Friday 13 February 2009

Ipswich 'Til I Die




This week saw the launch of a football book featuring stories from Ipswich supporters, nothing new there you may think, but you would be wrong this is a book which is not only a great read but does far more than that. It is a great example why many of us are so hooked on not only following football but supporting our local team. The book is also a great advert for the Supporters Trust movement. This production was put together by the Ipswich Town Independent Supporters Trust working with football club and also with the aim of assisting local schools. 600 free copies were given to schools thanks to the involvement of the National Literacy Trust.



The launch was on Wednesday night and the evening saw contributor's mix with Town players and also pupils from local schools. The picture below is of pupils from chantry School with the oldest contributor to the book.




The whole project showed that the Trust and the Football club can work together and also that the trust is a very professional organisation.



But it as a Town fan that I love this book, forgetting that it is done by the trust and that is for a good cause of improving school literacy the book stands on it's own as a great football book. You would think as it is by Town fans that it would be full of 1978 or 1981 and maybe 1962 and 2000 but I found the best bits were about the likes of Dammo Green a Town star of the 30's and the piece by Kath Parker the wife of Towns 1950's captain Tommy Parker. there are also heart warming stories from pupils from Ipswich schools, a story from a youngster helped by the Club's link with The Princes Trust, plus two very diverse articles, one from an American Army Officer who seemed to clothe a whole Iraqi village in Ipswich Town shirts and a fan who was helped out of a coma by listening to messages from Town players.



Now go and buy a copy of 'Ipswich 'Till I Die', it will be on sale outside the ground this Saturday and hopefully the club shop. you can also buy by post from 'Those Were The days'.

No comments: