Last Update:
November 13, 2024
The overall look of the ground has greatly improved, with the re-development of both ends. Both these ends, the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand and the Sir Bobby Robson Stand, are similar in appearance and size and dwarf the smaller older stands on each side of the ground. Unusually, both ends have a larger upper tier, which slightly overhangs the smaller lower tier. Both have windshields to either side of the upper tier, and they are completed, with some spectacular floodlights perched on their roofs. They were both fully opened a year apart in 2001 and 2002.
Both sides are much older stands and now look quite tired in comparison. On one side, the fair-sized East of England Co-operative Stand Stand is a three-tiered covered stand with a row of executive boxes running across its middle. This stand was originally opened in 1957 and was then known as the West Stand.
In 1984, an additional tier and a new roof were added. Opposite is the smaller Cobbold Stand. Again, it is two-tiered and has a row of executive boxes. However, it is only partly covered, with the small lower tier of seating open to the elements. This stand opened in 1971 and was originally called the Portman Stand. It was later renamed the Cobbold Stand in respect to the Cobbold family, who were former club owners and old Suffolk brewers Tolly-Cobbold.
Unusually, the teams emerge onto the field from one corner of the ground between the Sir Alf Ramsey and East of England Co-op Stands. Outside are two statues of two former Ipswich and England managers. One is of World Cup winner Sir Alf Ramsey, located on the corner between the Cobbold and Sir Bobby Robson Stand, while Sir Bobby Robson’s statue is placed behind the Cobbold Stand at Portman Road.
The away allocation increased for the start of the 2024/25 Premier League season as part of the Portman Road redevelopment works completed over the summer. Typically, around 2,000 visiting supporters are located in the Cobbold Stand.
This number has been increased to 3,000 for away fans of Premier League teams. Around 800 Ipswich season ticket holders had their seats moved as part of the restructuring of the Cobbold Stand. In the lower tier, seats were removed and replaced in the summer.
Away fans can enter the stadium approximately 90 minutes before kick-off. The entrances to the blocks in the away end are as follows: VU1, VU2, VU3, VL and VA.
Seats located in blocks VU1, VU2 and VU3 are located in the upper tier of the Cobbold Stand, with safe standing at the back of each one.
When fans are inside the ground, they can enjoy a range of food and drink options, including four different pies all available for £5.45 and a sausage roll for £4.99.
Despite their 22-year absence from the Premier League, Ipswich’s Portman Road stadium has a capacity of 29,673 – a very impressive figure even compared to more established sides in the division.
Its size allows the club to generate good revenue on matchday while still remaining small enough to create a good atmosphere that can help the players when they need it most.
Away fans are placed on one side of the upper tier of the Cobbold Stand at one side of the pitch, where around 3,000 away supporters can be accommodated. Turnstiles open 90 minutes before kick-off, and fans are searched on entry (please note that bags larger than 40 x 40 x 10 cm are not allowed). Generally, the views from the Cobbold Stand are fine.
However, at the very back of the stand, there are some supporting pillars and the roof dips quite sharply, restricting your view of the other sides of the stadium but not the pitch. The leg room is rather cramped, and as with the rest of the stand, the facilities are beginning to show their age. On the plus side, away fans can make some noise from this area, contributing to a good atmosphere. Stewarding was fairly strict, with fans at the front of the upper tier being asked to keep seated (whilst those at the back were allowed to stand), and on my last visit, a few fans were ejected for smoking (okay, they should have known better, but a warning first would have been fairer in my book).
The stand also has one of the poshest gents toilets that I have visited at a football ground (this was one of the two toilet blocks on the upper concourse). They wouldn’t have looked out of place at a hotel.
I have always found Portman Road to be a friendly place and a pleasurable day out, even though I’ve never seen my team win there! I even got accosted by some Ipswich fans while coming out of the railway station and ended up accompanying them on a pub crawl before the game. Overall, Portman Road is a good day out.
The main away supporters pub is the Riverside (Station) Hotel, which, as the name suggests, backs onto a river and is located close to the railway station, only five minutes from Portman Road.
If you arrive in good time, you can take a walk into the town centre, where there are plenty of pubs to be found. Of particular note is the Lord Nelson in Fore Street, which is an interesting pub that sells Adnams beers. Also, there is the Dove Street Inn on St Helens Street, which is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide and has up to 20 real ales and ciders on tap.
Liam Burgess adds: ‘The waterfront area has recently been re-developed and has several bars and restaurants. This is visible from the train station and is a 10-minute walk from the ground. Isaacs on the Quay is a local favourite and serves various real ales. Directions from the railway station: walk straight over the bridge as you come out of the station, turn right at the Royal Mail sorting office and walk in a straight line for five minutes or so, going past Cardinal Park to reach the Waterfront area.
Otherwise, alcohol is on sale inside the ground – although the official information states that this is subject to there being no issues with away supporters.
Portman Road is a cashless venue, with card and contactless the only accepted methods of payment. There are cash points located at the Railway station, in the town centre and at the Cardinal Park Leisure facility.
A sweet treat
Cookies at Ipswich (@IpswichTown)
💷 £5 for 2 pic.twitter.com/dooa6YawZd
— Footy Scran (@FootyScran) April 2, 2022
Fancy a burger?
Chicken burger at Ipswich (@IpswichTown fanzone)
💷 £8 pic.twitter.com/hl4HPLuulQ
— Footy Scran (@FootyScran) January 24, 2022
As of November 2023, Ipswich Town’s Chief Executive Mark Ashton has said that a master plan is in place to expand Portman Road and create world-class facilities at the town’s training ground.
Just 10 years ago, Ipswich Town were barely filling half of their stadium, with attendance as low as 13,000 at times. Since the appointment of Kieran McKenna, who has brought a major feel-good factor back to the club, Portman Road is packed out for most games.
Mark Ashton has said he would not want to limit what he thinks would be the maximum capacity due to the incredible support the Ipswich Town fans have shown in recent years.
The Ipswich Town hierarchy are keen to ensure the club stays in the town centre. The owners would prefer to redevelop Portman Road, with the Cobbold Stand being the first port of call. Mark Ashton also added that he could see the capacity being over 40,000 in the future and that, in an ideal world, he would want to break ground in the summer of 2024.
In the meantime, the club are making some relatively minor changes to Portman Road in preparation for their return to the Premier League.
New boxes are being built inside the West Stand of the stadium while safe standing is being installed inside the Cobbold Stand, where away fans are typically housed.
This minor Portman Road redevelopment was expected to be completed by mid-August 2024. but has not been by the time of writing.
Ipswich started their life at Broomhill Park but moved into Portman Road in 1884, six years after being formed. Six years later, Ipswich became one of the first sides to use nets to achieve their goals. That was several years before the first stand was erected at Portman Road; that development came in 1906 with the Ipswich Witches – a speedway team – buying the stand some 65 years later.
A second ground was built in 1928, and the club was still an amateur outfit. Eight years later, the club went pro, and within 12 months, terracing was added behind both goals to give the Ipswich stadium a total of four stands. Revamps took place throughout the fifties and sixties but without being wholesale changes. 1971 saw a big upgrade; a double-storey stand was built, taking the ground’s capacity towards the 40,000 mark.
