I somehow got on the wrong train home last night. Was aware enough to get off again and bolt to the right one. I'd just seen people staring at projections of the players on a big building, pockets of Blue replying to every chant you started, echoing of the buildings. The street around the Swan and whatever it is, looked like something you see in other places. People rammed into not enough space, cardboard and cans in hand and on the floor. Pubs so crowded it'd give the fire brigade palpitations. That was just the ending of a day we'll remember in various amounts of clarity.
Everyone from different eras of my life, different places sent messages about us going up. We are going to be *that team* adopted for a season by everyone else, until we stay up long enough to become an annoyance aren't we?
A good progress marker is that a year ago after Barnsley we had a little cuddle in a darkened car park, a year later in front of bigwigs, we're down on the pitch and he plants a big old kiss on me. Sitters continues to make it TeaseWTD at every great moment.
So much can be said about the game, the blue smoke before it meant I saw nothing of the bus. Just loads of people in various states of happy. Some covered in a bluish soot, others just bouncing from place to place.
I think I queued for about 500 yards to get a programme for others via phone order as they were so delayed in traffic. Nothing really prepared me for how big a deal this was until I turned on Portman Rd. Even the sweaty train in just seemed like Greater Anglia maximising profits rather than it being a struggle to cope with the numbers.
The pubs after were a melting pot of locals, diehards, travellers and all sorts. Wall to wall comparisons of photos, moments, players they got close to and whatnot. It felt like a whole season of away days in one hour, being introduced to or catching up with people. There really is unison in victory and achievement and we've been greedier than most this past 2 seasons.
After two decades of near famine, who can resent us?
One of the regulars near Snr died last week, he'd sat there for donkeys. He's missed all this and he'll be one of thousands who got the rough of Div 3, Evans and beyond without the payoff. There were people there yesterday somehow making it their first trip to Portman Rd. The connections and directions of us all jumping in and out of ITFC as the years go by were really apparent to me today.
Despite having the aircon cranked up and shades welded to my face for the drive back, the sky looked blue, the sun brighter as I wound my way out of Suffolk this morning and the coffee kicked in.
Whatever your day was like yesterday, we've all got "our Ipswich" back for a little while yet haven't we? |  |
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