Music Feature and Closing Remarks

This episode is brought to you by Flexemoise, a multi-award-winning digital business lender dedicated to providing UK SMEs with flexible finance done properly. Welcome back to Portman Road . Burns, trying to buy Jackson, it's Caden Jackson! It's two-nil ! Herd in my friend in the Dappo ! Towards Connor Chaplin ! Jack Taylor. 25 yards out. Oh my goodness, man! Jack Taylor ! Hello everybody, welcome along to the official Ipswich Sound Podcast. Great to be back here in the town TV studio this week. Coming up, we have two very special guests first up elk and baggage sheds light on what he would be up to if he wasn't a footballer I'd be flying a plane trouble is I'm quite tall don if I've fit in C. And one club man, Cam Humphries, gives us a line from his favourite karaoke song. Pre-season actually in Austria. Um recent time the losing team sang uh in the jungle. Yeah? You give us a line? In the jungle . There we go. More from him in a moment, but first it was the club's foundation fundraising dinner last week. Director of Communications Marcus Nash caught up with the foundations director, Dan Powerfree there. Dan, we're in the Sir Bobby Robson suite. It's Epswich Town Foundation fundraising event. Yeah, delighted. Um it's our first one, so very first event. Um but these nights like this are crucial to us in terms of what we want to do in the community, the impact we want to have in the community. So nights like tonight really allow us to have create further opportunities for people in the community and ultimately reach more people and positively impact their lives. There's some key figures here. It's really busy. Are you delighted yourself personally with the progress from summer twenty twenty two to now? Yeah, delighted um you know as I said in the previous question um we're still relatively in our infancy so we've still got a lot of work to do in terms of awareness. We can't ever forget that. You know, we're we're only just five years old, so there's still a lot of work to do. So whilst we're making great strides in the community, um, you know, like you said, there's key figures here which is great, we've got over 200 people are sold-out event and it's fantastic that people are buying into the community. And just before the people have come up here, there's a nice exclusive event in the dressing room. How was that? Because it looked pretty good. No, really good. Um great to give people that kind of experience of like in the inner sanctum on a Saturday where you wouldn't ordinarily get there. So people were down there just having a drinks reception in the tunnel area, um you know the pictures all lit up with the LEDs and big screen in it. It was a really nice event and and great to have Connor Chaplin, George Edmondson, Mark Ashton, Kieran McKenna there and Natasha Thomas so it's really great. And leading on another special guest we've got David Johnson here. That's great, isn't it? Yeah, it's actually great to have John O'Back here at town. Um I think he's someone who probably a lot of people haven't heard from recently. Um so we're keen to really kind of freshen it up and hear from someone new. Um so I hear he's a very good after dinner speaker, so um should be good. Hi uh I'm Jack Taylor, you're listening to the official Influence Town podcast. Come on you blues . Buzz and say that Cam Humphries is it? Hello. Hello. Hello, everybody. Hello. Polite. I like that. He's he's he understands the objective. And social media sensation. Elkham Baggart is also here. Wouldn't go that far. I would. I I I would would but there's a series of numbers you've been racking up. Um guys, how's it going? Yeah, yeah, all good. All good, a good training week. We were in in today and this morning, good session, getting everyone back focused and ready for the game on Saturday now. Enjoying life in the championship. I know it's been a whirlwind couple of years here, but in enjoying it. Yeah. You are, in ya. Yeah. Five minutes on it. Um yeah It's a good ratio. No, I yeah, no, we're really enjoying it. I think we can definitely see that the level of of training and the standard of that has gone up this year and we've had some good results on the pitch as well. Congratulations by the way on your championship debut against Birmingham City. What a milestone for a local boy, a local hero if you like, to come through and and to make your championship David for a club you've spent so long at. Uh tell me about the emotions, the build up to it, when were you told? How how did it work? Yeah, so obviously really it was a really proud moment. Um playing a lot last year more than I thought last year, but this obviously this is a step up. We've brought players in, like I said, the level's gone up. Um so it is harder. But it was yeah really proud moment. I was I was told I was on the bench the the morning of the game. Um we travelled up to Birmingham and then I found out in the morning and yeah there was five ten, minutes to go we needed a goal and and he turned to me said you're going on. So yeah, no, I was happy to get on and even better that we were able to get the goal and get a point and and keep the momentum going. Now you don't have to give like a professional answer because I know a lot of footballers feel this, but you know, when a manager turns to you with ten minutes to go and you've banged a whole box of Jaffa cakes, you're probably like, Oh no. Where were you at that point? Were you still primed and ready? Were you looking out thinking, yeah, I've got an opportunity? Were you warming up in front of the gaffer? Is that is that that a tactic you guys use? Uh I'm sure. I think I I had been warming up, so I was walking back. Um but I think yeah. I think I was I was ready to go and he mentioned i i in the morning that we might need you, you might need to come on at at left back or wherever and in a numerous amount of positions. So yeah, I I was ready and yeah, just glad that he he called upon me and in the end it was it was good, yeah. So a debut in the championship for you, Elkin a a goal in the league card Yeah, it was again really proud moment. Um it's a shame we we obviously lost the g ame in the end. Um but no it was obviously been here a long time as well, not as long as you um I've only been here it's under fourteen, so seven years. Um but yeah still uh seen a lot here How many times have you watched the goal back? Surprisingly not too many. Um but I've seen it enough times. Is he is he lying? I'm not sure. No, I I think I've I've watched it a few times, but no, I I believe that he's not watching it too much. Yeah, I've watched it for you. Yeah, no, it's a good editor. What what's the situation with celebrations? Why? Are you are you no no it's not loaded. Are you a planner? Are you a thinker? Do you I mean yeah. Um there's only one I've got in the back of my head, uh which is one that the missus gave me. Go on. Just uh a little uh like her her initial, basically. Um yeah, but that that's the only one that's in my head. I think I think