IN his look at all things Ipswich Town, MIKE BACON reflects on a strange-feeling week
It feels odd.
Being top of League One but no-one, except Ipswich Town fans, are especially interested, with all the goings-on in our division.
I don't know about you but I'm a mass of mixed emotions.
Glad to see Paul Lambert's team standing proudly at the summit, desperately hoping our 5-0 win over Bolton stays...
1. Because it means the Trotters are still in existence.
2. Because it's good for our goal difference!
But be honest, the sight of Bury and Bolton's predicaments has taken a gloss off the fact we are where we are, don't you think?
I know you have got to look after yourselves, but the football 'family' - the Premier League of which I don't count in that by the way - is deeply hurt by Bury's demise and Bolton's situation.
"They're taking the jars off our shelf now, Mike," my mate Milky at the Bristol said.
Not that he needed any reason to trump out any more negative vibes. His glass is always half empty - he drinks so fast!
Then again, he's not wrong.
League One clubs going to the wall, that is indeed now, 'our' shelf - imagine if it were our beloved Town?
My goodness. Tears, eulogies, the great and the good remembering the 'grand old days' of Ramsey and Robson... Burley's boys back in the big time after that wonderful play-off final, Sky TV with their ghastly 'countdown clock' to our demise (whoever thought of that needs a .....).
But... Thankfully it's not us.
And while Marcus gets plenty of critics, it's times like this I suppose we should be grateful to have his steady input.
+++++
AND it was such a lovely Bank Holiday weekend too, well - apart from the final edition of Poldark which left the wife an emotional wreck, tossing and turning meant neither of us slept a wink on Monday night.... Ross Poldark, I hope you're happy!
Thankfully Ed Sheeran was more upbeat.
What a man he is... An Ipswich Town shirt, a Framlingham Town shirt. The guys knows and loves his roots.
If Town were to get automatic promotion with a game to go, I'd like to see him 'signed on' by the club on a week's contract and given five minutes at the end of the final game of the season at home to MK Dons! That would bring the house down.
I didn't go to his concerts, mind you.
Me and music gigs don't mix to be honest.
Not since I fell asleep next to a speaker at a concert in Colchester back in the late '80s after one too many pernod and blackcurrants!
I was awoken by the support act, a heavy rock band, 'sound checking' their version of Bon Jovi's 'Livin' On A Prayer'. Nearly blasted my ears off.
But back to the Blues.
And the win at Bolton was a job well done.
The boys were damned if they did and damned if they didn't, bearing in mind Bolton's issues.
If they had drawn or lost they would have been pilloried. If they won 5-0 - which they did, then most agreed, 'well so they should'.
In the end Town fans were content.
Apart from my Geordie pal John, in the chippy. I spoke to him on Saturday night. He had a tenner on it being 4-0. I laughed.
"You're not having any 'scraps' then," he moaned.
No sense of humour that lad.
+++++
SO, Town are top going into Saturday, it's Shrewsbury at Portman Road, and we all hope for that well-worn heading many of us sports editors and subs have used over the years... 'Town (or insert any other team) tame the Shrews'.
Shrewsbury fans must get fed up of reading that.
Football headings can be funny things.
Ever since The Sun came out with 'Super Caley Go Ballistic, Celtic Are Atrocious', after Celtic lost a cup tie to then First Division Inverness Caledonian Thistle, it's been the benchmark.
Although that's not strictly true.
It was actually the Liverpool Echo who first came out with that headline back in the 1970s after Ian Callaghan ran riot against QPR.... 'Super Cally Goes Ballistic, QPR Atrocious'.... which I actually prefer.
My all-time favourite?
Well, it's not especially witty, pithy or full of innuendos.
When editor of the Green'Un back in February 21, 1998, I joyously put together the front page of that Saturday night's edition.
Scoreline: Ipswich Town 5 Norwich City 0.
Heading 'BLUE HEAVEN'.
Enough said.
UP THE TOWN
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