Alex Mathie on His Hat-Trick Heroics

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 Port man Road . Burns, trying to find Jackson, it's Caden Jackson! It's two-dill ! Herdin! Work Freddy Ledap o! Towards Connor Chaplin ! Jack Taylor. 25 yards out. Oh my goodness, man! Jack Taylor ! Welcome everybody to the official Ipswich Town Podcast powered by Flex and I'd and a bit of a Derby Day special as we build up to a huge game on Saturday. First up, a bit of a town legend and a local hero drops by. Jason DeZelle tells us what it's all about to play in the Derby . That is the games for me, if I look back most fondly. And I know Norwich is coming because like I said I'm starting to sing songs at home again like the old days as a supporter. Next women's skipper Maria Boswell is in the town TV studio, and we catch up with Alan Lee who tells us what it's like to play on both sides of the divide. Natasha Thomas is also in conversation with George Burley. Finally, Alex Matthew tells all about scoring a hat-trick in the biggest game of the season. It's my highlight in my Norris 100 game career to score three and that day. It was just phenomenal Seasons greetings everyone from everyone here at Town TV and the official Ipswich Town podcast. I hope you're having a good time. I know we're having a lot of fun watching Kieran McKenna's side and yeah, that Wesburns got I just I can't stop watching it. Um delighted to say we have got a bona fide local hero on the pod with us this week. Looking ahead to that game. Um but yeah, Jason Dazell is a town legend, born and and in in Ipswich, he grew up in the shadows of Portman Road, made over three hundred appearances for this football club, your football club and you remain I'd say its biggest supporter now. Jason, welcome to the official Ipsy Sound Podcast. Thanks for joining us. I don't think there's any better man to have on with us ahead of this big game. Firstly, tell us how are things? How are you? How you enjoying it? Well I'm just um going along with the ride with everyone else at the moment. I mean the buzz in the town is absolutely incredible. Um it feels like um the twenty five years of being starved have gone for the Twitch fans. They're absolutely loving it and uh hope it may continue. Tell me about what side this team reminds you of. Um I would say, you know, people walk into the ground now know they're gonna be entertained, they're gonna uh probably win. It reminded me as a kid, probably in the eighty one side when I was walking down from my house, two hundred yards away, walking to the ground, having a feeling of how many we're going to win by today? And these these feelings don't come very round very often. So we're in the moment and you know it's just it's just incredible what they what they've done. You know, and it's it's I have no idea that it was gonna gonna be like this. I thought they'd do well, but you know, to get the numbers they're getting um and everybody on side of the way to the art is it's absolutely incredible. Tell me about growing up in the shadow of of this stadium uh whilst this club was in a in a real prime era . Yeah, so basically, as long as I can remember, I was coming to Switch Town because obviously like I said before my football experience was around the park behind the north stand. I was there mostly every day in the summer holidays, playing football on the park and then going to watch the first team train and then back in them days on a Saturday you'd be over the park and they would let you in at half time. So I walked in about nineteen seventy five, something like that, and was absolutely mesmerized by by the occasion. Yeah the atmosphere was ill So yeah, like I said my first experiences were you know the Paul Mariners, the Kevin Beatties, these these guys who are absolutely incredible players for Ipswich Town, and um you know and managed to get to 1978 . I was religiously going to watch Ipswich home and away, um and got to Wembley at 1978 as an 11 year old, which was probably one of the one of the best days of my life football wise. And then um obviously a few years later they had an even better team in 198ighty one you the two Dutch boys walk Mara and a butcher and uh as a kid it was just incredible to go down and watch and like I said I was on the on the terraces at eleven twelve and like I said if you would have said to me two or three years time you'd be playing with these guys, I would have said you need locking up. But it happened, so I was I was really grateful, you know, to to be in it to be around that time. You know what I feel so lucky because I feel like I learned so much and my my my knowledge and my sort of appreciation of this foot club is always enriched after I do an episode of this podcast. I mean the last time we were out we were looking through some memorabilia and I did what I called a paper review. Catch it by the way. If you haven't listened to it already we, we look back at some brilliant moments over uh at the cafe over in Burleys and in the Hall of Fame. Um and just looking at people's memorabilia and how proud they are of of this football club. It really just fills you with a bit of pride that you represent this club and look I know you you wear that you're you're merched up, you know, you're yeah you're you're stood here today in twenty twenty three wearing all the brother and all the gear because you're so proud of of that badge. My question to you is, as an Ipswich boy, Suffolk born and bred, what does Ipswich Town Football Club mean for the people of Ipswich and the people of the county? Um it's the focal point of the community. You know, people have got an affinity with this football club and it can also be quite tribal as well. Um for me , local boy, you're not just playing for a year for Ipswich you're representing your hometown. And that came with a lot more pressure. Because like I said, when uh especially with me, when the Norwich games come up, 'cause of my history, I knew what it meant. I see myself getting hy ped up more than I normally do before a game when Norwich came up. I was pretty quite quiet and got about my own thoughts before games. But Norwich came up. I was jumping about all over the place, you know, trying to get people 'cause I knew a lot I know a lot of people in Ipswich, my brother was a massive Ipswich fan. And the pressure was on me to, you know, make sure you win, make sure you do this, make sure you do that. So the pressure was on. And um I could feel the the difference in my preparation for the Narrows game than the other games. So it was actually huge for me 'cause of you know, I've been in the grounds as a kid, um and the the the atmosphere was electric. You know, when I used to play on Boxing Day and New Year's Day as a kid it was just fantastic. So yeah, th this this this football club at the minute is where it should be. Um right that we we we talk about Norwich yes um and what that fixture means yeah because again you've got a one club city over there you've got a one club town over here. The rivalry is one of the most intense I've ever experienced. I call it Farmageddon . Um I know people have other names for it, but every time they play it, it's as if there's it's like electricity yeah something yeah goes on but what does this game mean for the people of Ipswit in terms of it affects their day to day lives. It affects their mood. Yeah, yeah. I mean I was at uh Norwege QPR a couple of weeks ago. Obviously watching Andre play. And all through the game all the songs Norwich was singing was was about Ipswich not about nothing else, it was all about Ipswich . Um derogatory as well. Um so they're they're up for it and I've been down here and then you know, I've got loads and loads of friends who are massive Ipswich fans and this they just cannot wait for this game. Um it f it appears we're the favourites and that that ain't happened for a long long time. Um so the estimated uh thing at the end of the season will be at the moment appears we're gonna be playoffs at least. Nor is in a bit of a transition at the moment and get the result we need. We'll talk about this upcoming edition of o of the fixture in a minute um and I really want to sort of like delve a bit deeper into it. But I want to ask you as the boy from Ipswich as the local hero . At sixteen years old, you've burst onto the scene. Kinda like Andre as well. You burst onto the scene, like father, like son. You've burst onto the scene. Sixteen years, fifty-seven days, still the youngest ever goal scorer in English football league history. A trailblazer of your time. But and I mean this with the utmost respect, you're still a bit naive. You're still young, a bit wet behind the ears, you've got energy, boundless energy, you want to go and show people who you are . What happens when the local boy who's been brought up to think they are the enemy takes them on . Well, like I said, I was I was going to every game up until I made my debut. So I'm sure a couple of weeks before I made my debut I was in that northstand because there was no academies in them days so I'm plodding along playing Sunday League and playing for my county Suffolk not thinking what was gonna happen in my last year at school so my biggest highlight of was a week was not not the playing, it was um it was watching Ipswich . I couldn't sleep, I was it was that intense. Um I'd play for Suffolk in the morning, go and have a bath, go and watch Ipswich in the afterno on. So you know, my last year at school I get called into I got pulled into the youth team, which was great. I'm still at school, that's still a bonus for me, it's a big accompl ishment. And after a few months I play a reserve game and manage to score a couple of goals while still at school. That's a big thing for me as well. Get the play at Portland Road for the Reserves. Then I get the call from Bobby Therguson you having first day off school and you're gonna come and train with the first team . So walking to walking from my house to the training was just incredible. So I get get to t the changing rooms downstairs and if you know the changing rooms, um I was so nervous. There's a boiler room as just before you get to the first team changing room. I wouldn't hid in there for twenty minutes 'cause um I was just so nervous. I was in awe of these gu ys. And then um obviously someone came and found me after twenty minutes and took me in to the changing room and um yeah, went and trained with them, still not knowing what was gonna happen on the Saturday. But I'm in the squad. And them days there was only one sub. So we had our prematch meal, gets to the changing rooms, and my name's been read out as a sub. Lo and behold, I'm on after twenty nine minut es and then uh you know, the eighty ninth minute I get my goal, which was everybody knows about. But then not long after um my first experience of Norwich was New Year's Day the next year . And I managed to score in a two-nil win. Tell me about the New Year's Eve. I mean, how old were you? I was just sixteen. Sixteen. You can't have a shandy yet. But New Year's Eve, Christmas has been gone, and you're playing them on New Year's Day. How do you navigate your New Year's Eve? How do do things change? Does your preparation change? How are you nervous? I mean y you you're you're the local hero that hidden yeah hid in the boiler room. Yeah. My my my first um local derby was like I said, I was just seventeen. Sorry, I'll rephrase that, just seventeen on New Year's Day and um I remember not feeling that nervous because I think when you're that young a lot of it goes over your head. It's only a lot sometimes when I look back now is God how did you how did you do all that? At the time I'm just going with the ride and I'm still at school and really doing really well within the reserves and things like that. Then I get the call for the first team and then six months later on my first game against Norwich. Now Orange remember feeling um excited but you know, a little bit apprehensive at the same time 'cause now the pressure's on. Like I said, you're not playing for town, you're representing your hometown club. And there's a big difference. So yeah, I just remember the game very, very well, like it was yesterday, we got a two nil win. But four months after that, we get them in the semifinal of the Milk Cup. It's a chance to go to Wembley. The Lee Cup. The Lee Cup, yeah. The League Cup. The E F L Cup. Yeah, so we draw them in the milk cup with another EF EFL Cup. And um we managed to get a one nil result here. And I just remember getting kicked off the park at Carroll Road. They beat us two one. And unfortunately for me, I was marking Steve Bruce who got the winning goal. So that was a terrible time for me and a chance to go to Wembley. But also, like I said, the pressure, my fault for the second goal, didn't pick Steve Bruce up from a cor ner. So that was probably my worst time you know, playing for Ipswich at that time. You you talked about Bobby Ferguson giving you a debut. How did Bobby Ferguson motivate you to play I don't know mate he was he was he was like my dad. He saw something in me that I don't know how many more people would have put a schoolboy in um in a fur in a the old first division. Um so he must have seen enough of me in the previous games for the reserves and um and I think uh about a month before I think what got me into the team was we played Chelsea away . And I don't know if this if you know Chelsea old boys had playing it up against um can you remember Mickey Droy? Yeah. And I think it was Doug Rugby at the back, two strapping centre house pre money. After Chopper Harris, I think these were the two next were the hardest. Did they still have the track as well? Yeah, round there . And um you know, I think you must have thought I'll chuck him in, see how he does. A school boy against up against these two and I managed to score. So yeah, the next couple of weeks I think they had a bad result against Shrewsbury and the FA Cup Ipswich. So he was under a lot of pressure. So to put me in was a really really big call, but one I'm thankful for and uh yeah it turned out okay. So how did he motivate you guys and what did he say to the team ahead of playing Norwich? Um, like I said I had my own way. They they can say what they want, but I had my own feelings of you know, my history with Norwich as a fan and I've just done the manager. I've got all my friends who Ipswich fans and then they will they will remind me of what it is. Like I said, I've been there, watched it as a sport and I've been there and played in it. Um it's the same thing. It's the same thing. You wanna win and you wanna w you wanna win um with a bit of style and and over the course of the times I played Norwich I had a good percentage win rate, so yeah, I think the eighty five team the eighty five game was probably the only time I've lost against Norwich in my time. So I had a good record against them. And uh so one I'm