The next few changes were very much ‘tart ups’; executive boxes were added, seats were upgraded, and after the release of new safety information, the capacity was reduced to around 34k. The changes to regulations cut that to 22k in the early nineties. There have been two further notable redevelopments of Portman Road, but both have coincided with a drop-off on the pitch. In 1983, a £1.3m deal saw the Pioneer Stand born, but it proved so costly that the club had to cash in on assets. Then, in the early 2000s, the club went big to increase its capacity by 36% by redeveloping both the north and south stands. It cost a whopping £22m, and the completion landed as Town crashed out of the Premier League.
Follow the A14 around Ipswich, from which the ground is well signposted. The official route takes you from the A14 onto the A1214 into Ipswich. I thought I would prefer to leave at the next junction and take the A137. Stay straight on this road into Ipswich, and as you cross the bridge over the river, stay in the left-hand lane (marked town centre). Once over the river, turn left at the roundabout (signposted Colchester/Bury St Edmunds), passing the Punch & Judy pub on your right. Continue along this road as it bends to the left into Commercial Road. You should be able to see the Portman Road floodlights over to your right. Move into the right-hand filter lane (marked town centre) and follow the road to the right. As you reach Fitness First/Staples, move over to the left-hand lane and turn left into Princes Road at the traffic lights. Take the next left into Portman Road itself for the ground.
The Portman Road ground is near the town centre, so there is very little free street parking. Along Portman Road are three Pay & Display car parks, which cost £4 for four hours on Saturdays. For evening games it is less as these car parks cost only £1 after 3 pm. On my last visit, I parked in one of these car parks and was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t take too long to get away at the end of the game. There are several other car parks in the town centre that are signposted, plus there is an NCP multi-storey car park right next to Ipswich Railway Station, which costs £2.70 on Saturday afternoons and weekday evenings.
Also nearby on West End Road is a large open ‘pay and display’ car park which costs £4 for four hours or just £1 on weekday evenings. David Johnson adds, ‘A reasonable alternative to parking in the town centre and avoiding a slow exit is to use one of the Park and Rides, in our case the London Road Park & Ride (just off the A14/A12 junction). The cost on a Saturday is only £2.50, and the bus drops you off a five-minute walk from the ground. Some Ipswich fans also use this method, so knowing when to get off is easy. There is also the option of renting a private driveway near Portman Road via YourParkingSpace.co.uk.
Post Code for SAT NAV: IP1 2DA
Portman Road is only a quarter of a mile away from Ipswich Railway Station and is only a five-minute walk away. You will see the Portman Road floodlights in the distance as your train comes into the station. Ipswich is served by trains from London Liverpool Street and Peterborough.
Like many clubs nowadays, Ipswich Town set their ticket prices based on where you sit in the stadium as well as the category of the game you choose to watch.
Cobbold Stand
Adult – £34-£48
U23 – £20-£26
U19 – £10-£16
65+ – £24-£36
Sir Alf Ramsey Stand
Adult – £32-£43
U23 – £20-£25
U19 – £10-£15
U12 – £5-£9
65+ – £24-£34
Sir Bobby Robson Stand
Adult – £32-£43
U23 – £20-£25
U19 – £10-£15
65+ – £24-£34
Magnus Group West Stand
Adult – £27-£48
U23 – £20-£26
U19 – £10-£16
u12 – £5-£9
65+ – £23-£3#6
Away supporters are usually housed in blocks V1 and V2 of the Cobbold Stand, with the adjacent block E being used for larger away followings.
Home fans who wish to sing are located in the Sir Bobby Robson stand, and seats here are only made available to adults.
Here’s a great rendition of the Allez, Allez, Allez chant from Ipswich Town fans under the stand at Barnsley.
Official Programme: £3.50
Ipswich vs. Norwich rivalry: Ipswich are the only football team of note in Suffolk, but it holds a strong rivalry with their Norfolk neighbour, Norwich. Although the Blues are the much more decorated of the two clubs, they have spent a lot of time in the same divisions over the years, hence the dislike.
Ipswich vs Colchester: The Ipswich stadium, Portman Road, is only 20 minutes away from Colchester United’s ground with the journey a brief slip up the A12. The Essex club have almost been a feeder for Ipswich at time with Ipswich taking their top talents and best managers over the years. As such, it is perhaps little surprise that Colchester hate Ipswich much more than Ipswich care about their fortunes.
Given that Ipswich Town secured their Premier League status after a successful 2023/24 promotion campaign, it is perhaps no surprise that the disabled facilities at Portman Road are far better than they were a few years ago when they were still playing in League One.
There are a total of 101 wheelchair-friendly seats at the ground – each of which are spread across eight different areas with a wheelchair storage facility also available for supporters to use. In addition to these there also plenty of ambulant disabled seating too, which is provided in each stand within the stadium.
As is required, there are also accessible toilets located near each of these accessible seating areas.
While Ipswich do ensure that each accessible area is in close proximity to catering units, the club have also begun running an at-seat catering service exclusively for fans seated in accessible areas to ensure that the matchday experience is as comfortable as it can be.
Record Attendance
38,010 v Leeds United
FA Cup 6th Round, 8th March 1975.
Modern All-Seated Attendance Record:
30,152 v Norwich City
Division One, 21st December 2003.
Average Attendance
2023-2024: 28,825 (Championship)
2022-2023: 26,184 (League One)
2021-2022: 21,779 (League One)
2020-2021 – 174 (Covid) (League One)
2019-2020: 19,549 (League One)
2018-2019: 17,765 (Championship League)
2017-2018: 16,272 (Championship League)
If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail me at [email protected], and I’ll update the guide.
Ground Layout
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Ipswich Town v Peterborough United
League 1
Saturday 1st February 2020, 3pm
Liam (Doing the 92)
Ipswich Town v Accrington Stanley
League 1
Saturday 11th January 2020, 3pm
Adam Houlden (Accrington Stanley)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Portman Road Ground?
Another new ground for me to visit. Portman Road is a proper traditional ground with lots of history. I never dreamt I,d be watching Stanley at Portman Road a few seasons ago.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
We were staying at a nice hotel two miles from Ipswich. Apart from a wrong turning on the A14 near Cambridge due to roadworks the journey was straightforward all motorway and dual carriageway 5 hours arriving at 1-30. We took a taxi to the ground.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
I had a good look around and had my photo taken next to the statues of Sirs Bobby Robson and Alf Ramsey. The Ipswich fans were generally okay.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Portman Road Stadium?
I was very impressed. It is a proper old school stadium with plenty of atmosphere and noise. Stanleys 155 fans were housed in a small section next to the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand with a good view but lacking in legroom.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
A very one-sided game Stanley didn't turn up in the 1st half and were lucky to be only 3-0 down at half time. The damage was already done and it ended 4-1 which made for plenty of celebratory noise from the home fans. The stewards were okay. A big negative was the pricing of pies and beer; over £4 for a pie and the same for a bottle of beer is a rip-off and the £27 admission price is a bit steep too.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
I went to a local hostelry for some food and made our way back to our hotel via taxi and travelled home on the Sunday.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
A great weekend despite the long journey and Stanleys below-par performance. Portman Road is a proper football stadium and hopefully we will visit again.
Ipswich Town v Reading
Championship League
Saturday 2nd March 2019, 3pm
William Biss (Reading)
Ipswich Town v Stoke City
Championship League
Saturday 16th February 2019, 3pm
Philip Green (Stoke City)
Ipswich Town v Rotherham United
Championship League
Saturday 1st January 2019, 3pm
Thomas Inglis (Visiting Dundee United fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Portman Road?
