs / Man City / Man Utd very likely to be top 6 most years. Of course Leicester went and broke the mold - West Ham have the new stadium and Everton are doing a good job under Koeman. Newcastle / Villa are massively underachieving however how a club like us / numerous others could look to establish ourselves as top 8 in the English League system ever again? Forget it. Big boys big cheque books horrible agents demanding moves for players. Integrity down the toilet. Even if you take the Robson early 80s success story and put it into today's climate, that Ipswich side would have been dismantled very quickly. Times have unfortunately changed on that front.

* Big owners coming in have made unfancied nontraditional clubs bigger players. No offence meant here to your Reading, Hull, Wigan, Swansea, Cardiff however traditionally you aren't anything on your Forest, Leeds, Derby etc. So many clubs in the lower league now are former premier league sides with far bigger expectation - take this years championship of fans who would be expecting Prem footy.

* Due to big owners coming in, another batch of clubs have fallen to the wayside. Around 20 years ago now, the bottom of the championship would have the likes of Oxford, Swindon, Port Vale, Bury and various others who clearly couldn't go up to the Prem or would be very unlikely to. Back then, a little bit of investment would pretty much guarantee you a top 12 finish and more likely a good chance at play offs. Forget it.

* Second tier clubs gambling their future with massive spending - while we aren't, Blackburn, Forest, Derby, Wendy and MANY others have / have had several players on £30 / £40k at this level. Absolutely ridiculous.

* FFP losses being pushed up to £14 mill - agreed by most clubs in the league despite the original losses being set at £6 / £7 mill or whatever it was. Just encourages reckless spending by many a club. Laughable.

* Then you have the sodding parachute payments - hey lads come bottom 3 in the prem and get propped up for a couple of years.

Our game is a right sorry state.

 

Great posts guys

 

* Then you have the sodding parachute payments - hey lads come bottom 3 in the prem and get propped up for a couple of years.


Brighton, Leeds, Huddersfield, Reading and Sheffield Wednesday don't have the benefit of parachute payments and look where they all are in the League!

 

No, but they all have rich owners who are gambling by splashing the cash.

 

Just an add on to compare yesterday football against today's
Back in the late seventies we were due to play Barcelona and on the day before the match I was part of a six man crew laying asphalt right next to the stadium
In those days the towns practice ground was right behind the west stand and as the gates were open so we wondered in to watch the town train
Bobby was on the touch line and there was no screams of get out but a cheery greeting and asking if we were going to the match the next evening
Watching those players at ground level rather than the lofty heights of the north stand made me appreciate just how skilful these players were and on the afternoon we were allowed to sit in the west stand along with our first team and watch Barcelona train on the main pitch
I was sitting next to Mick Mills and his kids (although he didn't speak to be fair) but football back then was so accessible and so was the players, not like today when everything is so secret and closed to the ordinary folks
These are memories I will take to my grave but alas I cant see that sort of thing happening in this day and age which is very sad
The money available today has turned football into such a commercial venture that the every day fans are regarded as a necessary evil and something that has to be tolerated rather than embraced. This has in turn turned even the the most mediocre player in to believing they are some sort of super hero
I fear for the game in general as the fans are treated with contempt and entertainment falls a very distant second to results and TV deals

As I said that day will be with me for ever it was truly a day of days

 

Sounded like it was a brilliant experience Yorkie! Back in the days when ITFC truly did belong to the fans!

 

If only that was true at leeds... God lnows how we sit fourth, our owner is creaming all the cash out of the club in a way ken bates couldnt even manage.

 

Exactly – Wendy have spent £10 mill outright on Rhodes alone and he was on over £45k p/w at Boro. We cannot compete! Brighton have signed Knockaert for ££££ and he’ll be on over £30k p/w now. We had our Leeds like season in 14/15 Warky – lets just say it’ll be interesting as to what we do this summer in relation to other clubs for transfer fees. It’ll clearly be more than last summer – but anywhere near enough for us to really feel we should be top 8 or so? I doubt it.

 

The summer will bring the same bluster and Bullshit that happens every year, a few free/cheap signings maybe one or two small fee signings and several multi million pound pretend bids that have no chance of being accepted......then Mick and Milne will be defending Evans( because that's what they are paid so well to do).....fans will be called to back the team(shut up and get on with it).......and the cycle will begin again.

 

Unfortunately Weighty you are spot on! Same **** different season.

 

Weighty,I posted my response on the "Kids aren't alright.." thread before I saw yours above,seems we have the same(low)expectations for next Season!

 

You can only ignore the pattern for so long Al.