proud of. Take me to ninety two, ninety three. Um you beat Norwich three one here at Portman Road, you scored two, the local boy. Yeah, what a feeling. Well it was a a a good feeling for for more than one reason. I mean we we we flew off the tracks uh f the first ever Premier League. You know, we got we got s to January and we was fourth in the Premier League. I remember the December game, two n two we beat them two nil at Carroll Road. We were in the quarter final of the FA Cup, quarter final of the League Cup , but then nearly went down. We could not win another game from January to the third game the last the season which was Norwich. And that game kept us in the Premier League the three one win. So for many factors it was a really, really big big result. Personally, fantastic. Do you remember the goals? Yeah I do, yeah, yeah. Table through. Yes, so I put us one nil up um as a through ball by Grant Williams and there was sort of a collision between the centre half and the got Grant Brian gun . And it somehow squirmed out to me, so I volunteered it in for one nil. I think Chris Sutton, our friend, got the equalizer and then I can remember Smicky Stockwell um getting a second one and then I rounded up. I'd done a nice turn on the halfway line against John Polston and then um I c I came into the edge of the box unchallenged so I decided to hit it and uh luckily for me it flew in. Amazing. Amazing. So y you've had some great experiences at Carroll Road as well. It's been a happy hunting ground for you. Yeah. Yeah, but I mean listen I've always from a very early age b been brought up to dislike Norris and that's no criticism of Norris as a football club, but I do respect them as a football club. But that's just built him, that's my jeans. It's animal rival. It's it's in my jeans. And um you know I had a brother who was stall in Chipswitch. So I got it from him really and um and go into Whipswich games and um like I said, them games um on Boxing Day were just magical mag ical games. You packed in like sardines in the Northstand and um it was just brilliant. And um like I said , that is the game games for me, which I look back uh most fondly. And I know Norwich is coming 'cause like I said I'm starting to sing songs at home again, like the old days as a supporter. I know it's come in, I'm getting excited and uh just can't wait for the game . This record against them uh the fact that we haven't beaten him since two thousand and nine ten long games it it feels I mean do you feel it's kind of like hung over the shoulders of this football club a bit do you think it's like a kind of you know the old the old adage of like the Albat ross on your shoulders. Does it does it feel like that? It has been. They've been on top for way too long. Um but it appears things are about to change. You know, like I said, I was I was at um Carroad two weeks ago. And it felt like Ipswich was a few years back. It was a bit of a negative arena, quiet and the natives are restless. Yeah, that it had that it had that in the ground. So and then you come to Portman Road I mean I would love to have played under this stadium and we didn't tiers when I was playing. Um I would have loved to play under this crowd now. It would have been amazing for me, um as a local lad, 'cause it's like I said, it's holds even more now than when I was playing. And I come down here and uh it's just electric at the moment. Electric. So it appears we're favourites but y you know, on the day a derby anything can happen. So I I don't wanna quote Moloco, I kinda won't, but it feels as though our time is now. Yeah, yeah. Even like I say this touch wood even if we lose I think that something big is happening to this football club at the minute, I really do. It's not very rarely you get this this feel . Um everybody's on side from the chairman to the supporters everybody's on side with it and it's it's showing on the pitch. I feel like we're we're rocking barboa in this mate. No, you you look at you look at where they've been, Premier League, back, they've had some really good players come through, they they've played some great football. Yeah. Um and look, they they've been to the Premier League and and they've come back down but yeah. This football club has also had its its lows. Going down to League One, getting back out and playing this brand of football and the sort of the togetherness and the unity right now is I mean the the atmosphere is it's it's like it's it's infectious . Um but again, if this was about if this was boxing, we'd be Fabio Wardley swinging right now. Yeah. That's that's who we are right now. And it just feels as though this club has got this extra boost of power towards it. Yeah, yeah, like I said, there's there's something happening here. Um the energy is incredible. Like I said, walking through town, everybody's talking about it, um getting wonder goals, we're getting comebacks, we're getting this, we're getting that. Everything is happening here. We're getting three and four goals every game . It's incredible. Three and four goals every game and there's how many times they come back from two nil down and win and it's it's It feels like the most hotly contested of the derbies in a long, long time. Yes, yes. I mean Ipswich the second the game from promotion and it's Norwich that's not happened for a very, very long time. So on that basis I think this game it's not gonna define our season I don't think but it's a reward for the supporters if we get a result. Like I said, I think they've been starved for the last twenty five years of anything great. And basically this this is is for for them. This game them and get a result for them. Christmas will come early. Yeah yeah yeah. So this will be re a reward for the all you know to p stuck together and finally we're about to see something big happen in Ipsridge Town. I I keep referring to you as the local hero because that is what you are. You lived the dream of of ev of every young town fan to put on that blue shirt to go out to represent your football club to to to enjoy some really good moments here at Portman Road and and beyond and you served your club with distinction. I need you to do me something to do this fixture. I need you to give us a battle cry. What would you say to Kieran and the boys ahead of this fixture? Um stay calm, use your heads, don't let the emotion of the game get to it. Play your normal game and you should be fine. And I and I have hundred percent fa ith that we will win the game . My last question to you I want you to think about because it's it's something where you need a bit of marination time . It feels as though this club, over the past few years, and I know we talk about the story and people are like, oh yeah, get on with it, you talk about the story all the time. But as someone who I I mean we talked about it outside as someone who who's been here as a as a journalist for BBC and has come here and sort of been brought into the family 'cause it is a family. Wow. Wow, wow, wow. This is this place is incredible and and the atmosphere is elect ric . But I think sometimes football fans need therapy. They need to exercise some demons. Yeah. And they need to to let go of trauma. Yes. And let's be fair, the only way to do it is by beating them. Yeah. Because it's been so long. Yeah . Do you think that this club needs that? Do you think that they need to exercise those demons of the past because we've got this incredible squad. It just everything is kind of leading to that. Like I said, I don't think that um next set next games would define . I think fans need Premier League. It's number one . Norris result would be great. If we lose and go up that's if you know that our main goal is to get to the Premier League. That's where it's just belong. We're known all over the world. You can go anywhere in the world, you heard it everybody's heard of Ipswich Town. So it's a huge game and for everybody concerned with Ipswich Town but, the main goal is we are in a great position now . Get through Christmas unscathed, got some hard games coming up. Norwich would be a bonus, but still got Leaves, we've still got Watford, we've got to get through these games. My my aim for it would be Premier League, definitely. It's a marathon or sprint. It's a spr yeah, of course. But we are in a fantastic position . Norwich, beat them, everybody will have a great Christmas. Now you get so after New Year, and we're still in the same position, you watch this town, they'll be buzzing even more. So Norwich a great result with a win, but let's get to May and put ourselves in with a shout of going to the Premier League. There you go. All about the long game from the local hero himself. Um Jason, thank you for joining us. Happy Christmas. And you too. And enjoy the game. No worries. Thank you very much. Cheers . Hi, I'm Dominic Ball and you're listening to the official Interest Town podcast . 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 0147-3-208-108. Business finance done properly . Huge thanks to Jason Dzel for giving us a cracking insight into Derby Day. It's the women's team now. And Maria Boswell tells us of her pride at being appointed captain. It still sounds weird, I've been saying. I think it's been about two weeks now since I found out, but yeah, it still feels a bit weird. Doesn't really sound right. How does someone get appointed captain of a football club? God I don't actually really know the process that went into it, but um obviously unfortunately our club Captain Blue decided to take a step away from football um which kind of opened up a an opportunity for for one of the other players to s to step into and um yeah Joe our our manager kinda just called me in um Thursday a couple of weeks ago after training um and just said that they've made the decision that they think um me and and and Kyra uh would be really good fit for kind of captain, vice captain and those kind of two roles and we had a conversation as the three of us and he kind of asked if it was something that I'd be open to and of course I said yeah and that was kind of how it went. Did you have to do some sort of ceremony? Was there like an investiture? Yeah, unfortunately I was thinking maybe there was like yeah some sort of Yeah, some sort of sword on my shoulders, but no, nothing like that. Just Just an arm band. A little chat and an armband on the weekend. Love it. Love I love your work. Um tell us about I mean look, we're we're looking ahead to a certain game, aren't we? We We are. we know what we're looking ahead to. Tell me about your relationship with with Norwich City, with Ipswich, being Ipswich and and and that relationship with Norwich City as a player, as a supporter, as someone who who wears the badge. What does it mean to you? Um so I didn't grow up in Ipswich, so it was kind of my first introduction to the kind of rivalry in the derby between Itswich and Norris when I joined the club back in 2019 now in the in the Academy of the Women's Team. And I think just from the get-go you can see how important it is to the whole commun ity, how big derby days are. And yeah, I think since I've been at the club, I don't think for the men's team there's been a derby day. So I'm really, really excited for the one coming up. Um and this year I've really become a true fan. I've been at all the home games. Um so yeah, I'm I'm buzzing. I can't wait for it. Is there a buzz around the women's team in general that the men's team are are playing Origin? Kind of the state of the men's team at the moment. Yeah, definitely. I think we all kind of um look at them and and 'cause we play very similar systems, we kind of look at how well they're doing and how uh how well they're playing the system that we try and play and we do we do look it and try and emulate it. You know when we get to the training ground there's always um their training highlights on the screens in the canteen and we just look at it in awe sometimes 'cause the pace of it, the h the quality of it is just so so high all the time. Um but yeah some of the we me and Kyra saying who are the the two that go to all the home games, suddenly the it's uh the Norwich tickets were asked which if we want one and suddenly all the girls are are wanting one. All of a sudden the fake fans are uh wanting to go to the Norwich games. Funny enough. Yeah the day trippers and me and Carol up we're here every Saturday. True fans . Home and away. Home mm maybe not away. Don't know about that. Born and raised. Born and raised. But uh Elite. Yeah, suddenly everyone wants wants a wants to be a part of it, which I mean it's obviously great. Um I think it'll be a really good good day. There's a really big group of us going, coaches, players, and hopefully it'll be a really good g good day for for the men. You're gonna have your own firm soon, what Boswell on the beach. I'm gonna be uh we sit in Alphramse but I'm gonna switch across and go to the the drumming section and the singing section. It's about the atmosphere. The atmosphere here has been unreal, doesn't it? Yeah, no, definitely. Um yeah, the atmosphere, I think it probably drives the men on more than anyone can think. Um and yeah, no, it's been great this season for all the home games up and up. From your perspective, uh with the women's team it's hard for me not to try and, you know, just like properly lather this in in compliments and and sort of, you know, really add ad to it but it's fair to say that the the rivalry has been one sided. It has, yeah. It's it's a it's actually a shame 'cause it'd be great if they were in our league and it was a really competitive match , but unfortunately we are just kind of as it is with the women's team, even though they're the the women's game, even though they are just the league below, it's kind of there has always been quite a big difference in the levels and that's just how it is in the women's game at the moment. Kind of some teams get great investment like we do, um and some teams not as much. But I definitely think they're growing, which i it is a good thing and I hope in you know the years to come it will become a really big game for us and still a rivalry though. Oh of course, yeah, of course. Um but yeah, we w I mean we're always hoping to get 'em in the cup. Um that'd be a great day. Hopefully maybe it would be at Carroll Road or Portman Road, that would be great. But yeah, it hasn't happened yet um this season. Tell me about the ten nil. I wasn't actually involved in the ten nil. I know but still even as someone who who's involved I was there you you may not have been involved on the pitch but involved in the squat. Yeah it was a great day. It was it was really good. Um I think we got a really big crowd down at Felix Dow. Um and yeah, I think there was there's been two games. I think that was maybe the night game and the night game I remember. We had the drums there, that was probably the first time that the drums had come down