It was the first game of the New Year and to check off English stadium No. 85 for me.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I got the overnight Megabus south from Dundee to London Victoria. Then a tube to Liverpool Street and then the train north to Ipswich. The Portman Road ground is visible from the train station.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
I arrived in Ipswich around 9.15am, walked into town and had breakfast in McDonald's before a look around the town, shops etc. I picked up a ticket at the ground, took the obligatory photo, and had a wander around the outside of the stadium. I saw the statues of Ramsey and Robson. Ticket's for all parts of the ground were only £12, I chose the top tier of the Co-op Stand in the centre area. These would normally be the most expensive seats. Although they offered a great view, the leg room is not the best, and I am only 5ft 5.
I went for a few pints in 'The Plough', The Shamrock, 'Manning's' and Curve. I chatted with several home fans, and the general feeling was " lose this one and we're doomed".
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Portman Road?
The two long side stands; the Co-op and the Cobbold appear to be showing their age. The two newer stands behind each goal look to be in better nick. The crowd was just under 21,000 and created a good atmosphere.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
This was not the greatest of games, but given it was a must win for Ipswich it was understandable the way the game played out. A cagey start from both teams before Ipswich took the lead around the half hour mark. Keane netted at the second attempt from about 8 yards from a Sears cross. Rotherham piled on the pressure in the second half but Ipswich held out for the 1 – 0 win. There was a sense of relief from the Ipswich fans at the final whistle, as they had gave good backing throughout. I had chicken balti pie and a bottle of beer at half time, stewards and facilities in good order.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
No issues getting away from the ground and the proximity to the town, let me get to 'The Black Horse' to watch the tea time game.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
As usual, I enjoyed ticking off another new ground and another new town to me. These 'day's out' for me actually start 8pm on a Friday to 10am on a Sunday, so about 38 hours, dedication or crazy!
Ipswich Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Championship League
Saturday 27th January 2018, 3pm
Aimee Henry (Wolverhampton Wanderers fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Portman Road Ground?
At the minute, I look forward to every Wolves game. Riding high at the top of the Championship, a trip to East Anglia to take on Ipswich is something to be relished these days, rather than dreaded. Even the ex-factor didn’t make me shudder, as we yet again went head to head with our old boss, Mick McCarthy. Don’t get me wrong, Mick did a fine job during his time at Molineux, but the contrast between him and our current gaffer, Nuno, couldn’t be more different. As my dad rather beautifully put it, it’s like comparing a pint of Boddington’s with a glass of red wine. I’d been to Ipswich once before, and my abiding memory is just how cold it was! With the extra socks and jumper on though, I was ready for whatever weather they could throw at us!
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
We decided to make the long, arduous journey down, and after a hard fought, tense game of rock paper scissors, my brother was designated as our driver, result! He picked me, my dad and younger brother up at half 8, collected my uncle at quarter to 9, and we were on the road by 9. Despite my brother’s horrendous choice of Magic FM for the journey (I never want to hear a Ronan Keating song AGAIN), we made super time and parked up on the coach park (West End Road) at just before 12:15. We used this as it’s close to the ground and reasonably priced. It’s a long journey, but we got fairly lucky with traffic (or lack of it) on the M6, M1 and A14. The ground is well signposted, even before you leave the A14.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
Being so early, we decided the only thing to do was…head to the pub! Turn right out of the car park, and just up the road is the Station Pub, named imaginatively as it is opposite the train station. Even at 12:15, it was fairly busy. It’s the designated away fans pub, and even has signs on the doors and windows saying away fans only. I had the thrill of being ID’d before I was allowed in. Trust me, at 27 nothing is better than someone thinking you look young enough to be under 18! The pub served a nice range of drinks, and even had plenty of screens showing the early FA Cup game, as Leicester saw off Peterborough. After a couple of drinks, we decided at around half 1 to head into the ground. Inside the ground, there was an IPA, Fosters, and Bulmer’s Cider. Bulmer’s isn’t my favourite, but it’s better than nothing (or coke!). Didn’t see many home fans milling about before the game, and there weren’t many about during the game, either.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Portman Road Stadium?
Perhaps my memories of my last trip to Ipswich are slightly adjusted by the onset of hypothermia I had during the second half, but I wasn’t all that impressed. It’s one of those grounds which seems much smaller than it actually is. There’s one big stand running along one side, two decent sized, two-tiered ends, and then the smaller ‘Cobbold’ stand, which is where you are if you happen to be an away fan. Like most grounds (and I include the Molineux in this), away fans tend to be in the ‘worse’ stand at the ground. And by worse, I mean either oldest, tattiest, or smallest. Or in Portman Road’s case, all three! Maybe I’m being harsh, but the Cobbold Stand is definitely showing its age. On the plus side, the concourse isn’t too bad, and you do get a pretty decent view from your seat.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc...
Wolves started much the brighter and took an early lead in the 15th minute. A good run forward by Senegalese powerhouse Alfred N’Diaye saw him hold the ball up, before flicking it wide to Barry Douglas. The wing back, who has the best left foot in the Championship, floated a cross into the far post, where fellow wing back Matt Doherty rose like the proverbial salmon to nod it down and into the corner of the net. It was a strange goal, because from the away end, we didn’t realise it had gone in, and it took a couple of seconds for the celebrations to start. I think it also caught the Ipswich announcer off guard too, as he hastily announced (wrongly!) that it was Ivan Cavaleiro who had scored. I’m not quite sure how you can get Doherty (bearded, white, paler than a milk bottle) and Cavaleiro (dark skinned and shaven headed) confused. Easily done I suppose…
As has been the case with many Wolves games this season, especially away from home, the early goal played right into our hands. We were able to soak up the minimal pressure Ipswich had, and then try to hit them on the break. In the first half, it was only some excellent saves from Bartosz Bialkowski which kept it 1-0. The Polish goalkeeper will not only score scrabble players plenty of points, but no doubt he will earn Ipswich plenty of points over the season. His save from Douglas’ free kick was excellent, as was his save from Diogo Jota’s low strike.
The second half was very similar. Ipswich had some possession, but aside from strikes from long range, they did very little to trouble John Ruddy in our goal. We looked a threat on the break time and time again, but time and time again, Bialkowski kept us out. He made two good saves to deny Jota, who had got in 1v1. Then he kept out substitute Leo Bonatini’s fierce strike, which was heading for the bottom corner. Fellow sub Bright Enobakhare also volleyed towards goal, but again, the keeper got down well to push the ball away. Those missed chances almost cost us dear when, in the 92nd minute, Ruddy came for a cross and got nowhere near it. A bit of pinball followed, but when an Ipswich player finally managed to get a shot in, Ruddy had recovered and was able to push it away.
There was a very poor atmosphere amongst the home fans, I felt. Looking around the ground, it was around half full in all three home stands, and the boos that greeted the full-time whistle suggested that all wasn’t rosy in the Ipswich garden. Stewards were friendly and helpful, even though one of them did send me in completely the wrong direction to find my seat. The programme was excellent and even has a rather cool “mini programme” inside for the youngsters, with a quiz, colouring pages etc. One of the better ones in the Championship League.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
It was a 5-minute walk back to the car at full time, and despite me wearing a Wolves scarf, there was no animosity from the home fans walking with us, most of whom seemed to be trudging off into the Suffolk night with a bit of a sigh. Once we were back in the car, it was a short wait to get off the car park and back on the road. We set off at 5:15 and were back in the Black Country by 8:30. Not too bad!
