An Ipswich Town supporter who found a second footballing home in Germany has spoken of his emotional weekend as the Blues faced Union Berlin in a special pre-season friendly.
Born at Ipswich Hospital 10 days before Town’s 1978 FA Cup triumph, Jacob Sweetman first watched the Blues against Oxford United in the old First Division.
He later moved to Berlin in 2007 with his wife, but found himself craving a familiar connection in an unfamiliar city.
“I just wanted a slice of normality,” he said.
After spotting an advert for Union’s opening game of the Regionalliga season, he travelled alone to the Alte Försterei.
Despite not speaking German, he met a supporter on the train who helped him buy a ticket.
“I fell completely in love, and I felt welcomed, and I felt at home,” Jacob said.
“To have something that you feel welcome in, and you feel like you’re a part of something is of impossible value.”
He bought a Union season ticket within weeks and never looked back.
Jacob was present for defining moments in the club’s modern history, including the final match before the Alte Försterei redevelopment, its reopening against Hertha Berlin, promotion to the Bundesliga and Union’s Champions League trip to Real Madrid’s Bernabéu.
His affection for Ipswich has never disappeared, however. He has watched “hundreds” of Town matches and was at Wembley for the play-off final win over Barnsley.
That made the pre-season friendly between the two sides particularly emotional.
Alright, I know as an admin you’re supposed to stay in character, but I’m going to tell you a story. Sod it.
I was born in Ipswich general hospital 10 days before Ipswich won the FA Cup final. The first game of football I ever saw was Town against Oxford in what was once called… pic.twitter.com/syqBkpK7ck— 1. FC Union Berlin (English) (@fcunion_en) August 15, 2026
Jacob, now Union’s English communications lead, spent the days before the match helping Town supporters and staff in Berlin, translating for visitors, leading stadium tours and helping arrange a beer garden for travelling fans.
“It’s been one of the most beautiful, surreal, insane weekends,” he said.
Jacob’s X post about the occasion has now been viewed more than 315,000 times. He said its response showed football can still unite people, despite its rivalries and negativity.
“What football did yesterday was bring 12,500 people together who would otherwise not have ever come together,” he said.
“Most of us love the game for what it brings into our lives.”
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