it's difficult three one down, especially I think we we w wanteantedd to to get the ball back and try and exactly try and go for more goals I think yeah. We'll save that one for a winner. Is it hard though because you s you score your first goal for a football club and I mean naturally you're a bit deflated 'cause y you're behind in the game but you're so bit buzzing, like, wow, I've just done that. It it must be a bit of a mad feeling. It's a mad feeling. But it's just one of them where you're still in the game, so you don't let your head get too too far ahead if you know what I mean. It was one of them like put it in the net and then ran back and it was just straight away like right go again. Do you know what I've always found fascinating and I've always asked different strikers this and and people who score goals. How is it possible that when you score late, say it's 80 plus minutes, you are knackered? The legs are heavy, but as soon as you score, you are sprinting. How that boost of adrenaline and the boost of endorphins on scoring a goal must be like nothing nothing else. Yeah I think it's exactly that. The the boost of adrenaline. You just I my first goal I don't really remember what I did to celebrate. I've seen it back I think I just yeah sprinted and shouted it it was in the first half but I you just I just don't remember it's just automatic reaction just to pretty much run as fast as you can without even thinking. I'd imagine like the slide and bundle isn't fun though. Like not at the bottom. Yeah, no probably not if you're at the bottom. If you get there late and you jump on top, I can imagine, yeah. Yeah. That's like I mean being on the bottom of a bundle just that must be tough. Yeah, I've never been on the bottom. No Elkin? I've never been at the bottom. No, you've ever been on top though ? Um I probably have. But I probably made sure I was like the last one at the scene. This is for the eighteen plus section of the podcast, by the way. Um El Elkin, tell us about your upbringing. Look, um, I talked about being a social media sensation. You are a full international with with Indonesia. You're kind of one of the poster boys, if you like, for the nation. Um, you're in a special group of people. I I'd like to to say similar Ben Breton Diaz in the way that he has become this face in Chile. You are that for Indonesia. Um how does it feel to to be so well loved, so well recognized and to have a lot of people behind you. Yeah, it's something I'm really proud of. Um in in terms of like my my history and where I grew up. I was uh my mum's from from Indonesia, full Indonesia and my dad's from England. Um but uh born in Bangkok actually, lived there for a few years, then moved to Indonesia and then moved back here in the end. Um but it was always something I had like in the back of my head that one day I wanted to play for Indones ia. And in terms of like yeah, the the fans in that, it's amazing the amount of support we get. So so tell me about growing up because you you've lived around Asia, you were born as you said in Thailand. Um I hear you're quite the athlete when when you were younger. Where did football come into your psyche and where did it come into your your mind? Quite where do you hear that from? Quite the athlete. Yeah. I know people. Right. No, I'd done a few like athletic things before. Um but always sort of played football. Um and and and yeah, obviously ended up ended up being a pro. So but how how how I mean look with with moving around as well did did not having sort of a settled base and and being sort of shipped around affect you? Did it did it change you or was football like a constant I'm trying to understand how how you ended up becoming a footballer? Wherever I was, I was sort of playing for a football team, whether that was like um like a Sunday league team eventually when I came here or like my school team. So I was always playing for for some sort of team um just because of the love of the sport. So I could say like I was playing football consistently since since I was young, whether we moved place or not, um didn't really hinder me playing football. Um so yeah, no and, I just always played. I'm I'm not really O fa with the Indonesian football league system and and the pyramid out there, but was it your dad who who sort of pushed you into it, who who looked at football, who's a football fan, maybe? He's a he's a West Ham fan. Um are you? Half. I I was a United fan, but past few years have not done great, have they? Uh so I'm s I'm leaning towards West Ham now. Okay. But he's never no, I've never really like been pushed into football. Just okay. Yeah. Do you do you do you think he's do you think he's underselling himself? Yeah, definitely. Definitely. Um I think he was obviously later to join Ipswich, um so I didn't know him from when I was really young, but ever since he's been in he's he's been one of the one of the better players. So I think yeah, he's definitely being modest. Tell us about you growing up, Colchester. You you were born down the road from here. And you are a one club man for now. Yeah. Quite impressive. Yeah, Ipsych is the only only team I've played for. I ne neverver was was that culture straight away from six or seven years old coming up to Ipswich. Um again I've I've been playing, I've got a younger brother who's two years younger, so I used to play with him in the garden all the time, play with my dad. Football's always been the the main sport in the family so I think yeah when when Ipswich said that they wanted to have a look at me and that I could have a trial there I was yeah delighted. Um and ever since then it's been really good. And in terms of your development, what's it like going through the different phases? 'Cause we we've seen Harry Clark, of course, come through the Academy, leave a and come back. Um for you sticking around and and and pushing up and pushing through, it must be a satisfying feeling going out and playing in front of twenty nine thousand at Portman Road when you remember where you've come from. Yeah, definitely I remember obviously being in in that crowd, watching Ipswich play the last time they were in the championship, um, and seeing the playoff season and stuff like that. So yeah, it is it is really nice, really good for myself and and my family to see me actually contributing on the pitch. Um but yeah, going through all the years you meet so many different players who come and go and you just yeah, constantly trying to battle, I suppose, to to keep your place. But I never really felt like that. I was always going out and enjoying football. I never when I was younger felt pressure of oh they're they're seeing if they're gonna release you, do they want you to keep going. I was always thinking I'm just gonna go out and and enjoy myself and try and get better and I think that's still what what I try and do now. Tell me about breaking into the first team under Paul Cook. What was that like and and how did it work for you? So under under Paul Cook it was I was training