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Well, it was definitely warmer than last time! Avoiding frostbite is always a bonus when you go away from home, and even though it rained incessantly all game, it was nowhere near as cold as my last trip to Portman Road. The car park was well located, the away fans pub was well located and very welcoming (a bit pricey though!). Portman Road itself is a decent ground, and the view from the away end is pretty good. And of course, we won, which is always a bonus!
Ipswich Town v Sheffield United
FA Cup 3rd Round
Saturday 6th January 2018, 3pm
Jon Thomson (Sheffield United fan)
Ipswich Town v Fulham
Football Championship League
Saturday 26th August 2017, 3pm
Charlie (Fulham fan)
Ipswich Town v Fulham
Football Championship League
Saturday 26th August 2017, 3pm
Dan Smith (Fulham fan)
Ipswich Town v Leeds United
Football Championship League
Saturday 18th February 2017, 3pm
Shaun Tully (Leeds United fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Portman Road Ground?
I always look forward to a first time visit and seeing different grounds both old and new. Also with Ipswich having an indifferent season I was hoping to see a win!
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Pretty easy. Came up from London on the A12 decided to take the A14 ring road round to the A137 and enter that way. Was going to park in the multi-storey at the train station but as I made my way along the B1037 (Burrell Road) there was a car park on the right on some rough ground which costs £4.50 for the day.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
Due to traffic delays we only arrived about 2.20,pm so with a hungry teen in tow we decided to find a chippy/burger van at the ground. There was only one outside the away end with a predictably long queue so gave up and decided to try getting food in the ground. If you're in time then the Station Hotel pub by the river accommodates away fans.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Portman Road?
Portman Road is an old traditional ground. The turnstiles were particularly small and would be a difficult squeeze for XXL people! Up the stairs to the small bar area which was jammed packed at this stage so we gave up on food and went into the stand. The roof can block the view of the ball from goal kicks otherwise the view was unobstructed and the leg room in the seat wasn't bad. None of the other stands appeared particularly new and just as Ipswich is a provincial town and the ground felt the same. (And there's nothing wrong with that!)
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Away fans are housed between the corner flag and the half way line rather than behind the goal. The more vocal home fans are behind the other goal at the opposite end so not too much 'banter' The stewarding was good and quite friendly (as were the police outside the ground) However the bar area is small so it was quite hard to get fed/watered As for the game itself well, unlike the post-match views of our manager I felt we were lucky to get a draw (1-1).
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Due to my now starving son (and I was quite hungry too) we decided to go to the nearby Nando's to eat (There's several different outlets in the same complex, from proper restaurants to McDonalds) So by the time we left the traffic had died down.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Well, we enjoyed ourselves at Portman Road, and we felt at least we out sung the locals even if we couldn't outplay them!
Ipswich Town v Lincoln City
FA Cup Third Round
Saturday 7th January 2017, 3pm
Matthew McCaughan (Lincoln City fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Portman Road Ground?
This was a big step up compared to the grounds we are used to visiting as Lincoln fans. About ten times the size!
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
The Portman Road Ground was easy to find from the Town centre. We parked at the Travelodge were we stayed for the night.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
We drank in the Swan free house. I believe this is a home fans pub only, but they let us in. The home fans were very friendly, congratulated us on the 2-2 result afterwards.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Portman Road?
The away stand was a bit dated, but the roof helped keep the noise in. The two new end stands look impressive.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
No trouble with the stewards. Atmosphere has excellent ( largest ever away crowd at Portman Road). Facilities were a bit dated, but clean. Lincoln were unlucky not to win the match, Ipswich were very poor.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
We walked back to the hotel. The traffic outside Portman Road as you would expect was busy.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Great day out and result for Lincoln fans.
Ipswich Town v Aston Villa
Football Championship League
Saturday 17th Spetember 2016, 3pm
Stewart Coniff (Aston Villa fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Portman Road Ground?
It had been a long time since we have visited Portman Road and In the early 1980's there was a huge rivalry between Ipswich and Villa, especially in 1981 our League Championship year.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
It's very easy to get to Ipswich and find the ground and there is plenty of parking available if you arrive a couple of hours before kick off on a Saturday.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
We had a look around the Quayside and ended up eating and drinking in the Punch and Judy pub on Cardinal Park.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Portman Road?
The Portman Road Ground looks pretty neat from outside but pretty dated inside. I was seated in the Co-op Stand
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
It was a mind numbing game and any real chances were blocked or easily dealt with both teams enjoying the play. The last ten minutes were all Ipswich and the usual 'Alamo time' for Villa at the moment. The disabled entrance was incredibly hard to find and 5 stewards and 1 security man sent us almost twice around the ground and an Ipswich council building. The disabled area was oversold and chaotic. I had a coffee but endured a long wait. There was a nasty ramp before the raised disabled area and our spaces were already full of Ipswich supporters.Stewards were helpful but unable to manage stating the section has never been this full.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Much better as a steward outside sent us back behind the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand which saved time and distance.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
A bit frustrating at first but once everyone was settled it was a reasonable view upset we were not with our support but everyone was pleasant enough.
Ipswich Town v Barnsley
Football Championship League
Saturday 6th August 2016, 3pm
Tom Bellamy (Barnsley fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Portman Road?
This was the first game of the 2016/17 season for Barnsley, who along with Wigan and Burton Albion were recently promoted from League One to the Championship. I said before the league fixtures came out that if Barnsley were to play away on their first game I would go no matter how far I would travel or where they would be. When I heard that we were to play Ipswich Town away it was a chance to go to Portman Road having never been before.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I decided to travel down by car along with my daughter who would be good company for me with it being a long journey. Our route would take us down the A1, then onto the A14 in Cambridgeshire, then finally the A1214 into Ipswich, a total of some 179 miles. We set off at 9.30am and having stopped off at the motorway services a couple of times for a drink and then lunch we arrived at 2pm. I knew the car park I would be heading for as Ipswich Town Football Club had kindly let our club know which car park our fans should head for. The car park, which also catered for the official supporters coaches, was on West End Road which was only five minutes to the ground and five minutes to the nearest pub. I paid £5 to park for a 4 hours stay.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
We only had to walk over a bridge to the Station Hotel at the side of the river and opposite Ipswich railway station. There were a few dozen Barnsley fans who had congregated outside the pub and who were drinking and singing in a jovial manner. There weren't any Ipswich fans in pub and therefore I assumed they had their own drinking houses. Some Ipswich fans who were on their way to the ground were very friendly.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Portman Road?