to Felix Stowe and it was just a great atmosphere, great day and obviously I mean ten nil. You've got such a great squad around you in the women's team. If you could pick one player from the women's team to slot into the men's team just for the Norwich game, who'd give you pride , passion, desire, hunger, who would it be? It's got to be Eloise King. She's an Ipswich Town fan through and through. She she's grown up here. She loves the club, um, proper Utral. Um and I think she would love a Norwegian switch derby day to play in it. Um so yeah I'd have to slot her in. Proper ultra. Oh she is. She is. She uh she was telling us a story about um a derby day a few it must have been quite a few years ago and she was on the bridge going over to Portman Road and I think the Norwich fans were getting escorted and she was there giving it the biggest so she is. S shehe loves it. Tell me about what derby day will look like for you being the new sort of leader of I don't know what I'm gonna call your little gang but Yeah. I don't know what we're gonna call you but you know, as as sort of um new well, a proper proper town founder, what what's it gonna look like for you? Well since the early kickoff um might get a few of the girls round to 'cause there's three of us that live together in a house, so might get a few more round or get in the car together, drive down, get there, you know, a decent time before so can really soak it all in. Um and yeah, just be up there singing away maybe. Um but yeah no And hopefully we have an unbelievable result to mate. Yes. Looking at the women's team this year, um the one word I use to describe this season is just go Yeah, especially the last few matches. I think we've had a eight nil and a six nil. Um obviously they're they were they were FA Cup games so we were playing teams in in leagues below but it's good that even in those sort of games we're relentless. Um, we don't settle for two, three nils. Um and they're the sort of games that you can really work on things that you've been doing in training and we we always say just use this an opportunity to put some really good stuff together and I think we have done that and yeah goals goals for our team at the moment. I asked Kieran this question after Coventry City do people fear playing Ipswich Town now? And I'm gonna ask you the same question. Do teams look at your guys and go, Oh god, not them I think so, yeah. I think you know, especially in our league, we always say we we played Billy Ricky at the weekend and we do say that as bad as it sounds I do think that every team in our league just always seems to put on their best um against us and put on their best performance. I think there's a a thing about oh we took points off of Ipswich 'cause of our investment with the men's team, um, yeah, how well supported we are um and just kind of the weight that the badge holds, I think, every team in our league especi ally just yeah seem to sharp against us and we play the best version of every team um which means that we have to be prepared for that and yeah even though there might be teams in the bottom half of the table or near the bottom of the table they're they're gonna wanna prove a point and kind of uh put one over on us. So yeah, I think there is a there is a thing around our team where, you know they they they want to try and nick points off of us. Obviously being captain of this team becomes a great responsibility. What's what are the goals for you? You're young, you have a great career ahead of you. What are your goals? I think I mean obviously our our main one and our team one is to get promoted to the championship. That's what we've set our sights on for the last two, three years now. And yeah, that's that's the thing that we're really, really working towards and that's the step that we want to make. And I think as a team and a club, I think we're ready to make that. Um so that's the that's the main one. Um and yeah, I just wanna get as many appearances under my belt for Up Switch as I can and and uh yeah, hopefully take us to the next level. When you look at your own involvement in the history of the women's football club, do you sit there and think I could become a trailblazer, I could be a captain who who takes us up, I could I could lead from the front and I mean look, it's all there. It's all in front of you. That the opportunity is there. I mean the pressure must be incredible, but also the rewards are big. Yeah, hundred percent. I think with the squad we have now, there's such potential to to go to the next level and get promoted and to be a part of that and kind of hopefully be at the forefront of that is is a big thing and it it's it's an honour really. And I hope that you know the squad that we have now is so young but there's just so much talent and so much potential that um yeah I think we can really we can do big things. And when you've got goal scorers in your team like you do, anything is possible. Natasha Thomas bagging the goals this season she's doing great. Unbelievable. Nena Gallen Williams got her first senior hat trick, so that's also because she's really young. Um, but yeah, like I've said, the the young talent that we have in our team, it can it can take us to to the new the the next level. Obviously on uh Natasha'ss stories when she put up, you know, there's just posters of her and everyone just going, right, she calls again, she calls again. I just text her the same thing. I go, You're quite good at this football thing, aren't you? You're quite good. But she she put so much dedic she's so dedicated. She put so much into it. You see recovery, everything is on point. Yeah. And you got nothing but respect for her because she just she wants to be the best. Yeah.ah, ye, she loves it I mean she obviously she's been here for for a very long time and um I think she's coming into her eighth or ninth season now so she absolutely loves the club. She wants um our team to get to where it should be and she wants to be a part of that and she's a massive part of that and hopefully she just keeps going the way she's going this season and keeps scoring the goals. I need I need a bit of a battle choir from you. I need you as captain of the women's team to give it to the men. I need you to to motivate them. So if you can do it, give us something. Give us a proper proper skippers. You're a captain, you're a leader. Always bring home the win. You know how important it is to to the whole club to the whole town um and just do what you gotta do. Love it. Love your work. Maria, great to have you with us. Lovely. Thank you. Hi I'm Natasha Thomas and you're listening to the official Ipschwitz Town Podcast . From the women's team to a man who, despite briefly crossing the divide, enjoyed some great days in a town shirt and in the East Anglian Derby. Alan Lee sits down with Andy Warren. Alan, thank you for joining us on the official Ipswich Town Podcast. Pretty cold inside Portman Road at the moment, but with Norwich on the horizon, things are gonna hot up, isn't it? Um what are your memories of those of those games? They're pretty special. Uh really, really special games. Um you know it there's there's such a such a rivalry between the the two clubs. I also think they're possibly the only two clubs that kind of represent their counties, you know the only professional club in the county. So there's a hell of a lot of riding on it and it's just something you you you look forward to as a pla yer. Do you remember