|1-Ipswich Town v Norwich City - or - |1-Revenge part 4 Those of you who read my article in Word 9 about the Norwich/Ipswich match will know I was going to do a follow up of the return match, well here it is..... Sunday April 14th 1996 ---------------------- 10:00 am -------- I awake and cant eat my breakfast, am too nervous about the match. Get dressed, don the blue and white, spend an hour playing around on me 64, I`m gonna get the 1:00 pm bus to Ipswich. 12:30 pm -------- A mate who I have not seen for a while turns up and offers me a lift, his car is full of people I recognise so I accept, we zoom off up the A14 towards Ipswich with scarves out of windows singing loudly. Arrive in Ipswich and park near ground, next stop Blackadders pub. 13:30 pm -------- Blackadders is packed, Budweisers all round. I go outside and chat to people whilst downing beer, the atmosphere is building nicely, and the beer goes down well. People turn up who I know, mega greets all round, more beer. 14:20 pm -------- Stagger down to ground, about eight of us in a group singing loudly. We pass the Drum & Monkey pub which is full of Norwich fans drinking, one mate of mine sings out "Burleys Barmy Army" and is promptly nicked by the watching police, trouble is, about ten Norwich fans pile out of pub throwing glasses so we pegged it to the ground. Go in ground, meet more people, rip up free copies of Evening Star to use at ticket tape, banter, singing, the usual bit. 14:55 pm -------- The teams come out and ticket tape is everywhere, massive applause, balloons, you know the story. Bryan Gunn comes to the North Stand first half to a wall of abuse and noise, by now I have a bit of a sore throat and the game ain`t kicked off! 15:10 pm -------- Norwich have a few chances, Robert Fleck is hacked down for a free kick and puts the ball wide from it, we have a few corners but nothing much, its a tense, scrappy affair with no quarter given either end. 15:23 pm -------- A long kick from Richard Wright, Jamie Scowcroft flicks the ball on and Ian Marshall belts it past Bryan Gunn for a scorching goal. I go totally mental (not the only one) and spend the next ten minutes dancing along the front of the North stand. The Norwich fans get a lot of baiting, and my voice is totally gone. 15:45 pm -------- Norwich hit the bar from a free kick, Robert Fleck misses a sitter, it looks like its going to be our day. Half time, 1-0 to Ipswich. 16:00 pm -------- Second half kicks off, Norwich start strongly and we are sitting back, not getting tackles in but we are still winning. After an hour Jamie Cureton comes on for Norwich, we in the North stand notice his hair is dyed green, he gets stickus abuseus plentius. 16:15 pm -------- Disaster, John Wark misdirects the bounce of the ball and green bonce Cureton siezes the chance, he lashes it past Richard Wright at his near post and runs to the Norwich fans. Robert Fleck picks the ball up, kisses it and gives us a V sign mouthing "Fuck off Ipswich". Myself and other Town fans threaten to kick seven barrels of shit out of him and he runs to the Norwich fans, coward. 16:40 pm -------- Norwich are on top and we are hanging on, I tell the lads next to me that we will score with four minutes left, they are not confident at all. 16:47 pm -------- A long ball by Tarrico is headed across the Norwich back four, Robert Ullathorne passes back to Bryan Gunn who goes to hoof it downfield and MISSES IT COMPLETELY!!! The ball rolls towards the net, we are off our seats, the net bulges, goal!!! The north stand goes completely apeshit, I get thrown over the wall and am joined by scores of Ipswich fans. Richard Wright is mobbed by celebrating blues, order is quickly resumed and a chorus of "Bryan Gunn, Bryan Gunn, Bryan Bryan Gunn, when he gets the ball he scores a goal, Bryan Bryan Gunn". I am standing at the front of the stand praying hard, the tension has got to me. 16:53 pm -------- After a heart stopping moment when Richard Wright saved at Robert Flecks feet the whistle goes, its all over and revenge is ours. We have beaten the scum at last. A pitch invasion ensues which I reluctantly join in with, we cheer the team off and sing "2-1, we beat the scum 2-1" as we go across to the Norwich fans. They take defeat well, only thirty or so seats are thrown at us, the police have a job on their hands now as both Ipswich and Norwich fans and in the same corner of the ground. Surprisingly anough theres no trouble, maybe we are celebrating too much. 17:10 pm -------- There is a police corden across the main road from the ground to the station to stop celebrating Ipswich fans from goading the Norwich fans. We dont care, stand around waiting singing our heads off, eventually get let down to the station as train is pulling out full of depressed folk from Norfolk. I raise both hands, one with middle finger raised, the other in the victory V shape (2-1, geddit??), train leaves and people mingle for train to London. 20:00 pm -------- Arrive in London and tube it to Victoria, walking towards platform 16 when I notice a bloke in front in a yellow shirt, cant be a budgie can it?? I catch him up as he boards the train, sure enough, its a Norwich fan. We spend journey to Croydon talking about the match, discussing the own goal and laughing, he was a good lad and took defeat well. Get back to Croydon about ten to nine, we shake hands and part, I walk back home and celebrate. Update - The next day I started work in Battersea, one bloke in the office is a Norwich supporter, since he is my boss I aint baited him much. (Yet!!). My thanks to the following people who`s contributions made this article what it is - My mate Ben, for leaping on me when the first goal went in. Ian and Ricky - for leading the conga across NS3. The North Stand - for the constant wall of noise and belief. Bryan Gunn - For making my life a lot better. Anglia TV - for showing the match and positioning the sound monitors near the Norwich fans, you could not hear the Ipswich fans who were making a hell of a racket but you could hear Norwich though. end