After a couple if drinks we set off for the stadium. The away section was located in the Cobbold Stand which was on the road nearest to where we were walking from so we didn't get the chance to see all the other parts if the stadium from the outside. We got to our seats in the upper tier of the stand which flanked the length of the pitch. There wasn't a lot of leg room between the seats, but the view was very good. The home fans were in the rest of the ground as well as being in the lower tier of our Stand. We didn't use their facilities for refreshments as we took our own.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
To quote a common cliche it was a game of two halves, both very entertaining. It was 0-0 at half time but then the floodgates opened in the second half. Ipswich scored straight after the kick off and we equalised two minutes later. They made it 2-1 and then scored a penalty to make it 3-1. We pulled another goal back for 3-2 but then they sealed our fate to make the final score 4-2. The Barnsley fans made plenty of noise throughout the game and although we lost we remained in good spirit.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
After the game we decided to kill a little time before our long journey home so we noticed a "Subway" cafe near the Stadium where we went for a bite to eat. We then set off back at 6pm when nearly all of the football traffic had gone.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Overall although the result was not what we had hoped for we enjoyed the day out. The weather was hot and sunny and we had a safe journey both ways.
Ipswich Town v Preston North End
Championship League
Saturday 16th January 2016, 3pm
Paul Willott (Preston North End fan)
A trip to Portman Road for anyone living in the South East is a most enjoyable and relatively easy fixture to attend, and accordingly was one of those weekends that was ring-fenced for myself living in North Kent as a high priority fixture. It’s also easily accessible by both public transport and by car, and as I’d had fond memories of previous visits there and the friendly nature of the Ipswich supporters, it was one I was greatly looking forward to. From bars and pubs stretching from Fort William in Scotland to Zermatt in Switzerland, I have encountered supporters of Ipswich Town who have wanted to discuss football topics; and I rate them as being amongst the most knowledgeable as well as friendly fans of the UK.
I think my excitement was also highlighted by the fact that in the previous seasons, our East Anglian fayre had been Colchester United, and with no disrespect to fans of the ‘U’s, it was another pleasing reward for securing promotion the preceding May to be back among the ‘big boys’ of football in the Championship and grounds such as Portman Road and its pedigree. Fans of my generation will recall that Ipswich Town were regular performers on ‘Match of the Day’ in the late 70s and early 80s, and although they may not currently be quite aspiring to such glories at the moment, they are still very much a big club with ambition to return to the top flight.
On this occasion, we had plumped to travel by train from Chatham and link up with my girlfriends brother and his friends ( at London Liverpool Street station) who were fans of the ‘Tractor Boys’ and be escorted by them to a favourite pub of theirs for pre-match beers. Finding out that we had to negotiate the perils of rail-replacement buses from Chatham (again) did not dampen our anticipation of the day ahead, and we duly met up with the quartet of Ipswich boys at Liverpool Street Station.
Walking out of the station at Ipswich is one of those pleasing moments; immediately you can see the ground, and the heart beats just that little bit quicker as a sense of anticipation rises. Therein lies one of the great facets of Portman Road; it has survived and prospered with the times. Whereas many a club has in the past 20 years abandoned much loved town centre spots to relocate to an out-of-town new ground with its requisite dearth of amenities, Portman Road has been adapted to meet the modern world of all seater stadia. Most pleasingly of all, the old fashioned concept of the floodlight pylon has been incorporated into the newer stands so that critically for such a quirky pundit as myself, it still looks like a football ground from the outside!
However, our thoughts were quickly re-directed, as our hosts instructed us to jump in a taxi and follow them to the Greyhound Pub ; and what a gem we discovered. There is a fantastic menu of good square meals, and I’m led to believe the menu for football match days is an enhanced one from the norm.We gorged on a variety of platters, ranging from mixed grills, gammon steak, to steak and ale pie, and the obligatory fish and chips. All the meals came in at well under £10, and it was good quality food, well worth every penny. For those who are interested, it is an Adnams brewery pub.
Our hosts and guides for the day indulged in what is their ritual of pre-match home-made Ipswich Town FC top trumps (which includes a category on beard quality), whilst we discussed the match and afternoon in prospect. The Tractor Boys were keenly pushing for a place in the play-offs, so although we were on a good roll of results ourselves and climbing the table, when the boys asked me how I thought we’d fare I had to be honest and say that I’d be happy with a draw. Once dinner and beers had settled, we were then escorted on the gentle downhill ramble towards the ground, interestingly enough coming across a huge swathe of Fortuna Dusseldorf supporters who were in town. There is, apparently, a “twinning” of Ipswich and Dusseldorf supporters, and once a season a veritable legion of German fans come over for a match.
Portman Road is a distinctive stadium; its Cobbold and Britannia Stands externally little different from the heady days of the 80s when one could see the ground regularly on ‘Match of the Day’, yet despite that they appear well cared for. As usual, we were allocated a block in the upper tier of the Cobbold stand alongside the pitch. Legroom isn’t the greatest for those with long pins; but I have come across far worse. On the plus side, the overhanging angled roof of the stand allows even a small following to sound like a Roman army. However, it does detract slightly from the overall impression of the stadium, as the roof angle means that you can see little of the upper tiers of the ground. The two ends of the stadium are now double-deck stands that look very impressive with floodlight pylons mounted on the roof girder structures. From closer inspection once inside the ground, I’d deduce that they actually built around the existing structure beforehand, as the lower tier to our left looked very much like older terracing that had been converted to all seater status. However, I’d happily be corrected if my guess is wrong there.
The stewards, at least for our visit, seemed quite laid back and happy to let us choose our own seats, and we settled down to soak up the atmosphere and build up towards kick-off. My head was telling me we’d be lucky to get a draw; but in my heart of hearts I was hoping for an away win to avenge their earlier visit to Deepdale in the season when they did a very effective job of nicking the win. My attention was drawn also to the odd structure between the Britannia Stand opposite ourselves and the end behind the goal to our left. I couldn’t be sure whether it was a ground control suite or a press box. As kick-off approached, we were quite amused as the PA announcer tried to get a ‘song’ out of the legion of Fortuna Dusseldorf fans located in a section of the lower tier of the Churchman End, but all he could comment on was the very strong smell of beer from that section of the crowd!
And so out came the teams, Ipswich Town, the club that gave us Sir Alf Ramsay, Sir Bobby Robson et al, versus Preston North End, one of the oldest clubs on the block. The atmosphere was bubbling nicely, and as both clubs have a tradition of trying to play the beautiful game the proper way, I was really looking forward to the 90 minutes ahead. Preston settled into their game far quicker than their hosts, and it came as little surprise really when Daniel Johnson fired us ahead. Ipswich continued to try to spray the ball out wide but seemed vulnerable to misplaced passes and given the vulnerability of their defence, I think we were all a little surprised and disappointed not to have been further ahead by the time Ipswich snatched an equaliser from their first real promising piece of play shortly before half-time.
Sir Alf Ramsey Stand
Having had a less than satisfactory experience of the catering at Portman Road on previous visits, I didn’t bother although my friend who’d joined us did and returned somewhat later extremely disappointed, and empty handed. Apparently, people in front of him had been left waiting to be served for nearly 10 minutes, and then when some-one did return to the counter, the first man was charged £9 plus for a pie and coffee and he had to quibble quite hard to get the girl to acknowledge that she’s made a mistake at the till. She then disappeared again, at which point my colleague abandoned. My tip would be to head to the Greyhound beforehand and fill up with a good square meal there ; you will still feel full long after half-time!
