Portman Road- Home Of The Tractor Boys
How to find Portman Road
By car:
From London/The South: Take the A12 from the M25, signposted rather vaguely for ‘East Anglia’. Follow for about 50 miles, when you will eventually reach the ‘Toys R Us roundabout’ junction with the A14. Carry straight on over the roundabout, and keep on heading for the town centre. You will descend a large hill, and when you eventually see Sainsbury’s petrol station on your left, turn right into West end road for the better choice of car parks. Or keep straight into Handford Road, where you will find the famous Portman Road ½ a mile on the right.
From the North/Midlands: Take the rather dull but good quality A14 from the M6 or A1 and follow signs for Felixstowe. Be careful to filter left at Cambridge, or risk finding yourself halfway down the M11. When approaching Ipswich, do not take the first exit, but carry on down to the junction with the A14. Follow insrtuctions above from 'Toys R Us roundabout'for ground.
There are various car parks around the ground, a popular one being the new Cardinal Park complex, which is a pay and display close to the ground. Beware, do not be tempted to try the B&Q across the road. This used to be a popular choice, but they started to take offence by the number of football fans using their car park. They employed security guards to note the number plates of cars where their owners did not return carrying a packet of screws. Fines were consequently issued. There is some limited free parking by the wet docks.
By Rail:
Take Liverpool Street Station from London. The Ipswich Station is positioned very close to Portman Road, and is an easy stroll. Head straight along Princess Street, where you will find the ground ¼ mile on the left.
Brief History
Ipswich Town have always played at Portman Road. The ground has not changed too much over recent years. It is a legacy to the Bobby Robson era, when as far up to the late eighties, it could boast legitimately to be one of the best stadiums in the country. Seats were added to the terraces behind the goals in 1993, which was the only improvement required to bring it up to Taylor report standards. It has the old ‘four stands around the pitch’ design, rather than the new ‘wrap around ground’ stadiums of today. These new grounds may be economical with space, do tend to lack character. Ironically, the fact the ground was good 15 years ago, is the main reason why now it is perhaps in need of a facelift, and is currently having a whooping £24 million invested in the facilties to turn it back into a state-of-the-art stadium.
Consequently Churchman’s (the name came from an old cigarette factory positioned directly behind) has been re-developed. It has actually just been renamed the imaginative ‘South Stand’ (until a willing sponsor comes along and offers to put their name on it for a tidy fee) and towers into the sky with a new upper tier. The North Stand has also been flatened, and is also going to boast two tiers. The size is restricted due to the houses behind in Alderman Road, but even so, it will take capacity up to over 30,000. More executive boxes are also currently being added to the Britannia Stand, fortunately not at the expense of normal seats.
The one big advantage of having not moved ground is that Portman Road is only a short five-minute walk from the town centre and also the train station. This means that supporters have the opportunity to shop, visit pubs/restaurants, or do whatever may tickle their fancy before the match. Too many stadiums these days, I feel, are positioned ‘conveniently’ close to motorways, on the edge of towns and cities, or in industrial parks. This may be great for a quick entry/getaway, but if you’ve travelled half the length of the country it’s nice to see a bit of the town you’ve travelled to. You can still do that at Ipswich, and the town centre is normally bustling with football shirts, both home and away, before a match.
At the Ground
The away section is at the Princess Street end of Portman Road, in the upper tier of the Cobbold Stand. The view is a good one (unless you’re right at the back behind a pylon) and is well covered. However, it was not really built to house hoards of away fans, and you frequently hear complaints about the size of catering bars, toilets etc. Long queues are frequently seen to form outside the away pen, so don’t arrive too late!
The programme has become surprisingly good in recent years, and was even voted last season’s 1st division Programme of the year. An inflated ‘premier’ price of £2.50 this season still represents value for money, and a decent read.
The Pre-match/half time entertainment, like at most clubs, leaves a lot to be desired. They do make an effort though. We have witnessed among other things, dodgy bands, as well as the usual penalty shoot-out competitions. There is also a chirpy PA man, Rob Chandler, who makes a good attempt to whip up an atmosphere and will often have a cheeky swipe at the away fans. The club mascot has just been changed from ‘Bluey the Horse’ to ‘Crazee the Horse’. Enough said there.
Overall, Portman Road is a fairly good safe ground to visit. It has a cracking atmosphere in these heady days, even though it only currently has three sides. The good Suffolk folk are generally friendly, and crowd trouble is rarely seen. Away fans can wear their colours without running the risk of being attacked.
Something new last season, which is worth a quick visit, is the life size statue of the late, great Sir Alf Ramsey. Sir Alf was, of course, the Ipswich manager when they won the league in 1962. He then went on to manage England, and the rest as they say, is history. He lived in Ipswich right up until his recent death, and fans can now pay homage the great man at this statue. It is positioned on the corner of Portman Road and Sir Alf Ramsey Way, close to the North Stand.
Food and Drink
The Catering facilities at Portman Road are not too bad, and have improved over recent seasons. You can get the usual range of pies, burgers, tea or coffee, but prices hardly represent good value for money. You can also choose between a fine pint of Greene King or Lager at the bar. If you’re partial to a burger before the game, you will be better off purchasing it outside from one of the many burger vans positioned outside the ground.
Pubs
There are many good pubs in the town centre within 10 minutes walking distance from the ground, too many to mention. Most welcome football fans and many serve food. I have, however, selected a few below for a mention, which are a short stagger to the ground.
The Drum and Monkey, Princess Street.
This is the nearest pub to the ground, and an obvious favourite with away fans. It’s not the greatest pub in the world by any stretch of the imagination, but if you want a quick beer in a plastic glass before the game, this is the place to go.
The Black Horse, Black Horse Lane.
This is a favourite with Town Fans, but away fans are normally welcome as well, making it a good place for a bit of footie banter. Decent beer garden for summer games. Normal selection of beers and Sky TV is usually on, useful for last minute team news.
The Golden Lion, Cornhill.
This pub is right in the heart of the town and has become a firm favourite with footie fans. Being a Wetherspoons pub it has a good range of very cheap beer, and serves good value food all day. One complaint is their ‘no TV/music’ policy. But when you’re only paid £1 a pint, most live with it.
The Swan, Arcade Street.
Another popular football pub, also serves a good range of food. Also has a pleasant beer garden (or concrete courtyard to be more exact)for the warmer weather.
The Plough, Dog Head’s Street.
This is also busy on match days, with a giant TV screen showing Sky. Serves food, which is not too bad, but could be better. Beware, my experience of this pub is that it can take you an eternity to get served (even when it’s not full), as it always seems to be under staffed. Can be annoying if you’re aiming to ‘down a swifty’ before leaving for the match.
If anyone has any other suggestions, or think I have missed one out, please let me know. I will gladly undertake a bit of field research!
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9 May 08 
Liverpool Football Club