Christophe Berra has paid tribute to the Blues’ long-suffering fans and hopes to get Portman Road rocking between now and the end of the season.

The Blues look set for their first appearance in the Championship play-offs for a decade, following several seasons of indifference and the odd relegation battle.

Sat fourth in the league, two points off the top two, Ipswich could move into the automatic spots this weekend, should they defeat Reading at Portman Road tomorrow.

And such a lofty position would be no more than the Town faithful deserve, according to Berra, who won promotion to the Premier League with Wolves in 2009.

“The players and staff all appreciate the support we receive from the fans and if it was not for them, we would not be here,” said Berra.

“We have had a few boos, the fans are entitled to that, and we are not robots that are going to play well every week, but over the piece, the fans have been really good to us.

“This club has a great history, but at other clubs, fans may still be living in the past and expecting the same success all the time.

“These fans are enjoying it at the moment, and it’s certainly better to be in our position, than maybe fighting relegation.”

Town’s current average home attendance is just below the 20,000 mark, giving them the ninth-highest home support in the league, while Ipswich fans have also been vociferous in their support on the road.

“The travelling support has been great all season and to have 4,000 at Fulham, considering the problems there were with the trains, was fantastic,” added the Scottish international.

“It would be great to get a big turn-out at Portman Road, but it’s not cheap, let’s be honest, and people have other priorities, such as putting food on the table and seeing family.

“But hopefully, come the end of the season, be it in the play-offs or in the automatic spots, Portman Road will be full and backing the boys.”