Once the second half commenced, I sensed a certain anxiety amongst the home support, and this pervaded the entire second half. Preston did have the ball in the back of the net midway through the second half as the energetic Ben Pearson, recently signed from Manchester United capped off a fine flowing move that he’d been instrumental in and gleefully smashed the ball home to our extreme delight……..only for an offside flag to be seen and celebrations muted. If we felt a bit aggrieved at the time, television replays that night showed that not one, but two Ipswich defenders had clearly played Pearson onside, but that’s the way football goes some times. To my surprise, Ipswich never really threatened much at all in the second half either, and as the clock wore down, it became one of those matches where you could sense both sets of players were now content to play the last few minutes out and take a point each.
Sir Bobby Robson Stand (Churchman End)
I was left with mixed feelings ; admittedly I’d have taken a point before the match but that was on the basis that I was expecting perhaps a sterner test than Ipswich gave us, and on the basis of the 90 minutes we’d just watched, I couldn’t help feel wistful that if we’d been a bit more clinical in front of goal, we’d have taken all 3 points. However, as we rolled in search of post match beer, we had to concede that a point away from home at a side that was expecting to be in the promotion chasing pack at the start of the season was not to be sniffed at, and further proof that we were adjusting well to life in the higher division. Our initial search for beer was thwarted as the Riverside Pub, opposite the railway station was most clearly closed, with no lights on in the interior at all. As this had been open before the match, this did seem odd, and several Preston supporters were perplexed as they’d left overnight bags there by arrangement. Therefore we retraced our steps and found a modern looking bar that was family friendly in the town centre where we grabbed some drinks and discussed the beautiful game whilst we watched Leicester City take on relegation threatened Aston Villa live on sky sports.
After a few beers, we walked back to the railway station and grabbed the next express service that was heading to London Liverpool Street. A short tube journey then took us to St Pancras where the boys asked if we could detour to see any of the Eurostar trains, as they’d never ever seen them before. Not only did we satisfy their desire to see both old and new Eurostars, I also took the liberty to show them statue of Sir John Betjeman, and explain how the famous literary icon helped save the very station in which we were stood from the bulldozers of 1970s corporate state-backed vandalism. Never let it be said that a day out to football cannot include a little bit of culture and education !! All in all, another very satisfactory and enjoyable day out at Portman Road, and as at the time of writing it looks like both clubs will be meeting next season, one to ring-fence in the diary again!
Plus points for Portman Road:
1 Ground perfectly located near the town centre and places to eat and drink
2 Short walk from well connected main line railway station
3 A stadium that actually looks like a proper football ground
4 Home fans are among the most welcoming and friendly in the country
5 Floodlight Pylons
Minus points for Portman Road:
1 Catering seems routinely woeful for away following
Ipswich Town v Stevenage
League Cup First Round
Tuesday 11th August 2015, 7.45pm
James Walker (Stevenage fan)
Why were you looking forward to visiting Portman Road?
I was looking forward to this away day as it was a new ground for me and I always enjoy cup matches. The added incentive of a possible scalp made this a very appealing night out.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I took the supporters coach for this one to keep life simple and it saved the bother of having to try and find parking at Portman Road. The journey took roughly two hours to get there but confusion at the ground lead to the stewards thinking the supporters coach was the actual team coach! This meant we were lead through to the players entrance, only having to turn around again and go back round to the car park.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
As we had time to spare, I went straight to the club shop 'Planet Blue' to purchase a programme (£2) and a badge (£3). The girl serving me obviously didn't see my Stevenage hat, scarf or shirt though as she then asked me "do you have an Ipswich season ticket?" – cue a very confused look on my face (maybe if I had said yes then I might have got a discount – always next time though!).
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
I was hugely impressed when I entered the away end because Portman Road was a stunning ground on the inside. It looks like one of those grounds where you can easily make a racket for the big games. The away end itself is spacious and looks like you could easily get a good bit of noise going among the travelling support.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The first half from our point of view went very well. We kept Ipswich at bay for long spells and even threatened a couple of times ourselves. Suddenly in the 34th Stevenage's Dean Parrett had a shot which came back off the post, hit the Ipswich defender Christophe Berra and flew in for an own goal. The roof came off the away end as suddenly we were dreaming of pulling off a cup shock. Unfortunately it wasn't to be, as Ipswich equalised in the 55th minute through a Josh Yorwerth header from a corner and then won it as Jay Tabb slammed the ball in to an open goal from 6 yards out in the 76th minute. That was not the last of the talking points though as in the 82nd minute, Dean Parrett was fouled in the box and the referee pointed to the spot. Brett Williams placed the ball down and was getting ready to take it, when the referee (who came over to chat to his assistant) decided to overturn his decision and give Ipswich a free kick. Cue fury from the travelling support, as we went on to narrowly slip out of the cup. The food here was disappointing and heavily overpriced. £2.50 for a small thing of chips and £3 for a pie, and they even gave me the wrong one. I asked for my usual Chicken Balti but I have no idea what I was given. I took it back but they refused to change it, saying that I had taken it out of the room. I was not impressed.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Getting away was simple. We just had to come out of the away end and turn right, then turn right again at the end of the stadium, cross over the road and the coach was there waiting for us. We got back to Stevenage for just after midnight.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Whilst we felt a strong sense of injustice, we also felt a strong sense of pride that we were able to go away to a Championship ground and give them a huge scare. It was a fun night out, that on another day, could've gone very differently.
Half Time: Ipswch Town 0-1 Stevenage
Full Time: Ipswich Town 2-1 Stevenage
Attendance: 10,449 (318 away fans)
Ipswich v Brentford
Championship League
Saturday, 7th March 2015, 3pm
Russell Judge (Brentford fan)
Why you were looking forward to going to Portman Road?
I had never been to Portman Road before, so a new ground for a Bees supporter!
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
The ground was well signposted from the A12. We decided to stay overnight at a Premier Inn, which had free car parking. Just followed the crowd the ground, although I had downloaded a map, just in case.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
Just had a Pie & Bovril (very traditional) inside the stadium. Somehow I had missed the programme seller, but on mentioning this to a steward, he went out of his way to get me one. Many thanks!
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
I had a good view of both goals with no pillars to obstruct. However the leg room was very poor; I am not tall but I had to sit at an angle to be comfortable. Overall it looked like a nice ground. Bees fans created good noise and atmosphere.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Ipswich took the lead in the 9th minute and Brentford equalised 15 minutes later. After that, it was a good end-to-end match with both sides missing chances to score. Ipswich continued to press hard and Brentford were hanging on a bit towards the end. A 1-1 draw was just about fair.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game.
The road at the back of the stand where the away fans were housed (Portman Road) was mostly closed to traffic, to allow fans to safely disperse. As we were staying over we walked to the St Judes Brewery Tavern pub. The home fans were philosophical about result with no trouble at all.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Good day out with a reasonable result. Really friendly ground/area Will be happy to come back next year if we are both still in the Championship League.
Ipswich Town v Derby County
Football Championship League
Saturday 10th January 2015, 12.15pm
Stuart Griffin (Doing the 92)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Portman Road Ground?
I'd always had a soft spot for Ipswich, but being so far away I had never seen a game at Portman Road. The ground itself is also one that hasn't lost it's charm, and thus I was very excited to be visiting it.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
The journey was itself good apart from a flash downpour, that effectively stopped the A12 so heavy it was. Ipswich town centre was very congested when I arrived, but nonetheless I managed to park nearby to the ground for £5, and got to the ground at around 12pm.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Portman Road?