your first one? Do you remember that the build-up to it, what the what your teammates told you and and how they kind of got got you up for those games? They didn't need to get us up to, you know, I think it was a Joel Royal, if I remember rightly and, we were playing away at Carroll Road and Danny Haynes scored a goal, I remember from a header back from me. And yeah, there's nothing I I you know I, say to people when it's the one thing money can't buy is that feeling, you know, so you're a billionaire cannot recreate the feeling of you scoring a goal or getting a win and going to your fans um after a goal or after a you know, after a big game and uh I guess that that''s thes the one thing I miss from football. Yeah Danny had a bit of a habit of doing that in those games didn't he? I think the one that you just mentioned actually went down as an own goal but he uh he did an awful lot of damage in those Norwich games over the time they called him the Canary Crusher. He he did and he was he was he was very young at the time. I remember he had blistering pace. But he's he'll always be remembered by Ipswish fans. Yeah. Do you do you remember like how quickly you kind of got the idea that this was a really big game in Switch V Norge because it geographically it's actually quite a long way between between the two. Well well after you signed did you quickly realize that it meant an awful lot to the fans? Yeah, I didn't I didn't understand it beforehand. Leading up to it, I think fans and your friends start talking about it, people start asking for tickets. There's just you you get this recognition, there's extra on it. Um what I always remember is travelling up because you're you know, uh being Norwich we'd normally travel on the day and there just seems to be it's so many cars on the road, so many blue flags out and I think that's when the the the excitement really starts to build. Yeah, you did get that feeling yourself though, scoring in a derby. Some great pictures of it, some great video footage of it. What do you remember of that? That came at Carrie Road. Yeah I remember um I think it was a it it might have been a goal kick. I got in front of my man and I flicked it on to um Pablo. I mean Pablo had a really good relationship. I always knew where he'd be. Sometimes I'd be short and he'd be long and vice versa. And I flicked it on and he um just took a touch and put the most sublime pass behind the defender for me and I won the race and put it in the corner and then you just go bananas. It's the it's the best feeling ever. Yeah I guess you can't plan what you're gonna do in that situation when you celebrate it, can you? I I never do and I don't understand people that do. I I think there's certain goals. Listen, if you if you score a goal against, if you're three nil up and you score the fourths, it's not quite the same feeling, but something that matters to bring to put you one nil up local derby um I mean that energy that energy you feel you could you know run through a brick wall it's just amazing. Yeah we talked about a couple of carrot road games there but what were the Portman Road games like for the Derby ? I remember it was always it was always tight. I can't remember if if I won one here um but yeah I f I I feel sometimes there's a little bit more pressure on you in a funny way when you when you're at home. So I I was kind of the type of player is I'd I'd kind of probably get a bit I'd I prefer to be the underdog you know and I'd probably prefer playing away from home but amazing we' bell f packed out and um I can't wait to see what happens this year. Yeah what what's it like in the build up to it within the group? Do you talk about the game a little bit more? D is it talked about as players about this one how much it means or or is it really business as usual? There's certainly more nerves there. I wouldn't say you too we'd always talk about whatever game we have coming up. I wouldn't say there's more chat, but again, definitely feel there's more there's more tension. There's also a bit more when the gaffer's main name in the team. You know, there's there's times in in a team that you're not necessarily dropped, but he's resting certain players and you want to make sure you're playing in that game. That's the big one. That's the one with your family all watching, all your friends are watching. So there can be a little bit more tension there. Yeah. I think you were unbeaten in Derby's in a blue shirt anyway. In a b yeah. In a blue shirt. Th there's a slight elephant in the room. We did playing one in a yellow shirt as well, 2009, very briefly at Norwich. How was that as an experience for you? Yeah but a black mark against my name for for all eternity. It was very very stran ge and kind of emotional and I didn't, you know, um, as a player, once the once the whistle goes, I I can put all that behind me, do you know what I mean? But I I felt sad kind of coming back to see there was so many people at that time in the club that I felt you know were a bit special, really nice people and yeah and I'm talking about just even the staff around the the around the dugout the the tunnel and um the Yeah. Is it was it tough kind of going up to say hello to these people but with a with a different badge on your chest? Not not really. You know, I I did didnn't't want to you know, I I kind of I I didn't feel it was you know, I felt it was down to me. I'd have stayed and stayed at the club and stayed longer. So I didn't really feel I I didn't feel ashamed or embarrassed about it. I just kinda I felt we 'cause I really felt at home here and it was you know it was sad coming back in a in a yellow jersey. Yeah, a win for Ipswich that day though. Um and I think I'm right in saying that is the the last time that Ipswich won one of these games. Really? Going back that long. So what do you think the class of 23, 24 are going to be thinking going into for a lot of them, almost all of them actually their first experience of this? Well obviously the forum guide would suggest there'll be no better time for us to to play them. Watch the game during the night I think they gave away a two-go lead. I think they're hurting a bit but all that said you know the this big occasion this will be the one game that they you know that they'll know that actually if they can get a result here it takes a lot of pressure out of them they're still very dangerous the manager's got a very good rec ord. It'll be a tough game, but I keep watching us. I watch the way we play football, I watch the energy we have, how positive everyone is, our subs make a difference, so you know you you've got to put a stern as favourites. Despite that little black mark that we we won't mention again, you're very much very much a blue involved in town TV very regularly seeing you on the screens. How much are you invol in enjoying that kind of being around around the club again and and getting involved there. I it's it's great being you know what the club feels like it did when I first signed and everyone's very positive there's lots of nice people working, everyone's friendly, everyone's relaxed um and I felt we'd we'd got away from a bit of what what gave us our identity. So it's great being back. I've really enjoyed watching it. I love the manager, I love the way he speaks um and he's very humble and polite and um it's it's just nice to be around. Oh god I you know, I I I I I think we're gonna win this game. You know, I j I just I I keep