Day Out

Alun Thomas goes to the Walkers Stadium…

My two brothers-in-law are Leicester supporters; the son-in-law of one of them lives in Ipswich and follows the Tractor Boys. Last season, when both clubs, like Wrexham, were relegated, the subject of football was almost taboo at family gatherings, but things have improved recently and on Boxing Night we all went to the new Walkers Stadium to see Leicester against Ipswich.

Some new grounds do it for me but the Walkers isn't one of them. It put me in mind of a Subbuteo stadium with an almost claustrophobic feel to it and with great banks of seats rising sharply away from ground level where spectators are very close to the pitch. High stands have been held responsible for the sorry state of pitches elsewhere, but at Leicester the surface was immaculate.

Before the game there was a sign of the times. The minute's silence for Arthur 'Gunner' Rowley, the prolific Leicester marksman of the 1950s, was meticulously observed by those present but was marred by the constant ringing of mobile phones.

Leicester started as if they were going to huff and puff and blow down the Ipswich house, with the diminutive Dickov to the fore. I'd always regarded his strike partner Brian Deane as a lumbering carthorse, but he showed some very graceful touches for such a big bloke. Despite the home side's efforts, it was Ipswich who played the calmer, more cultured football, with the Dutch full-back Wilnis particularly prominent alongside the Birmingham-bound Jamie Clapham.

At half-time we experienced what seems to be a serious flaw in the stadium's planning. The toilets are far to small for a large crowd and much the same could be said for the food outlets. As we got back to our seats the second half was already under way, yet dozens were still queuing. Leicester eventually took the lead through a dodgy penalty, and Ipswich looked to be aiming for damage limitation, but the introduction of their substitute Darren Ambrose swung the game for them. Within five minutes he had laid on the equaliser and scored the winner, with the visitors ultimately looking more like promotion challengers than their hosts.

An enjoyable evening, although I felt the icy hand of Old Father Time on my shoulder when Nicky Summerbee came on for Leicester. I remember seeing his Dad play for Manchester City at nearby Filbert Street in the late 1960s! Come to think of it, I also saw Ipswich manager Joe Royle score there for England Under-23s against West Germany in, I think, 1970.

But - it's not cheap. Fortunately I'd backed Ipswich to win, and therefore clawed some of it back, but £25 for a seat is a bit strong - and it's not even the Premiership!