Portman Road is impressive, approaching from the south I was greeted by the relatively famous West Stand exterior. The ground itself inside is a unique affair. With two large end modern stands housing the more vocal fans, opposed to two older stands running the length of the pitch that housed more subdued fans the ground was an interesting set up. The West stand where I sat was a little cosy, but providing excellent viewing of the pitch.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The game itself was relatively flat, with Derby providing more of the pressure. Ipswich were not without chances, but Derby in the end got the goal through Martin (who did not impress with his content fouling, and diving). Eustace a Derby player got sent off near the end.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
I got stuck in the car park for around 30 minutes, and then it took another 20 minutes to get out of Ipswich but eventually I got home.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
The crowd were a little quiet for my liking, taking into account the game was second v third in the league, but it was still a very enjoyable experience to visit a team I have rooted for since childhood.
Ipswich Town v Preston North End
FA Cup 4th Round
Saturday, January 4th, 2014, 3pm
Leon Francis (Preston North End fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
Living fairly locally to Ipswich this was quite a good opportunity to get to an away game. Preston have been in good form recently and this would prove to be a very tricky tie against a team also doing well in the division above. I was not holding out much hope for the game, but it’s the FA Cup, anything can happen.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
The ground isn’t too difficult to find. We came in on the A12 and followed it, closely approaching the town centre. You will eventually join quite a long traffic queue and the ground will be visible in the distance.
We parked in a nearby car park around five minutes from the ground, by the train station I think. It was nearby the Sir Bobby Robson Bridge. The club and town have really done a brilliant job of honouring both Robson and Sir Alf Ramsey. For this they both deserve a lot of recognition and respect. It was just then a case of following other fans to the ground.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
As we had been allocated a very small corner of the stadium (and we were planning on buying on the gate), we spent a while looking for where the away fans were seated. Whilst doing this we decided to get something to eat from a nearby burger van near the Bobby Robson Stand. The home fans generally seemed fairly friendly – the game has no rival aspect (and as such they were welcoming). The ticket office is right next door to the away entrance. It can be a bit confusing, as it looks as though it is simply another queue for the home fans to enter the ground. In fact we resorted to asking stewards if this was the right one for us/
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
The ground stills holds good character to it, something that we do seem to have lost at Deepdale and many other grounds nowadays. Outside are the Bobby Robson and Alf Ramsey statues – fairly bigger names in the game than say Michael Jackson at Fulham! The away end is a top corner – we had around 300 fans there and with the small space and the close roof, we were able to make a lot of noise when we wanted to.
Portman Road is a decent ground, and isn’t completely modernised like certain grounds I’ve been to before. In a way, you do appreciate them keeping to their roots. At the same time though, the grounds do not have the conveniences that modern grounds now have. With the recent heavy rainfall, the pitch was badly torn up in places. The toilets had an amount of rainwater coming in (I mentioned this to a steward on my way back to my seat, whom told me it was being sorted in coming weeks).
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
My judgment prior to the game was to be wrong (it’s very rarely right- I’d be a rich man by now otherwise), as Preston came out looking strong in the away yellow. Ipswich did not look like a team currently sitting 4th in the Championship. We stroked the ball around well, not constantly resorting to long ball. Kevin Davies looked sharp, and we had one cleared off the line from Ian Hume. At the end of the first half, Davies conceded a penalty with handball from a corner. Frustrating! The penalty was saved, but the rebound was pounced upon. No more than 4 minutes later and Preston were level! It was eventually a long ball that unlocked the Town defence, Kevin Davies latching on for a brilliant finish. 1-1 at half time. PNE came out in the second half, and once again looked very good value. After further numerous chances, we had to settle for 1-1 and a replay back at Deepdale.
Atmosphere? Ipswich made very little noise, particularly the fans near us. The first noise we heard from anyone was the cheer after the goal. Thy began drumming up the other end and a little sing-song in the second half, but the drummer wasn’t great- hitting a constant bang bang bang bang, no variety at all! We made all the noise, and the Ipswich fans tend to head for the exits very early on. This was greeted with a chorus of ‘we can see you sneaking out’ started by yours truly! Sorry Ipswich!
Stewards were good, and let us sit wherever we wanted. They had no qualms with us ‘standers’ at the back either. Kudos to them – in recent years we have suffered with some unfair stewards. Didn’t get a pie as someone told me the queue was very long! Similar with the facilities as I previously described- showing age.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Easy to get back to the car in the pouring rain. Give yourselves time after, as you will sit in a lot of traffic out of Ipswich. Listened to the North London Derby on the way home!
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Really enjoyed the day as seeing the famous North End is getting hard to come by for myself and the others. Gave them a good game, and hope we can win the replay up at Deepdale! PNE! I have the utmost respect for Ipswich’s honouring of two heroes of English football. Just get the fans to make some noise!
Ipswich Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Championship League
Wednesday, September 19th 2012, 7.45pm
Thomas Sperrink (Wolves fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
Trying to get to as many different away grounds as possible watching Wolves and midweek at Ipswich was another further afield venue to tick off the list.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I travelled over from Basildon and it was very easy to get to up the A12. I parked in the open air car park on the opposite side of the river to the station and as it was a mid week game I only had to pay the £2.20 to take me up to 8pm and it was ideal as my sister was travelling from central London on the train.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
After meeting my sister we had a couple of drinks in The Riverside Hotel across from the train station (formerly The Station Hotel). This was for away fans only and the drink was very reasonably priced and there were lots of bar staff on so we got served quickly.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
We walked over to the ground which only took 5 minutes and had no queues to enter the ground. Portman Road is an old school ground with the two new stands behind the goals fitting in well with older stands. The away end was in the corner but the view was excellent and although the leg room was not great it was tolerable.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, toilets etc..
We grabbed a Balti pie and a Bovril before the game which was excellent, although it was more like Chinese curry sauce but I was not complaining.
The match was not one for a neutral, with the first half seeing both teams play very cagily and only mustering one or two shots each. In the second half Ipswich had two great opportunities which they put wide and for Wolves Doyle hit the post with a volley. Wolves eventually took the win 2-0 with a bizarre own goal where the Ipswich defender slipped clearing a free kick and deflected the ball into his own goal with his arm before Wolves added a second when Tongo Doumbia collected a long ball turned and shot low into the corner from 20 yards out.
The atmosphere was pretty subdued, Ipswich fans were very quiet and although Wolves mustered a few songs they mainly came late in the game once we had taken the lead. It tells the story of the game that the biggest cheers were when it took the steward 4 minutes to replant a corner flag that had toppled over.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Grabbed a burger from outside the ground and it was easy to get away from, as it was only a 5 minute walk and the traffic seemed surprisingly light leaving the town. It was a however a late one as I had to drop my sister at Cockfosters before heading back to the Midlands.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
We got the result we wanted so that always improves your memories of a ground but I’d certainly recommend a trip to Portman Road, the fans seemed friendly enough and never felt worried despite wearing colours, the facilities are good if not spectacular and it’s always good to get to another of the 92.
