In Ipswich the businesses are decking their premises in blue and white while passers-by wish the hours away. Banners, flags, good-luck messages and the nervous thrill of an underlying hubbub: there is only one topic of conversation in the shops and cafes of the modest, compact town centre. Football has always sat at the heart of this proud, often understated community: it comes alive beyond recognition when things are going well. There has been little to sustain it in the past two decades but now its pulse is beating faster than at any point in memory.
If Ipswich Town secure a point or more against Huddersfield on Saturday lunchtime, their return to the Premier League will be confirmed. It is a prize that many in these parts, during darker moments, had given up hope of grasping again. They can earn it in front of a packed house at Portman Road, which remains one of English football’s most distinctive venues and has hit fever pitch over the past year. The continuation of a stunning season’s form would mean it is hosting some of the best players in the world a few months from now.
