Ipswich 2016/17

Does this one really need explaining? Our trip to Portman Road felt like the cup final to us. 5,000 supporters went down to Ipswich, expecting nothing and getting a draw. After taking the lead, Ipswich scored through Tom Lawrence, only for FA Cup Theo to snatch another goal to retake the lead. We came so close, but Lawrence scored after 85 minutes to level the tie. Had we not had a replay, there would have been no TV cameras at the bank, no national exposure, and no magical night that would live forever in memory.

Everything about that replay was magical. It was sadly days after Graham Taylor had passed, and there was a tribute to him. The ground was packed, and Ipswich just couldn’t beat us. Then, late on, a tackle by Bradley Wood for a free kick, that quick break, a glorious pass from Marriott, and Nathan Arnold’s moment to become a legend at both ends of the A46.

The FA should hang their heads in shame for rubbing out the chance of nights like that. It set us up for what we are now, it tempted fans back through the gates, and it helped to awaken a football club that had been withering away. That’s what FA Cup replays can do, and denying teams the opportunity is criminal.