Ipswich Town v Bristol Rovers
Carling Cup 1st Round
Saturday, August 18th 2012, 3pm
Matt Duckworth (Neutral fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
Having recently moved to the Essex/Suffolk border I was looking forward to ticking off Portman Road from the ‘to visit’ list. Also, my team York City had recently regained their league status so it was a good opportunity to check out one of our league opposition, Bristol Rovers.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
The journey down the A12, through Ipswich and towards the ground was relatively easy, with about 5 minutes delay on what it would be on non-match days. I arrived 15 minutes before kick-off and parked in one of the car parks opposite the ground. However, the eventual crowd was 8,600 so I’m guessing for a usual Saturday league game the drive and parking wouldn’t be as easy!
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
With having 15minutes before kick-off I opted to eat in the ground. There seemed to be a number of burger vans around the ground.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
Having mostly visited non-league grounds for the last 8 years most larger grounds seem impressive! The stadium is situated not far from the town centre/station and is surrounded by houses and office blocks. Two new stands at either end are flanked by more ‘traditional’ stands where there may be a restricted view in certain seats.
Having spoken to a Norwich supporting mate beforehand he’d (obviously) described the place as “a dump” so my expectations were fairly low. Whilst I doubt it will win ground of the year there was a certain nostalgic feeling when entering the ground, mainly due to the clubs association with such legends as Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson. As with most neutral games I elected to sit with the travelling contingent. For 263 of them, the Rovers fans made a decent noise and I look forward to the York trip to Memorial Stadium in March 2013.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Due to the Olympics the League Cup was the opening game of the season for both teams, so it was good timing to take advantage of the lower ticket prices! The ground was a third full so had a pre-season feel to it, with not much noise generated other than for the goals. I can imagine, however, on a derby day against Norwich that it is a great atmosphere with the ground retaining a lot of the noise created.
At half time I opted for the ‘Combo Deal’ which comprised of a pie, wedges and a beer for £7.40. The pie was one of the better I’ve had and the Adnams ale was on a par with the local pubs in the area.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
For most neutral games I leave a few minutes early (however not for York games!), as a result there was no delay getting back on to the A12.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
The ground is easy to get to from the station/via car and has decent food and beer available so a good ground to visit for both Away and Neutral fans.
Ipswich Town v Reading
Championship League
Saturday, November 26th 2011, 3pm
Alex Luke (Reading fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
It had been a while since my last away game so I was looking forward to another trip out. Ipswich seemed a good bet due to our improving form and their poor run of 4 straight defeats. From photos and other reviews I had seen of Portman Road it had impressed me as it seemed to combine the old and the modern, very well.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I went on the coaches with a few friends that left the Madejski at 9:30am. The journey seemed shorter than I expected and there was very little traffic once we entered the town. The coach parked about a five minute walk from the ground.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
We arrived a good hour before the match kicked off so decided to visit the club shop. There is a glass wall within the shop, which provides an impressive view of the ground. After, we went to buy a burger from one of the many vans surrounding the stadium. It was fairly expensive but tasted good and was cheaper than the food on offer inside the ground. Home fans were exceptionally welcoming and there was no trouble anywhere. We also walked around the outside of the ground, taking in the statues of former players, outside of the Britannia Stand, which seems huge.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
The away end seemed old and tired. However the view from the seats was one of the best I've experienced with Reading. The Brittania Stand looks very impressive as do the other ends of the ground. The ground itself seems a good size.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The first half was a very poor affair. Reading had an early chance when Kebe burst down the right hand flank but his low cross was just too far away from Church. Any touch and it would've been in. The only other moment of note in the first half was when Chopra rolled the ball past Federici only to see it bounce back off the post.
The game exploded into life in the second half. Ipswich took the lead when a Grant Leadbitter free kick caught Federici in no-mans land and Daryl Murphy nodded home. However Reading soon responded with Gorkks thumping home his first for the club with a great header from an Ian Harte free kick. The game then entered a bit of a lull before Josh Carson ran at the defence and unleashed a shot that bounced off Gorkks and looped over Federici. Time ticked on and it seemed like an Ipswich win was on the cards. However 3 minutes of injury time was added on and Reading showed why they are the best team in the league in the last 10 minutes of games. In the first minute of injury time Pearce bulleted a header past Wright from a corner to equalise. Ipswich suddenly fell apart and with 30 seconds left Reading completed the comeback, Le Fondre oing superbly to outpace the defence before chipping a delightful ball to Noel Hunt, who slotted home to send the Reading fans into delirium.
The stewards were very friendly and tolerated the standing from the 500 or so Royals. The atmosphere throughout the game was a disappointment though. The Ipswich fans made little noise which was a bit disappointing as the Reading fans tried hard to get an atmosphere going.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Finding the coach was fairly easy for us, although one fan failed to find the coach so we had to leave him behind. Once we got going, we got out of the town fairly quickly due to the surprisingly small amount of traffic.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Overall the day was excellent. A superb win for Reading in the most dramatic fashion completed an enjoyable experience. Despite the high ticket prices I would definitely visit Ipswich again and thoroughly recommend it.
Ipswich Town v Scunthorpe United
Championship League
Saturday, March 19th 2011, 3pm
Jimmy Day (Scunthorpe fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
I was looking forward to my trip to Portman Road, as it was my last Championship ground to tick off, plus I was interested to see how the the team would play in their first game since Ian Baraclough's sacking.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I went by Club supporters coach, leaving Scunthorpe at 9am. We had a stop in Peterborough and then arrived at a car park 2 minutes away from Portman Road at 1:40pm. It was a decent journey with my mates, and went fairly quickly.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
I didn't go for a drink of grub before the game, however, Ipswich fans seemed like a friendly bunch. I helped out an Ipswich fan by changing a £5 note into coins as he needed change for car parking.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
After the comments that I had heard about the ground being poor, then ironically I loved it. Ut looked very tidy from the outside. Inside, we were housed in one half on the Cobbold Stand, the view was one of the best I've had all season, except, if you sat on the last 4 rows, there were pillars to block your view. Right next to us, was a very big, two tiered stand, whilst facing us was the Britannia Stand, which looked pretty identical to the stand we were in, if not maybe a bit bigger, and the furthest stand, was the Bobby Robson Stand, in my opinion, the best looking stand in the ground, a two tiered stand, with a tidy flat white cover on top of it, which seemed to house the more vocal Ipswich fans.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, toilets etc..
It was the first game of Tony Daws caretaker reign, and, just by the starting line up, I could sense we would try play football for the first time in 7 months. We was under the cosh straight from the first whistle, we could have been dead and buried by the time we could have took the lead, through Michael O'Conners free kick, which was well saved by Ipswich's keeper. Ipswich took the lead around the half hour mark, through one of the goals of the season. Carlos Edwards picked up the ball up on the half way line, before striding forward to unleash a long range rocket into Lillis' goal.
At half time, I tried out the Chicken Balti pie, made by Wrights. Not the best pie I've ever tasted, but I still ate it as I was starving! The Iron made a good start to the second half, and could have been level, but were hit with a sucker punch about 10 minutes in, Jimmy Bullard scoring a peach of a free kick. From then on, I knew it would be a difficult task to even get a point. It finished 2-0 to Ipswich.
We tried to make an atmosphere, but it was hard with only 165 irons there, and Ipswich fans only seemed to chirp up when the ball hit the net. The stewards seemed a friendly bunch and had a laugh with us.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Didn't take long at all, 2 minute walk to the coach, and we were back on the road home in about 5-10 minutes.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
A decent away day, 3 points would have been a bonus, but I can't see us stopping up now, Ipswich is a certainly a ground I would like to return to, sometime in the future.