a couple of times with the first team, some weeks I'd be more than oth ers. Um and then it was the pre season where one of the midfielders was injured. So for a pre season game here I think it was Crystal Palace we played. Um I was thrown in and and played and done okay. Um and then from there I think I've made my debut a couple of months later and played a couple of times under him, but I wasn't fully first team then um until the manager came in now where from the start of last season, from the start of pre-season, I was with the first team every day, learning from them, training with them and that was the first real season where I was a a first team player. Is it tough being on the fringes then when you're kind of still with like the twenty threes or the devs or the rezes, whatever you want to call them, and then you are you were one foot in in the first team camp as well. I think at that point where you wanna be is in the first team. So the more taste of training and games and stuff like that you can get the bet ter. So I think it was more just work as hard as you can when you're with the the twenty threes and then when you get the chance with the first team you just gotta try and take it and perform the best you can. Elk and White it switched town for you. How how did you end up at this brilliant football club? Again, it was sort of the the first real team that sort of scouted me, if you like, when I was still playing Sunday League. Um so again it was like the first club, first professional club and it was the first one I went to on a trial like properly and then obviously yeah ended up staying. So But when you look at your own development it's obviously a different story to Cameron's you you've been out on on loans. Tell us about those because I can never comprehend how you can one minute be here at Ipswich and then bang neck your life's been transported somewhere else. Yeah. Um again when you're talking about being on the fringes of the first team for a centre back it's it's a bit different. Um I think I'm in I'm with a lot of people a firm believer like you need to go get men's experience . Did he get beaten up a bit? Yeah. Yeah, especially my first low. What Kingslyn? Kingslyn in the national league. Was it was it tough? Tough. Yeah, I think my first game was ultringum away. Tiny changing rooms. Very different to like twenty three's football. The thing is you've got you've got a real broad mix, haven't you, in the national league where you've got like young players who are coming through, you've got proper non-league players, and then maybe you've got the odd ex-football league player who's a bit chunkier than what he was when he was in League One or the Championship. And then he's just there to like swing arms around yeah and and and battle people you know Matt Reed do you remember Matt Reed? Yeah yeah him that's exactly what I'm thinking of we uh we played against Bore and Wood and I remember all the coaches he was at Bore and Wood at this time we were about to play him away and all the coaches were like, just like be careful, he's he's known for swinging elbows and stuff like this. I was like, oh damn him for a long game here. Yeah, and then turns out he weren't in the starting lineup, so he's buzzing. Ended up playing well. Uh but yeah, that was It's a funny place, isn't it the National League because there's some real characters there. Did you encounter the Bournemouth Bournemouth manager, Luke Garrard? I don't remember at the time. Good you didn't his crossfire because he he 's got his he he talks, he shouts. Believe me, he really, really does. Um going from Kingslyn, coming back, he's sent to Gillingham . Yeah. Yeah. Also amazing learning experience. Yeah. I've got a lot of games in, especially before Christmas there. Um I think it was something like twenty nine in I think the season started in July last year, wasn't it? So it was a lot of games in a short period of time. And that's sort of like the first time I've ever done that in my career. Um so it was obviously learning to cope with like the Tuesdays, Saturdays, um, consistently, trying to play well um with the frequency of the games. It it was it was tough, but it was it was a good learning experience too. For for regular football fans like myself listening to this podcast, how does that work? Do you are you are you told, right, Elkin, pat your bags you're going to gilling him, or is it a case of gillingham have approached or Gillingham have spoken to us, they would like you to come and play for for for them? How it worked with me um was that the end of the season before I made my debut for in the league, uh against Rotherham and played Charlton after that. And after that the Gaffer and I sort of had like a discussion about the best route forward for the next season. Um and then once we agreed that going on loan was probably the best option , you're sort of like made available for loan. I'm not really sure how, but clubs know you're available for loan. I know how to do it on football manager. I don't know how to do it any other way. But then it it's sort of like a few clubs with me anyway, a few clubs contacted Ipswich and they sort of like narrowed it down to a few. Then after that sort of speak to the say three managers and then sort of decide yourself like which one you you want to go to. So you chose Jillingham? Yeah. Yeah. Why? Again the the manager there, Neil Harris, um he he was like brilliant, um said I was gonna go play, which was like the main thing for me. Um and again different style of football to to what to what is here, and again I'm a believer that the more silent footballs you can adapt yourself into, the more like well-rounded player you'll become. So tell me the difference between playing for Jellingham and playing for Charlton Town. I only played one for Cheltenham, so I don't have a big difference, no? It was it was similar football in a way. Um different atmosphere though. Different atmosphere. Yeah, different atmosphere. Cheltenham was definitely a lot smaller size as a club. Intimate is what I call their ground. Cheltenham. It's very intimate, isn't it? Yeah, it's it's small, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. Again, that that was a good learning experience in a different way. So So in terms of you and and your development when you look at someone like a cam who who's been here, do you feel like saying to him, Oh mate, you know is is it like the equivalent of me going to a friend who hasn't been to university, Oh well, I went to uni and it was great and you know, I went out and I learned how to cook for myself and fend for myself. Do do you look at his experience and think, oh well that's great? How how do you sort of share these these sort of like journeys because everyone's different? Everyone is different. Yeah, I think I think you do have a conversation about it when you get back even while he's there. Um I think we played was it we played Cheltenham he comes to the hotel? Yeah. So I um I spoke to him then and kind of about his