IPSWICH fan and employee Andy Crump has a very good reason for hoping they lose tonight.The 21-year-old, a football development officer at Portman Road, will be lining up against them for Felixstowe & Walton United.

By Mel Henderson

IPSWICH fan and employee Andy Crump has a very good reason for hoping they lose tonight.

The 21-year-old, a football development officer at Portman Road, will be lining up against them for Felixstowe & Walton United.

The seaside outfit play host to Town in a Suffolk Premier Cup first round tie and Dellwood Avenue is set to welcome a bumper crowd.

Andy admitted: “Ever since the draw was made there has been a buzz about the place. It's a great occasion for the club.”

But the Ridgeons League side are adamant they are not merely making up the numbers and he added: “We want to win it.”

Defender Crump has been on the receiving end of some good-natured ribbing from Ipswich boss Jim Magilton since the two clubs came out of the hat together.

He said: “Jim has been threatening to get his boots out and dust them off for a comeback. I think he's joking - at least I hope he is!”

Not only is Andy on the payroll, both his parents used to work at the club - mum Julie in the public relations office, while dad Ray's company produced perimeter advertising boards.

But he insisted: “There is only one result I want to see tonight. For the first and only time in my life I want Town to lose.

“Obviously they will be red-hot favourites but you never know.

“The underdogs sometimes come out on top in cup games.”

Andy's job sees him coach hundreds of youngsters across the region on a regular basis, either at Portman Road or at their schools.

But he gets his kicks from playing for Felixstowe & Walton and he is proud of the fact that he became their youngest-ever first team player just before his 16th birthday.

He also had a year with Norwich's academy and left when Ipswich offered him a trial, but that came to nothing.

Even with Ipswich set to field a young side, including a number of academy players, it would be a major shock if they came unstuck tonight.

Andy added: “It's a massive game for us and it's a big game for Ipswich as well. They are back in the competition after a long absence and the last thing they will want is to go out in the first round.

“We have players like Danny Phillips, Gavin Crane, Dwayne Edwards and Lewis Pemberton, who are all capable of turning it on.

“They can run riot when they're in the mood. When they play well we tend to hit it off as a team.

“Chances like this don't come along too often and it would be fantastic if we could make the most of what may well be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”