Ipswich Town - Portman Road - Aerial View 1 - 1970
by Legendary Football Grounds
Title
Ipswich Town - Portman Road - Aerial View 1 - 1970
Artist
Legendary Football Grounds
Medium
Photograph
Description
Ipswich Town FC, “The Tractor Boys,” began playing at the Portman Road cricket ground
in 1884, sharing the ground with the East Suffolk Cricket Club. The Tractor Boys were an
amateur team but hosted some top professional clubs of the 19th & early 20th centuries.
Ipswich Town FC didn’t turn professional until 1936 and the ground share with the cricket
club came to an end at that time. Until then permanent structures around the pitch were
limited by the need to accommodate cricket but once the ground share ceased terraces
were built at the ends of the pitch.
The oldest permanent structure built by the club was on the Portman Road side of the
pitch and known as the “chicken run.” When the club turned professional in 1936
development of the ground kept pace with success on the pitch. The club joined the
Football League in 1938 by which time there were stands on two sides and terracing at
both ends. Improvements continued throughout the 1950’s, largely funded by the
supporters, into the 1970’s when the Chicken Run was replaced by a modern two-tiered
structure. Peak capacity was reached in 1974 when 38,010 fans attended an FA Cup tie
against Leeds United.
The ground briefly hosted dog racing in the 1920’s but the effort was unsuccessful.
Portman Road has hosted one full England international match, against Croatia in 2003.
Uploaded
January 14th, 2016
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