low and how it's going, not just on the pitch, 'cause a lot of it's off the pitch as well. So yeah, you you do tell each other but share your experiences. Um like you say every person's different, every player's different and everyone needs something different I think. I think obviously you've got people like the manager who are sort of like the experts in in especially the manager now, you know, he's worked in academy football, he knows what young players need. Um but like you say I think everyone's path is different. Is that handy for you that the Gaffer has had that experience in in in working with academies and also as just a brilliant coach rather than using the big word of a manager, he's a fantastic coach and he understands what intricate development's about. Yeah, I think that is is a factor of why I haven't maybe gone on loan. Um because even when I've not been playing training's been really good, the coaching, it the all the coaching staff as a team have been really good. So that's another reason why maybe I haven't gone out on loan because I'm still getting better and developing and getting everything I need from the training sessions, even when I'm not not playing too much. You guys have been at this football club a lot longer than I have. its football club and and how it's evolved completely from from a club that was um a little bit down in the dumps to something which is flourishing and and a project which is just really everyone wants to be a part of. How do you reflect on the past four to five years at Ipswich Town growing up with it? And this is a question for both of you, growing up with it, pushing forward, pushing into the first team, seeing the changes off-field, on field. I mean, wow, what a project to be a part of. Yeah, yeah, I think so. Um there's definitely a lot of changes, especially well both on on and off the field. You can see the stadium now, we've got the big screen, the the new blu e astro around the side of the pitch. So I think the club's definitely going in the right direction. Um and yeah, the the mood around the place, um all the all the staff, all the academy staff that that I'd have interacted with even even then it was it was positive. Um but it's nice to see that everyone seems to now they're they're pulling in the same direction, everyone knows the goal, everyone knows what what we need to do and it's just about continuing to do everyone do their their own bit to to keep the project going. We've had a lot of conversations, haven't we, about like how the club's changed in the time we've been there. Um it's changed a lot. Yeah, yeah definitely. Tell me . Even the stuff at the training ground, like if you look back to sort of three, four years ago, training grounds changed massively. Yeah, I think it's easier to see the the stuff off the pitch. Yeah. You can see how the gym's changed or how the canteen's changed and it it it's all all for the better. Um and all that change I think helps the atmosphere, the morale, as well as results on the pitch. Um but I think yeah the biggest change you can see is We'll get more from Elkin and Cam in a minute, but first let's get a message from our sponsors, Fleximize. Funding your business doesn't have to be complicated. It doesn't have to take weeks. It doesn't need to involve your bank. At Fleximize, we believe there's a different way to do things. We take the hassle out of finance so you can get on with what you do best, running your business. Think of us as your trusty sidekick with the power to boost your business with fast flexible loans built for you. Visit us at fleximize.com or call our Epswitch office on 01473-208-10 8. Welcome back to the official Ipswich Town Podcast. Earlier we heard about the club's foundation fundraising dinner with Dan Paulfrey. Let's bring you another conversation from that evening. Town Defender George Edmondson has been speaking to foundation trustee Connor Chaplin. First question, Connor, can you just talk us through your outfit? I thought I'd take a step up from the school teams. Yeah. So yeah, so well I found this at the bottom of a wardrobe anyway, I feel like I'm looking quite smart and uh so is Connor. So um but no seriously tonight uh here at the foundation fundraiser. Um what's been your favourite moment working with the foundation? Oh um probably say last season I went to one of the um frame football sessions that um on the Sunday I think it was. Um and that was probably my favourite I think it's a lot of incredible young young children um and I've felt quite inspired by by the things that they were doing um and their outlook on on life and the challenges that they face um that was probably one of the one of the best moments. Nice mate nice nice um secondly um obviously since you joined the club have you seen the the foundation progress? Yeah, I think it's been I think it's been massive. Um I think probably as as players we've we've seen it firsthand in terms of the programme um and the sessions that we go to. I think there's a session for absolutely everyone now, the inclusivity that the club's putting on I think is is at a top level um and still looking to improve as well so in comparison to maybe two years ago when we first got it um ourselves I think it's come on leaps and bounds which is which is massive for the community and and also allowing people to come to the stadium to get involved in supporting the club as well it it plays a big part. Good mate, good and uh and lastly um have you got any any say like plans plans that moving forward you ever want to do or get involved in? Oh um yeah a lot I think the the sessions in general I went to I went to one last night and it was it was great fun um I was there with with Mark and all the kids as well running up it was it was class just to see sort of the faces now when when you arrive and the difference that you can actually make turning up to to the sessions. I think that's why all the lads love doing it. Done a lot yourself which is which is incredible but a lot of the lads in the dress room I think we can speak for everyone loves loves getting out into the community and doing things . Hi, I'm Kieran McKenna and you're listening to the official Ipswich Time podcast . Cam Elkin, welcome back. Let's get some questions from the supporters. Let's do it. So we pitch to supporters on social media and yeah, across various platforms to ask both Elkin and Cam some questions. Uh Elkin when we told the world that you were coming on most of the comments were just like we love Elkin, Elkin, Elkin, Elkin, Elkin Bagg, Elkin Baggett. So yeah. Um I'll get straight into it. Uh Dav Sari anto has asked what keeps you guys motivated? It's question all these questions of both of you by the way. So what keeps you motivated? I think when you're especially when you're not in the team, you're seeing where the teams go and you're seeing the performances and you you want to be a part of it, especially at this club at the minute, like you said, the the club's going in the right direction, so the motivation is but how can I impact that? How can I get better to to help the team? My my motivation obviously that's great, like um seeing what they're doing on the pitch at the moment really wants you to really wants like you want to be part of it. Um but mine's just sort of just want to be the best version of myself every day. Um that just yeah, simply what keeps me motivated. Um are you guys gamers? Do you play FIFA foot manager? No. At all? No. Elgin? I stopped a few years ago to be fair, but I uh dribbling out of it. Irish Ollie asked do you agree with your ratings on foot manager or fever ? Don't know what they are. I've uh I think I've gone up this year, so I'm I'm happy with the upgrade. Uh you got the stats. No, I haven't there's a town fan though who has done a full in-depth review of Footmanja twenty twenty four and he's basically broken down every player's stats and how they've changed from last year. So that's top that's top effort that's great. It is it is a remarkably uh great great effort. Um Dan Murray, how did you both joined the Academy? So just for me it was playing for my my Sunder League team. I think I played for them probably less less than a year. Um but there was yeah just scouts that that went to the games. They said do you want to come up and and train at the training ground. I think it was one or two nights a week at that point. Um it was a pre academy then it wasn't you couldn't actually properly sign 'cause I was too young. Um but ever since then I've I've been in the pre academy and then from I think eight you gety signed up. Uh Alana Coleman asks what's the best thing about playing for Ipswich ? What's the best thing? Love I've got nothing to compare it to but but for me it's knowing that you've supported the club and you've been in the club so long to finally break into the first team's very satisfying. Okay . Same thing. Like being here for for such a long time, you know, it just makes the whole journey worth it when when you actually put on the shirt and play. Um so for me that's that's the best thing. Charlie Ricks has asked if you weren't a footballer what job would you do ? What job? I think it would still be something in football. Potentially, some sort of coaching or anything really, but I think it would definitely still be in football. I'd be flying a plane. I'd be a pilot. Trouble is I'm quite tall, so I don't know if I fit in the seat. Is your vision right? Twenty twenty? Twenty twenty. Okay. Um but actually I almost almost uh went down that route. Really? Yeah. Leaf likes that as well. I think Leaf's planning on being a pilot. How many hours on a simulator was it? Yeah, he loves it. He's I think he's wants to be a pilot when he plays football, yeah. He's got a like full setup at his house. He said he he's done his first like license. He's done his badges. What the first one? Yeah. And he said he spent something like four thousand hours on his simulator at home, something like that. Yeah, no, he's into it, yeah. Because when we found out, we were just talking about something, he said he checks this app called Flight Radar quite a lot I I footballers have such interesting like sort of hobbies and interests. I met a footballer last week who told me that he enjoys like battle reenactments and like history and like medieval history and stuff like that. And I didn't believe him. This was also a man who told me that he found a live grenade once in the middle of a forest when he was like walking through a forest. Might be having you aren't they I don't think he is somehow because there's actually an article about it. Uh the police got called and he was like given like a a little certificate to say like well done for finding a live grenade but what do you guys do in your spare time? We know Leaf is is on assimilator There's only one thing we do yeah we both both quite like golf. Oh neither of us probably the best at it. Um What are you playing off? 18 at the minute. I fluctuate daily. Still potting. That's it. Look, as long as you don't say paddle to me, it's all good because that is like the in thing, isn't it? Yeah, I've seen that. Yeah. Paddle is the thing. I know a few of the coaches doing the academy players. Watch. Paddle. Watch. Paddle's gonna take over. Yeah. Everyone's enjoying it. You'd actually genuinely be a pilot though. Yeahah., ye Is that a serious thing that you're thinking, well, I could could I wouldn't mind that? Not as soon as I went full time here . Then that vision went away. But before that it was something I'd always thought about doing. Yeah. Well no, so what is Leif Davis planning? Because like he's flying in the first team at the moment. I mean literally flying as well. The thing is it's quite relaxing. Especially like I've always done it on my phone anyway. Well flight simulator. Flight simulator is in that. But he's got a proper setup. So I can imagine like sitting there doing these got the headphones and everything. Yeah. Yeah, he's definitely got the full setup. Announcements. Tell him about that. Do you want to do a plain announcement for us? Don't look at him. You're the you're the polit. He said he wants to be a coach. Where are we going? Premier League, mate. Premier League. Uh I don't know how to pronounce this. HX double R. Hx double R . How'd you pronounce that? Uh who were your idols growing up? This is such a good question. I love this kind of question. We can have one I'll tell you what. Just open up, we can have one sporting, one non sporting . I think mine's probably sport ing . And I think I was a Chelsea fan growing up, um so Hazard and and Drogball were two big ones for me. Nice. Any non sporting? I don't think so, no. No? Okay . Yeah, never really had like a for my s like a proper idol . Like Do you think that's a very 202 4 like Gen Z kind of thing where people follow players rather than teams and they're like, Oh well, I will follow Messi, or I'll follow Ronaldo, I'll follow Elkin. Well to be fair, there was only one guy I had like a poster up in my room about. Go on. Robin Van Persie. Nice. So I had a few posters of him up. But I I don't really have like a idol. No centre hall s? I mean I I watch a lot of Rio , watch a lot of him. Uh again I I never like watched them enough or or followed them enough to I say call them an idol. But any non footballing idols? No, probably not. No? No. No one just random or out there that you just wanna chuck in . I don't genuinely didn't have any idols. Fair enough. Uh this is another good one. Al Mercury has asked who's your favourite Italian player? Italian player. Yeah, it could be someone from yesterday as well . Italian player. At the the most recent tournaments I've liked watching Barrella midfielder. Yeah. I watch a lot of cheerlini on YouTube . Bri bring us someone from back in the day, you think about all the people you could have Alessandro Nesta, Paolo Maldini, Canavaro udini, good player. See, I'm I'm getting the juices going now. Yeah. But again, when he was playing, I probably wasn't at the age to remember if you know what I mean. I think he'd retired by the time you were sort of kicking a ball. Two maybe Um Harry Taylor, simply who's the funniest person in the squad ? I reckon George Edmondson for me. I think he's funnier. Yeah, I'd agree. Yeah. Yeah. I just yeah, I just think and on an away trip he's he's alwa ys got a few jokes on the bus in anywhere, yeah. Any insight into what he does ? He's just uh laughable guy isn't say all of it. Whatever like he says whether he's serious or uns erious is he's deadpan laugh at is he like is he like is he deadpan is he is he dry? Nah I wouldn't say he's dry. A bit a bit of everything. Yeah yeah. He's got everything it's locker. Nice. Love that. Um Coley is our favourite player you've swapped shirts with? Julian Alvarez, whom we played Argentina. Nice. I got um last game. Um Got he Chan. I've got two of his shirts actually . I've got Ra Jimenez in the Fulham one . Yeah, so my favourite one. They're all good sh Didn't Romero ask for your one? Was that after that? Romero. Christian Romero. Yeah, yeah. Christian Romero. Yeah. Didn't ask for mine, I asked for his as well. Is is it awkward though? I mean you you said you've got Huang Yi Chan shirt after wolves. Yeah. You've gone, done a job on him . The stadium is buzzing as well. Is it awkward going? Sorry, mate. I know we just knocked you out, but could I have your shirt? It is a bit awkward. But last year I played him. Ah, okay. And got his shirt. So I've got two of his shirts. Fair enough. Why'd you go for the same one? Bit of variety, no? Go for someone else. Good mates. Oh, okay. So got his uh got his shirt last year when they beat us. So this year when we beat them. When when you played Argentina was Messi not involved? Wasn't involved. Oh , yeah. Yeah. Who would have shotgun that? Would it've been you? I heard something like the kitmen brings a lot of like thirty Messi shirts to to every game though. Do you think they sell 'em? Not to sell them when people ask for the ask for his shirt. That's true, isn't it? Yeah . Come, best best person you swap with . Um Give us some of your names in in in your collection. I've only I've only got a few. Um I got Doherty against Wolves, um and then Dick Odd over Reed and Wilson against against Fulham. You got two. So yeah, I managed to get two, yeah, Kipman helped me up on that one. Naughty that in it. So hold on a minute. You've swapped one shirt for two. Yeah. You're in profit. It's great. I love that. What what you what do you make of this situation the other day? Um someone swapped a shirt at half time. Yeah. Yeah, I saw someone got Harland shirt at halftime. Yeah, half time in the Champions League. There's usually two shirts printed, so usually people swap it half time anyway . Really? raining or sweating or I don't I don't like swap mine, I keep the same one, but there's two in the change room for everybody. So I guess if he was gonna wear the other one at in the second half . Yeah, but asking him half time. Quite an awkward time to swap. That should be a fine straight away, no that is a fine where in my book it is. Um Finn has asked if you went into the corner shop with a fiver what would you buy? Great question. Yeah. My packet of sens ations. Just one. What flavour? Tight sweet chili. Yeah, chili. Yeah. Um I think there's better crisps on the market these days. No. I quite like them. I I agree with that. I think I I think that we've got variety these days. The thing is, like if sweet chili I've never had a bad packet. It's always been consistency. About yeah, consistency is important. Whereas like I've had some prawn cocktail ones before where they've not been as strong. So I found a bit of a bit liberal with the actual flavouring. Yeah yeah yeah yeah that's why you can't go wrong with salt and vinegar you know vinegar's always going to be sharp. I don't know . Love salt and vinegar no I don't like salt and vinegar so you'd go for sensations what else we got a meal deal here or just Great show. Do corner shops do meal deals? Some might. I I'd I'd question the quality of the actual sandwich. That is not gonna be fun. What else are they going for? Um Alright, let's let's redo this. Yorky. Whoa whoa. Purple one? Purple one with the nut fruit and nut. Oh banging, raising a biscuit. Can't beat it. But okay, corner shop away to Sunder land. So you think about the journey you've got. Service station. No, no, no. Say if we're we're leaving we'll we're leaving here, yeah, and there's a corner shop on the on the corner, yeah. And we're about to get on the coach and it's a long old journey, you've got five pounds to spend, you're going, sensations, York y, anything else? No . No, no, of course not. No. It can't be seen on the coach having a pack of sensation. If if no one would see, if if you've if don't worry about people seeing. And we're not worried about our performance in the game the next day. No . So this is just a free-for-all. A hundred percent . Sensations York y. Drink ations York . Yeah. I'll go I'll go diet coat to drink. I reckon that's coach to drink. Bit boring. I like a Dr. Pepper. Oh, you can't be a Dr. Pepper. What's the worst that could happen? You're too young for that. Uh do you not remember Dr. Pepper Abbott's word the pepper ? What's the word no? No. Um what would I get to be food or drink? A newspaper, a crossword? Exactly. Entertain me on the journey. A household good. Uno eight. Uh no, yeah. You are not getting Uno for three pound eighty. True. What corner shop are you going in? Um I think I get if I chocolate bar choice maybe a a more teaser . And then yeah, I do like the t the Thai sweet chili, I like that shout sensations. Yeah, yeah . Anything else you want to add to your list? I'll get the change back after that. And stick it stick it in charity pot. Something like that, yeah. Ready for next time, yeah. Good stuff. Good stuff. That I never expected that answer to be that long. So yeah. Um got a couple of individual questions before we uh we push on. Um for Cam, Will Reese has asked, how good did the Porto Vell game feel last year? Yeah, that obviously the the first league one for me. Um probably the highlight of the season for me playing the first one, scoring and celebrating in front of the away fans at the end. Had my dad and brother travelled up for the game as well. Um so yeah now that was a really proud special night. Yeah. And Lexi's asked, Who's your all time favourite town player? Great question. All time favourite town player. Do you look at someone positionally when you think about this? Like do you do will you look at someone who who plays in your position or will you look at someone who you just genuinely love ? I think um maybe yeah, maybe positionally. Um a lot of the the older town teams I've not not really seen. Um so for probably Kirndai I'd say, watching him. He broke in at fullback, went to midfield, um obviously then went on to play for England and helped me out as a lot as a coach, so I'll probably go for him. Good choice. Uh for Elkin, Scotty's asked, does your massive following