looking at I think we have our players and our energy and the way we move the ball, I think it'll just suit us and I I can't see us losing that game so I'm gonna go for a 3-1 win . I'm Sam Morsey and you are listening to the official Kip Sous Town Pod . From the pitch let's head to the dugout where former town boss George Burley has given our very own Natasha Thomas a bit of an insight into what it's like managing in the big game. Yes, a lot. Um I mean I started my career um as a youngster at Ipswich and there's always been a rivalry. I arrived in 7 1 and when you're talking to the fans and living in the town everybody's talking about when the Norwich game is and um we've had many intriguing games over my spell as a player and as a manager. Looking back into the early 70s really, I think one of the first games was important was the Textual Cup games. I think we played them in the Texto Cup. And so really it started from a very young age in the early 70s. And I think in the last few years, you know, that we've been doing so well when winning games but people saying bring on Norwich, bring on Norwich so they're they're really looking forward to it. Yeah, so as you say about the fans themselves, how will they be looking forward to this this game? Because it's been a while now um but I'm sure the fans have been looking forward to it it's a home game as well. Yeah I mean everything's gone so well in the last couple of years winning games um getting promotion we're still winning virtually every game, we only lost two this sea uh one game this season. Um so it's a case of um um keep keeping working hard. Um but all they're always looking at the date. When do we play Norwich? When do we know when is the game going to be? So um it's when the fans are really important but it's just three points. But there's no doubt every season you're looking for the date that um you're gonna play in Orix. Yeah and I think what you said there is a three points is key of course um with the players it's gonna be a big game for them for the coach McKenna. Um for you as a player itself was it different um from you walking out on the pitch to you coaching? Yeah but it's different because there's more pressure on on you from the fans. Um it's great when you win and not so good when you lose. So um it can go either way. And actually you don't want to lose a derby match for a player or a manager. Um but that's life but um for the fans it's the game of the season. No matter what you must beat Norwich. So um hopefully that can happen. No, definitely. But um I think I looked back at your career and I think the five nil um win, is that a big highlight for yourself? Um the day itself and the rivalry between the two really. Yeah, well I've I've been lucky I've been in the the on a side of 5-1 twice. I think in 1977 we beat Norwich 5-0 going back a long time ago and I think Trevor Weimat scored two goals and Waukey scored a goal and then as a manager, I think that was in 9 6, where everybody remembers Brian Gunn missing the ball from a pass back. So they're very happy memories, and um when I see Brian now and again we sort of say, What about that backpass Brian? But um yeah some some great results. Um we've lost one or two games but mainly been in the winning end. No and that's what we won, isn't it? Um but finally I think one of the biggest questions I wanted to ask you is obviously the boys gonna be stepping out on that pitch soon, McKenna will be as well. For you, what what would you say to them to make sure that the occasion may not obviously get to them and that they can I think um motivations um doesn't really play a part into uh derby games uh but it's important that you go and play your normal game and you can't get too excited about it, you can't get too aggressive over it. So you've got to be disciplined, play your normal game. The way Epsis are playing at the moment, they must go in there with a lot of confidence. Kieran's got the team week in, week out, with a winning mentality. So it's really more of the same and then it'll be double important for the fans. But for a player, it's but it's very important um for the whole town that hopefully we can um get another three points. Yeah, I think like you said it is brag and rights isn't it um it's been a while since we played Norwich so I think everyone will be up for it, the players, coaching staff and the fans but I think the last question that I do want to ask you is have you got prediction for the game? There's only one answer, an IPSIX win. It could be 3-2, it could be 1-0 . Definitely I think that'll be three points in the bag. Let's head straight to the penalty box. Here's Derby Day hat-trick hero, Alex Maffey. Can you believe it's twenty-five years since your your big day against Norwich. Yeah, it's uh twenty five years is a long time, isn't it? Um but yeah, it's i it doesn't seem like twenty five years. Uh it doesn't feel that way anyway. But uh yeah, a greatat da day. Grey for Urshix down. Yeah. Are the memories still vivid though? Yeah, I see enough of the goals on tele, especially when Norwich games come up, it's always uh there and thereabouts. But uh yeah, I mean th the goals I can remember them as as if they were yesterday, yeah. Can you talk us through 'em then? I watched them last night and I I I thought I'd remembered them pretty well but there was one of them that kinda slipped my mind a little bit, but can you talk us through 'em? Yeah, the first one was one we worked in training during the week uh with Brian Hamilton was a crossover at corner and we just threw the ball into space and I was to run on just strike it first time and that's exactly what happened. It was like done exactly what it said on the tin basically. I don't think I had a ball sweeter than that on that day. It was just perfect after two minutes as well. Straight in, bang, back in it. Great strike. One of the best goals I scored. What are those emotions like then when uh obviously when the ball hits the net any time with a goal as good as that, it's gonna be great. But to do that in a in a derby game that meant so much, what what did that mean to you? Yeah, I think celebration said it all to be fair we're absolutely 'Cause w we ha we hadn't beaten Norwich, uh we were struggling to beat them. Um and to get that goal early doors to settle everybody down, uh which is great and and even perfect because we uh we worked it in training as well, so it was great. Yeah, and then two more before half time. Obviously everyone everyone will know that game ended in a five nil win, but three nil up at halftime, first half hat trick, stuffed dreams. Yeah, definitely. And I I pulled my calf actually after the first goal. I when I was running when I strike it, I actually tweaked my calf. So but the adrenaline kept me going and then the score of the the second one was probably the harder goal for me because I had time to think about it. So I mean I had a lot of run, I had to run to the halfway line, there was nobody near me, it was just me and the goalkeeper. So I had to basically take my time and think what I was going to do and sometimes that's a nightmare for a striker. I mean you got too much time you you start to panic but uh I managed to keep my cool and I've just slotted it back, give Andy Marshall a little dummy and Mancy slot it in the the right hand corner of the net. Yeah where does that kind of fit in everything that you did in your career? You you got an awful lot done in your