Ian Mather CEO
Welcome to Ipswich Town and the well over 2,000 Tractor Boys (and Girls) that have made the trip along the A14. It is nearly 30 years since the sides have played a league game and the Abbey will be as full as it was for the FA cup game against Manchester United in 2015. Whatever happens on the pitch, this will be a memorable encounter. Our last home game was against Gillingham and was one that is less likely to live long in the memory. It was a disappointing result on a grim evening where at times emotions spilled over on and off the pitch. I get that football is an emotional experience. We are not in a library and if it was it would be dull. It is part of the fun to sing and chant. Banter, especially delivered with wit, ads to the occasion. We can all smile at the “4-0 and its all your fault” singing to the opposition goal keeper. Even “you don’t know what you’re doing” has its place but there are times when banter turns bad. Bad banter, better known as abuse, is not pleasant or funny. It makes people uncomfortable and unhappy. It chips away at the fun we are all here for. We had some bad banter at the Gillingham game, along with throwing of objects onto the pitch and abuse
of the match officials. It doesn’t happen often here and when it does it is a small minority that “lose it”. You may have seen that we have supported the #HerGameToo campaign. One of their many good aims is to create a presence in football grounds and sports bars that means there is a more welcoming environment for young girls and women. Foul language and verbal abuse do the opposite of building a welcoming environment. If you are one of those who, occasionally loses it, please dig deep and try to find some better way of venting your frustration. On a cheerier note - a date for your diary - our women’s team will be playing a league match for the first time in ages at the Abbey when they take on QPR on Sunday 14 November. The team are doing well this season and if you have not seen them play yet do come to watch. Season tickets are valid for all women’s fixtures. Back to today and our history with Ipswich is fairly even. In all competitions the U’s have won two, lost two and drawn once. I offer no predictions of the score or the result but I do expect to see both sides giving 100%. Enjoy the game and the good banter. ■ www.cambridge-united.co.uk
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