Portman Road is expected to see its first sell-out crowd in four years when Ipswich take on Southampton in next Wednesday’s FA Cup third round replay.

Hundreds of fans have been queuing at the ground this morning after tickets for the hotly anticipated replay went on general sale.

Steve Pearce, the club’s media manager, said queues had been building steadily since Tuesday when tickets went on sale to club members and a sell-out crowd was now likely.

The last game to sell-out at Portman Road was when Ipswich beat Arsenal 1-0 on the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final in 2011.

Mr Pearce said the demand was partly down to the importance of the game but also a demonstration of the fans’ growing confidence in the club.

“Our last game against Charlton was the biggest attendance for a number of years,” he added

“There’s a groundswell of support for the club - they want to come to Portman Road.

“The fans have not had a lot to cheer about over recent years, but now the team is doing well, and the fans are buying into that – they want to be part of it.”

Ipswich are currently second in the Championship table and unbeaten in 12 games.

Wednesday’s game, which kicks off at 7.55pm will be televised live on BBC One. The first game was tied 1-1. Darren Ambrose put Ipswich ahead but Saints equalised through Morgan Schneiderlin.

Adult tickets are £10, concessions are £5 and Under-16s are priced at £3.

Mr Pearce advises people to buy tickets online rather than at the ground.