THE Ipswich/Norwich rivalry will resume in December when City visit Portman Road in the Nationwide Division One, writes Derek Davis.Sources north of the county border tell me the Blues will then travel to a revamped Carrow Road in March, providing archaeologists give the Canaries the go-ahead to complete work on their new stand by then.

THE Ipswich/Norwich rivalry will resume in December when City visit Portman Road in the Nationwide Division One, writes Derek Davis.

Sources north of the county border tell me the Blues will then travel to a revamped Carrow Road in March, providing archaeologists give the Canaries the go-ahead to complete work on their new stand by then.

Ipswich, who finished one place above Norwich in seventh spot last season, took the Pride of Anglia title last season by winning at Carrow Road and holding City to a draw earlier in the campaign.

Town fans will be hoping for a home fixture on the opening day of the season for the first time in four years when the league schedules come out at 10am today.

The last time Ipswich entertained a side in a curtain-raiser was in their promotion season when they beat Nottingham Forest in August 1999 and then finished the regular season with a 2-0 home win over Walsall before going on to win those memorable play-off victories over Bolton and then Barnsley.

Defeats on the opening day at Sunderland and then Tottenham Hotspur followed in the Premiership and a draw at Derby on the final day in 2001 saw them miss out on a Champions' League place but achieve a fifth-place finish and UEFA Cup qualification.

A 5-0 drubbing at Liverpool completed a miserable season the following year but last season started with a win at Walsall and ended with a 4-1 victory at George Burley's Derby County.