This feature is proving very popular as MIKE BACON continues to chat to Town fans, young and old, about their favourite-ever Ipswich Town XI. This week, radio broadcaster and big Town fan, ROB CHANDLER, tells us his favourite all-time XI.
Goalkeeper: David Best
We've had some great keepers at Portman Road over the years.
And I'm finding it hard to choose one if I'm being honest. Laurie Sivell, Paul Cooper and David Best. were all good through the '70s and '80s. None of them very tall. But I'm giving my nod to Best. He always seemed to wear a peak cap. I liked him and I suppose because he was the first 'keeper I saw at Town, I always have good memories of him.
Defender: Allan Hunter
Not just a great defender, but what a character.
Every single match at Portman Road, I'm convinced he had two goals. Firstly to stop the opposition scoring, the other to boot the ball on top of any given stand! Mostly the Cobbold Stand, if I recall. The crowd loved him. And if someone had the audacity to try and rough him up, Kevin Beattie would come to his defence, not that Big Al needed any help.
Defender: Kevin Beattie
I just can't leave him out. 'Bacon and Eggs', Hunter and Beattie.
Luckily for me, I got to know him quite well. 'The Beat' would join me on a Saturday lunchtime radio show I used to do. He was great and there was always wonderful banter on the show. A lovely guy who never changed and of course a fantastic footballer. Town's best.
Midfield: Frans Thijssen
My favourite player of the UEFA Cup-winning era.
I loved players who could go past others so easily and Frans was that man. A good old-fashioned dribbler. He would set up goals, score goals. I used to stand in awe with my mouth open at what he was able to do and that is what I remember about him most. He had a tackle in him as well.
Midfield: Danny Hegan
Back to my early days of following football.
My favourite player of this era, late '60s/early '70s. I was such a fan of his, as a kid I pretended I was Scottish for a while, like Danny. He was another great player, great winger, and very skilful. I got to meet him one day. My dad took me to Stamford Bridge, around 1969/70. At Liverpool Street on the way home, my dad went to the bar and in the bar was the entire Town team, Bobby Robson, the directors. And of course Danny Hegan, who I met. He was great with me and we had a lovely chat. Wonderful memories as a kid.
Midfield: Bryan Hamilton
I love a goal-scoring midfielder.
Bryan was skilful and great to watch and as I have said, had a goal in him. Another guy I got to know quite well. We often talk about that 1975 FA Cup run that came to an end at Stamford Bridge in the semi-final when we had what I, and many others, thought were perfectly good goals disallowed by a certain referee, Mr Clive Thomas. We lost to West Ham in those semis, but should have won. And we would have won the FA Cup that year, I'm convinced.
Winger: Clive Woods.
On the left wing, a dribbler, throw a shoulder, sell a dummy. That was Clive Woods.
He chipped in with the odd goal and was a joy to watch on the wing. I remember a game at Portman Road where he had already roasted this full-back a number of times. Clive had the ball again and the full-back turned to his centre-half and shrugged his shoulders as much as to say, 'what do I do?' Unbelievably, I played in the same team as Clive years later in a charity game.
Striker: Paul Mariner
We all have so many great memories of Paul.
I remember his debut and Town winning 7-0 against West Brom as though it were yesterday. I was in the North Stand, singing his name. He would go on his mazy runs, thump it top corner, right in front of us. And we would go bonkers, he would blow us kisses. It was great. Plus, I once did a disco for him when Susan George turned up. It was the same Saturday Town had just beaten Man United 6-0. What a day, what a night. If I had a time machine, that would be the day I would always return to.
Striker: Marcus Stewart
I always remember watching Jeff Stelling on Sky Soccer Saturday when I wasn't at Portman Road.
And I say this because I'm convinced there was a time that whenever I watched, Marcus Stewart's name kept cropping up as having scored for Bristol Rovers, then Huddersfield. I used think he must be some player. And then when we signed him, wow! I was so pleased. What a bargain £2.25m, what a player. His movement was unreal. When I watch the video of that Wembley 2000 Anniversary which I believe Andy Warren helped make, I always get choked up by Marcus' reaction at the end.
Striker: Ray Crawford
A lovely man, a lovely guy and what a player.
Such a goalscorer. I remember my dad taking me on the Blue Arrow train to Derby County. We got seats to watch Town and Ray, who scored a couple that day and we won. Every time we scored, I'd lift my scarf up above my head, me being just a kid.
Striker: Trevor Whymark
Hugely underrated player.
Down to earth, local guy, would score right foot, left foot, headers. All those European nights he was part of in the 70s. Played in that 7-0 win over West Brom, which was Paul Mariner's debut. Go watch some of the play between Whymark and Mariner that game. Tremendous. He was a superb player.
Substitutes: Laurie Sivell and Terry Butcher,
Manager: Bobby Robson
After a dodgy start, what the Cobbolds did for Bobby was a masterstroke.
The crowd were baying for Bobby's blood, they wanted him out because there was little success early on in his tenure at Portman Road, if you remember. So, the Cobbolds called him up to the boardroom, apologised for the fans' behaviour in calling for him to go. And years later when he was wanted by so many teams, I'm sure he felt he couldn't leave us because of the way John and Patrick Cobbold looked after him in those early days. The rest as they say...
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here