Star Spangled Blue: Converting a new Town fan, plus praise for

Star Spangled Blue: Converting a new Town fan, plus praise for dominant Delap

Liam Delap has been a revelation for Ipswich Town this season

In his latest monthly column, American expat, PR professional and Ipswich Town fan James Wall shares his thoughts on the Blues from across the pond….

The festive period is always a time for family, feasting, and, of course, football.

As is my annual tradition, I descended upon my family in Bury St. Edmunds over Christmas, armed with mince pies, plenty of wine and a desperate hope of squeezing in an Ipswich Town match.

This year I was bringing plenty of family with me from the States – seven of us in all.

James Wall, far left, with Anthony and Galder and a family friend at Portman Road

First to arrive after me was my partner and her two boys, 16 and 18. You may remember the youngest, Galder, from my first ever EADT column covering our first match in the Championship last year (Sunderland away).

It was back in the summer of 2023, and we were driving back from our holiday on the New Jersey Shore.

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On the drive I was desperately trying to get Galder – who was next to me in the front seat – to keep me updated on the score. He, however, had zero interest in keeping his mum’s partner informed and kept on playing his video game.

Now, I’m a lifelong Tractor Boy, born and bred in the shadow of Portman Road (well, Orford isn’t that far). My partner’s boys, however, are of course a different story.

The eldest, Anthony, a budding physicist at university in Colorado, seems more concerned with the intricacies of eye rolling than the offside rule. But he seemed excited as we boarded the train from Liverpool Street to watch Ipswich vs Toon.

Galder, however, is a powerful lacrosse player with a similar attitude and physique to Liam Delap – strong, powerful and aggressive on the field of play. He loves sports and appeared genuinely thrilled to be watching his first professional soccer game in Europe.

Armed with newly bought scarves from the Town shop, I dragged them both through the turnstiles into the hallowed ground of Portman Road. The atmosphere was, as usual, electric, a sea of blue and white swirling around us.

James and co watched Town lose to Newcastle just before Christmas

The boys, initially apprehensive given that our tickets didn’t work the first time we tried to get in, were soon captivated by the spectacle.

The chants, the passion, the thunderous tackles, the sheer scale of the occasion – it was all utterly mesmerizing to these football newbies from America.

Galder was particularly taken by the fact that several oversized Newcastle fans were dancing topless in the stands – he took several videos on his phone for posterity!

Alas, the football itself was a different story. Newcastle, in a rampant mood, tore us apart, inflicting a humiliating 4-0 defeat on home soil. My partner’s boys, bless their innocent hearts, were remarkably sanguine.

“It was still cool, James,” Galder professed, while Anthony surprisingly later declared on the way home to Washington DC that the game was the highlight of his trip across the pond.

This wasn’t the attitude of the Portman Road regulars. Leaving the ground later that afternoon the air was thick with despondency.

Blues fans have been brilliant again this season

Relegation talk was rife amongst the dejected Ipswich fans. “We’re doomed,” one supporter lamented on the train back to London, shaking his head. “Back to the Championship, I reckon.”

Fast forward a week, and the mood couldn’t have been more different. I was flying home, following the Chelsea game via the two WhatsApp groups dedicated to Ipswich Town of which I’m a member.

Our boys in blue, spurred on by a rampant Liam Delap (more on him later), had stunned Chelsea 2-0 at Portman Road. The Suffolk air appeared thick with the sweet scent of optimism.

“We might just do it!” a jubilant fan proclaimed via the Blue Army WhatsApp group.

The Newcastle game, now a distant memory, seemed to belong to a different era. Suddenly, survival seemed not just possible, but probable.

And while the 4-0 drubbing at home had initially felt like a crushing blow, perhaps, in a strange way, it had served as a wake-up call.

Speaking of wake-up calls, Galder has undergone a remarkable transformation. The boy who couldn’t care less about football two summers ago now proudly sports an Ipswich scarf and has a poster adorning his bedroom wall.

I, the unwitting evangelist, have successfully converted a disciple.

Liam Delap dominated Chelsea

Liam Delap has been a revelation this season. His powerful runs, commanding finishing, and sheer physicality have terrorised defenses across the league.

His performance against Chelsea was nothing short of dominant.

Delap’s absence against Newcastle was keenly felt, a glaring hole in the Ipswich attack. He is Ipswich’s talisman this season.

Surely, Thomas Tuchel has eyes on Delap for a possible England squad inclusion.

So, there you have it. A tale of two matches, two very different emotions, and one very unexpected conversion.

As the season tilts past the halfway point, our heroes face a thrilling battle for survival in the Premier League.

One thing is certain: I, for one, will be glued to my laptop and phone, hoping against hope that the Tractor Boys can defy the odds and remain in the top flight.