Ipswich Town ‘buzzing’ for Portman Road debut
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The club announced earlier this week that the women’s team would make its debut appearance at the football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, and described it as a “landmark day”.
The team will face Chatham Town in the Southern Premier Division on 23 March.
Manager Joe Sheehan said he hoped it would “inspire” young footballers.
The captain said her team-mates heard the news together.
“We found out as a team, and it came as a bit of a shock to us all.
“It’s a really big stadium and something we have all wanted for a while, so we are all buzzing for it.”
The team normally play their home games at the AGL Arena – Felixstowe & Walton United’s stadium.
Boswell added that the Portman Road surface will help the game of the players.
“We’re a ball-playing team, which likes to work in tight areas. To play on a carpet like Portman Road is going to help us play the football we want to play.
“I love going down there on a Saturday. I’ve always had in the back of my mind, ‘Maybe one day, I will have the opportunity to walk out onto that pitch and play in front of a crowd there.’
“I’m so happy it’s finally going to happen.”
While it will be a Portman Road debut for the Blues, league clubs from across the pyramid have been hosting women’s games.
“We’ve seen it with other clubs. Newcastle got around 30,000 [people] to one of its games at St James’ Park.
“It shows that there is a demand for it, people do want to come and support the women’s side of their club as much as they support the men’s.”