Video: Footie rivals kick off new life together

TWO football fans are kicking off their married life together today.

Ipswich Town supporter Simon Bardsley and Norwich City devotee Claire Hales put aside their differences on Saturday and tied the knot.

And even the disappointing scores for both sides, with Ipswich drawing and Norwich losing, couldn't put a dampener on the joyous occasion.

So now the couple are enjoying life as husband and wife, and so far haven't argued about football once!

Mr Bardsley, 38, said: “It was a cracking day; I couldn't have asked for anything better.

“I wasn't happy with the result but it didn't matter. Being an Ipswich Town fan you get used to disappointment.”

Meanwhile the new Mrs Bardsley, 33, added: “It was wonderful; lovelier than we could ever have thought.

“It was really special to get married on Valentine's Day and we were really grateful that people would share that special day with us.”

During the day, with the wedding held at Cotton Church, football was on the minds of many guests.

Best man, Rob Duckett, an Ipswich Town season ticket holder, made reference to the couple's rivalry during his speech and many guests tormented the pair with false score updates as the day went on.

The couple, who recently moved in together at Mrs Bardsley's Thwaite home, are not having a honeymoon but are spending time with their newborn daughter, Natalie, who was born just 16 weeks ago.

The pair, who also have another daughter, Megan, met when they were both working at a garage in Norfolk in 2000, although they never saw each other because they worked different shift patterns.

Eventually, after leaving each other a series of notes about their football rivalry, they met and their relationship took off.

Have you fallen in love with a rival? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.