in your football career at various clubs up and down the country, Scotland and England. Where does that that day kind of sit amongst all of that. Well it's the one I'm most remembered for. I mean I scored again I ha I scored a really good cat trick against Sunderland and the one three nil and that never gets mentioned. But yeah, uh no it's it's my highlighting my Norwich uh Norwich Ipswich game uh career basically Ipswich was just fantastic all the way through. Uh to s so to score three was fantastic 'cause I hadn't scored against Norwich in all my career in that uh with Epwstitch but to score three in that day was just phenomenal. Yeah. Do you remember like the atmosphere around those games, what the what it was like in the build up and things like that? Yeah, I mean to be fair for the players it wasn't as bad uh as what it is for the fans, the fans get to get the hype. We managed to keep ourselves camelad in anyway during the games. It was always we just go out and do our job as professionals at the end of the day. But with the players we're just young lads, you know what I mean? We just want to go out and play football and that's what it was about. We just wanted to go and play football and enjoy it. Uh but to win that game the way we did was just great. Was the like the is the build-up to those games any different? Is is the aftermath any any different? Does it change at all ? Yeah you can feel it in the you can feel it around the town. Do you know what I mean? It's the the town is bosom when we beat uh when Ipswish is bosom when you you beat the Norwich and it's just vice versa when you're uh you can beat off them. 'Cause everybody's mo doom and gloom, you know what I mean? Um so yeah, but once once after that date the full town was buzzing. The full town was buzzing. Did you know much about Ipswich Norwich and the rivalry when you when you came down? Was that a rivalry that you were aware of or did you have to kind of learn it and and get to know what everyone thought? I've cleaned a few I've been involved in a few derbies uh throughout my years, s Celtic Rangers, uh Sunderland Newcastle, these sort of things. So I know what the feeling is for the Derby er and what the way it what it means to the fans. So I did uh I was aware of what that is. But uh yeah, but but as it's it's very, very bitter. Uh it always has been and it always will be. Uh no matter what area you're uh Birmingham, Aston Villa, Wolves, Aston Villa, they're all they're all bitter games, aren't they? Yeah, but back in that back in that squad, who were the who were were the guys that kind of telling you how much it meant? Who were the who were the players that really sort of felt it, do you think? Well you got Meltz, didn't you, Simon was my roommate, you know what I mean? So me and Simon were always talking about the notch, what it felt 'Cause he lived out that way, didn't you? He lived in Thet ford. So he he he knew he knew what it was like and he was always telling me what it was like. We had Garrett Williams and that who'd been there a long time, uh mixed up well, you know what I mean, all these players who's been there, done it, wore the t shirt, yeah Yeah and obviously um it's been a while since Ipswich and Norwich met. It's been a very long time since Ipswich won one of these games so we're at the point now where it's kind of meaning an awful lot to the fans again. Definitely and as I say we are the form team going into the game but people will say form goes out the window but it does it it does a little bit. But I I reckon if we get the early goal I think their heads will drop. If we give them something to hang on it's going to be a tough game for us. But if we go one up I think we could go and win it comfortably. It's a bit of a cliche isn't the form goes out the window in a derby but why does it? Why why does it change when you get into a game like that? I think 'cause the the the both sets of players and fans know what it's about. Do you know what I mean? The atmosphere's completely different and uh to any normal game both fans want really want that victory uh and that that comes onto the pitch as well. Uh but I just think I just think if we get the hit if we get the impetus of scoring the first goal we'll go on and win it comfortably but if we don't it's going to be a tough goal game for us. Yeah football's changed a little bit hasn't it? It's a lot more technical now and and in in terms of sending players out to kind of make a statement early on it's a little bit different. It's about getting the ball down and playing maybe. But fast starts are gonna be massive aren't they? Yeah definitely and and and over the last few weeks we have started very well up six time we're getting goals early doors but we are conceding as well. So it's important we get that fast start again and we don't concede. I mean I couldn't play in t the modern game today. Do you know what I mean? I'd be so impatient 'cause I always wanted the ball forward into the channels to run on time and stuff like that. It's a more patient game now. It's it's it's side side to side, keep the ball possession and it's it's playing the p scoring the perfect goal basically. I bet you want to be out there though don't you? Oh definitely definitely I mean if I could I mean the head still wants to do it, you know what I mean? J body can it I mean honestly I I'd love to be still playing, uh I really would but uh it's it's all got to grow all sometime . You're a regular at Ipswich a away games, um will you be watch Yeah I I watch all the games. I always watch Sepsich Newcastle games if they don't clash, yeah. So I like going to the both the games. But yeah, I I definitely watching this one. Yeah and what what would your advice be to any kind of players experiencing it for the first time which there's quite a few of them in the Ipswitch team that'll be experiencing this game for the first time. Basically don't let the game pass you by. I mean there's some big games I've gone into and the games pass me by before it's even started. So basically get your first touch, get it under control, try and do the first thing that you do right. 'Cause there's nothing worse when you make a mistake and first thing the fans are on your back, no not your home fans but the way fans and they start ridicule you and stuff like that. So just basically go out there and and and and do your best. That's all you can ask for. One more one more question. Can we push you for a prediction? I think a draw would be a good result. It really would because we've not beat them in a long, long time. I hope you're right. I hope so. Finally, just a quick word from our pals over at the club shop ahead of the big day on the 25th. And a reminder to get your orders in before the Christmas delivery cutoff. Now, for economy delivery, you need to order before three o'clock on Friday, the 15th of December. The next day delivery you need to order before 3 o'clock on Wednesday, 20th of December. Click and collect. Order before 3 pm on Thursday 21st December to collection Saturday 23rd December Planet Blue is closed on Christmas Eve. So make sure you get your orders in on time. Make sure you've got your blues presence under the tree this year. That's it for this episode of the official town podcast. Tickets for our game against Norwich City are sold out wherever you're going to be watching it. Sitting down to listen to it across the world. Enjoy the game. Come on, you blues. Catch you next time.