from abroad make you feel extra pressure ? Not really. No . Because especially when you're in a game, you're not thinking about like the external stuff. You're just focusing on on the the football match. So I wouldn't say it does, no . Does your phone battery just constantly die? No, I don't have my notifications on. It's mad though. Like you put up a picture of you having your dinner and bang like however many thousand people have just liked it and commenting and it when you think about it, like all these people just know who you are and they're just they're they're obsessed by you. Wouldn't say obsessed. I I think the numbers say that they are. But yeah, it it's obviously like a an amazing thing . Um it's a country where not many people know that is like majority of the population is just like really passionate with football. Um but yeah of course I've got a big following. Um but again yeah, I wouldn't say like causes any extra pressure on me anyway. You you're still you're still very young and you know, you've got a huge career ahead of you. Have you ever thought about what you want to do maybe out there, maybe in Indonesia, maybe in Thailand in the future, maybe set up an academy, set up a uh like you know, the Elkham Baggot School of Defending, the Elk and Baggot School of Getting Beaten Up. Like do you wanna do do you wanna something there in the future? Um it's something I'll probably have a think of. It's not something I've had a think of yet. Uh but I mean they're all great ideas, so I'll uh I'll write them down. Wrong answer, you should have said I'm gonna fly my plane there. Me and Leif are gonna fly there. We're gonna get down there, we're gonna we're gonna sort stuff out . Um great a great number of people have asked this question and I don't want no you know two-bit answer. Various people have asked, tell us about Indonesian food. Uh Ben has asked what your favourite foods are, both of you, so get thinking cam . But tell us about Indonesian food in here. Indonesian food. Do you cook? Can you cook? Do you have any little secret places around Ipswich or suffer you can tell us about that you can get good Indonesian food from ? Um I mean my favourite Indonesian food is this thing called Martabak Manis which is like pancakes with chocolate and like everything like loaded onto there and it's fried it is phenomenal. Not something you can have often, especially in the job we do. But where'd you get them from ? Imagine like a street vendor . Like he's he's someone 's wheeling like a cart down the street. That's like where you'd get it from. Could we sell him in the fanzine ? Uh I don't know if they would pass health and safety . Why but like it would people would enjoy it. A hundred percent people would enjoy it. So that is that is so that's like a dessert kind of thing? Yes, it's a dessert.. Okay. Yeah But you can get cheese ones. So you could have that as a main course. Ca can you cook these yourself? No. Can you cook at all? Can cook. Can you cook any Indonesian food? Well there's a there's a simple one which is called Indo meat, which is like n packet noodles . Um so you can get those around here. So like you can go is a there's a couple like Asian shops in Ipswich uh where you can buy Asian food from and they'll be stocked in there. Um again, whether you say the term cooking, I don't know if you're really cooking it, just boiling it really. Um but yeah. what What' yours what's your go what can you actually cook? Forget pot noodles, what can you cook? I'd say Katie says I cook a good spag bowl. So that's probably my uh such a typical footballer answer. Yeah. Typical. Something pastay. If you come out with pasta, you're in trouble. What's your pre-match like what would you enjoy? Pre-match would definitely be pasta. Pasta and chicken. Um but in terms of favourite food I do like a a nice steak. Um yeah, I'd I'd I'd probably say that. What's the night before a game? Night before a game . Something with with a lot of calories, potentially pasta again. Um especially when we're in hotels, sweet potato wedges as well. Bit of chicken or or salmon maybe. Tell us about your f your like free meal build up to the game. Yeah, so when we're when we're in a a hotel before a game we'll get there the if we get there the night before we'll have a a pasta station, it'll be pesto pasta for dinner, then probably lunch the next day the same and then pretty much as well. So yeah, three lots of pesto pasta. Pesto pasta, sometimes some some sweet potato wedges, but yeah, a lot of it's very similar. Footballers have changed so much in terms of their their nutrition. I mean there was a point in like the eighties and the nineties where like teams like Arsenal would go out and they'd have like steak chips before a game or a full English breakfast before a game. Um I I know there was a a former goalkeeper that won a lot of trophies in his career and his tradition was to have dinner and then about ten o'clock he'd phone room service and get a club sandwich and a pint of like Nesquick. Yeah, and that was ten o'clock at night . Toast and like Nesquick before a game. But I mean pesto pasta that's just do you ever get bored of it? Sometimes if there's yeah, like if we were away Saturday and away Tuesday night. Do you ever change it up? Um depends our chefs cooked it. Yeah. Yeah, it depends. But no, usually sometimes change it up, sometimes sometimes don't have pasta, but a lot of the time yeah, it's just same old pesto, pasta with a bit of chicken in it. Elkin, how has pre match and and sort of like that kind of stuff changed going from Ipswich to Kingslyn to Gillingham to Cheltenham to Ipsich? Who had the best, who had the worst basically? Dig 'em out Ibs which have the best. Okay, yeah. Because like it's it's consistent. Because there's always the same chef cooking the like the pasta station . Um Kingslyn it was sort of like self you do it yourself. Sensations. Sensations I was at Gillinger and I'd get like a obviously you can't have a bag of sensations now before a game. So what I'd do is I'd get like twenty sensations, crush 'em, line the top of the pasta bake with the sensations, stick it in the oven, come out crispy. Brilliant. Recipes by Elkin Baggett. Yeah. She could start a little book. Cooking with Elkin. Yeah. If you started an Instagram channel, cooking with Elkin, it would fly. Don't know about that. It would. I have faith. Um, let's push on. So I don't know if you know, but on the podcast we have a music feature that we've been running for a few weeks now. So every time we meet someone different we we ask 'em uh uh about different tracks and sort of different moments of their lives and and how they affect 'em and and sort of different music for different situations. This feature's not yet got a name, but I have always said that I want it to be called Elkin Baggots Bangers. Thoughts? Are you happy with that? I like it. I like it, yeah. It's a great name. Elkin Baggots Bangers. Um, so five songs , five different questions. Should we get into it? Yeah? Okay. Um