greatest month in my footballing life (Football in General)

Member Name: daadr

Product:	Football in General
Date:	15/03/09 (75 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A brilliant month

Disadvantages: none!!

This review is the greatest month in supporting Ipswich Town. For three seasons in a row Ipswich had finished 3rd in the league and ended up loosing in the play offs before getting to Wembley for the chance to get promoted. In the year 2000 the season was no different with finishing 3rd in the league and in the play off semi Final against Bolton.

The 1st leg was at the Reebok Stadium which is Boltons stadium and in the first half Ipswich went 2-0 down and was having a shocking game. Then up stepped the new hero of Ipswich, Marcus Stewart. Just before half time he took an oppurtunist volley fro very far out it beat the Bolton goalie, Jussi Jaaskelainan, and flew in the top corner. Thousands of us Ipswich fans behind the other goal suddenly believed we could do this, if we could get a draw we could take them back to Portman Road and win. In the second half it was a good display, Marcus Stewart got free, he took it round two players, got in the box, took it round the goalie, went to shoot, cut back in and put it in the net with 2 defenders on the line. The whole of us Ipswich fans erupted and knew we had them where we wanted them!

The 2nd leg at Portman Road was a midweek game, the flood lights were on, the fans were in full voice it was all geered up for us. Bolton were winning, it was into injury time with Bolton winning 3-2. The Bolton fans were in full voice dancing and singing. The Ipswich fans were starting to leave, including my dad and i. We had our back to the game walking up the stairs to the exit, we heard a roar we turned round and Jim magilton, now the Ipswich manager volleyd if from the edge of the box into the bottom corner. The whole of Portman Road went crazy, it was 3-3 we were taking them to Extra Time. Bolton lost their nerve, they got ratty, they got a player sent off and gave away a penalty. Up stepped Jamie Clapham - GOAL! It was 4-3 to Ipswich in extra time. The manager George Burley bought on our super sub from Ajax, Martijn Reuser, he came on and ran it from the half way line and smashed it in the top corner just before Bolton has another player sent off and just after a mad pitch invasion by all the Ipswich fans. We was going to Wembley!!

Wembley morning, a bank holiday monday. We woke up early so excited, we had out big blue and white wigs on, flags and ballons. We picked his friend and his son up and we off to London. The journey was a nervy but excitable one. Beeping, waving and shouting at any Ipswich fans we could see. Our oppositon was Barnsley who beat Birmingham to get to the final. The teams came out, ballons were flying, the fans were singing, it was al so exiting. A few minutes into the game Barnsley scored! Just before half time our goalie, Richard Wright gave away a penalty. That was it, this was going to be 2-0 Barnsley before half time and we would have stayed in Division 1 again. Wrigh saved it! We had a chance, the fans got right behind the players. We got a corner and Tony Mowbray our captain equalised. In the second half we scored again through Richard Naylor and then again through Marcus Stewart. We was winning 3-1 everything was looking rosey. Then Barnsley scored and just after that Richard Wright made an unbelievable save to keep it 3-2. On came the super sub again, Martijn Reuser, he got sent throuhg goooooaaalllll 4-2 in the last minute of the game. We was going to the big time. Premier league here we come! As the final whistle went they played the song rocking all over the world. 30,000 ipswich fans jumping around singing and dancing with the Ipswich players dancing about on the pitch. The greatest month in my life of being an Ipswich fan.

Summary: A brilliant month in the life of being an Ipswich fan