so from both of you, uh what's a song that gets you ready for a game? I don't listen to my own music before a game. There'll be a a big speaker on and I'm not sure who actually is the DJ usually um but it'll be listening to that. So I don't know. One song in the in the car on the way or not for or your pesto pastor in the street. Listen to it in the car then on the way. Just nothing. The road. Yeah. No, I don't have a a specific song before a game now. Nil Pois for that uh Elkin . My prematch song would be Juices, Chris Brown. Okay. Listen to that. Good. Nice. Um what's a song that reminds you of your childhood ? I'd probably say um when my dad used to take me to football, this was literally I was probably five or six, um he used to put Bon Jovi on in the car. So I say living on a prayer. Yeah. First football memories is on the way. Listen to that. Nice. Elkin. There's only one song I can remember, which is uh Katie Perry, Fireworks . Nice. Do you ever feel like a plastic bag? What a random line. Yeah, it's a strange way to say . Nice one. I remember a really good goal montage to that. It's just mad, like just like sparks everywhere. Like people just scoring goals. It's really good. That's just TV chat. Um a song you've sung in front of your teammates. Do you guys have to do initiations when you're promoted from the developments to to different squads? I think there's different there's different ways and different punishments also with singing. Um and earlier in earlier in the seas pre season actually in Austria, um the most recent time um the losing team, we sang uh in the jungle. Yeah. Can you give us a line? In the jungle. There we go. Some voice on the bridge. Can you do the middle bit? The bridge? No. You know what bit I'm talking about, don't you? I've not got the the range for that, no. Can we get the lyrics up? Potentially would you would you do it? No. No.. I don't think so No. Okay. I've I've done it once, done it in front of some teammates, so I'm alright. Elkin . You've got to be that. I've done a few initiations though. 'Cause it's it's something but if you're a new player to a team, usually when you go on your first overnight trip you'll sing in the hotel. So you you must have done three . Yes, I have done three. Give 'em to us . First one I sang was uh All of Me, John Legend . Yeah . And then the next two have been uh Can't Hold Us, Macklemore. Yeah. The little rapping. Did you do the rap? Yeah yeah. Go on. Go on, give us a go on. You gotta do better than that. Do it into the camera. The camera's there, go on. I need like the music to We we we can't have music on pods but we can I mean have to save it for a different time and so you you've done that any other songs you've sung in front of teammates? I've done that twice. We had to do one at Gillingham where we had to like tell a story about ourselves and act a k like a act an animal. So it'd be like a uh like a random name generator. Yeah. And then the boys would like put different animals in whatever they could think of. And then you'd have to act an animal. So what did you chuck in? I didn't chuck in anything 'cause I was a new player. But what did you get? I got kangaroo. And the the trouble was we were at a restaurant as well in London . Like you you gotta do it. So I was just bouncing round this restaurant. It was yeah, awkward. Um obviously like there's a lot of fan chance going around as well and and like people are really getting involved with the atmosphere here. Um do you do you sort of like join in if like other lads are singing players' songs and stuff ? Not really, no . No . El gin ? What was that? Elgin, do you do you get involved with you know, we've got super er. Do you do you do you get involved in any fan chance? Help me out. Don't get involved. I'm getting nothing from him. I'm getting nothing from him. Masemo is what about Massimo. Isn't there like a ABBA one about it? Mas imo Yeah, I love that. Love him really. Uh he would sing for me. I I promise you he'd probably sing for me. Um do you do you get involved with the Ed Sheeran songs? I mean obviously we've seen quite scenes like in the dressing room do you must get involved in that cam, come on. Yeah yeah no yeah. Me and I'll come next to each other I think in that one. Yeah. Everyone yeah singing it. Do you want to give us a line from that? No. Okay . Uh let's move on. Wha wha what is your guilty pleasure? My guilty pleasure. In terms of music I can go . Let's not do music. Music's not a good character. Okay, go on, yeah. Quite like Jessica Lynn Why is that so funny? Any particular songs? Any of them? Any of them? Nice. Elkin probably the same rap song. Uh can't hold us. We'll take that. Uh a song that reminds you of Portman Road. Elkin, I'll let you go first just so you can marinate a bit. Yeah. There's uh there's there's one which is like the name is um What 's the name? Sorry, do it do it again. The one we w Yeah. Run boy run. You know that one. Do it again. Thing is, right, a few months ago, my missus was at a game and she came home and she was like, What is this song? She started doing it, she was like I didn't know what she meant. And then eventually she found the song. Um V y yeah, uh Run Boy Run is it? Something like that. Cam? Mine's probably singing the blues from when I used to when I used to watch it um from the stands that used to be on and sing it on the pitch after after promotion. You actually sing it on the pitch. Yeah, I think there was somewhere on Twitter where it it came out, yeah. I will have to dig a look at that. I have to dig it out. No way. Yeah, find that. Yeah. Gotta find that. Stick it. Get it out there. Yeah. Um Elkin one more for you because it is your feature elk and baggage bangers um a song that reminds you of indones ia um I don't know too many, if I'm honest . Um the one I know the words to obviously is the national anthem . So ones of Indonesia. The Indonesian anthem. Absolutely. Good choice. Solid choice. It's genuinely probably one of the most baffling Elkham Baggett's bangers we've had all series. But it is your feature. So there you go. Um just before we go, Cam, gotta mention an event taking place on November twenty first, yourself , Harry Clark and Luke Wolfenden sitting down and meeting fans for for a QA all in aid of the Ipswich Town Foundation. Are you looking forward to getting grilled by them rather than me? Uh I'm looking forward to the event. Hopefully yeah, there's not too many difficult questions but no, yeah, I'm really looking forward to it. Um, all of us to to interact with the fans is really nice and um hopefully it it helps the foundation out as well. So yeah, all three of us are really looking forward to it. You could do singin' the blues. I could do, yeah. Tickets are available uh via tickets. atfc.co.ego seven pounds all money goes to uh the Ipswich Town Foundation and contributes to brilliant projects that they get involved with. Gentlemen, thank you for joining us on the official sound podcast. It has been an exper ience. Thank you. Cheers Elton