Town hit in the pocket again

By Derek Davis

TEN days after being hit by a £5,000 fine for having six players booked at Southend, Ipswich Town have been whacked in the pocket again for the same offence, this time at Plymouth on Tuesday night.

If the Blues continue as they are they are likely to incur the wrath of the FA and could be liable to a fine of up to £50,000 at the end of the season.

And it is not just the financial penalty that Town are being forced to pay as two more players are about to be suspended for a match.

Fabian Wilnis' red card after two bookings against Argyle means he misses the trip to Burnley on Saturday, while Simon Walton was one of the half-dozen players booked and that took his tally to five and gives him a one match ban, which will be served at home against Sheffield Wednesday next week.

Alex Bruce, who amazingly was not among those carded at Home Park, has already missed a game, along with Gavin Williams and Mark Noble, who have also reached the five-card mark.

Bruce though is just two cards away from a two-match ban for reaching ten bookings and a warning as to his future conduct.

It is amazing how the Blues have gone from qualifying for the Europe via the Fair Play league even though they were relegated from the Premiership, to being the bad boys of the Football League.

In 2001/2002 Town received 50 yellow cards all season, and no reds, with John McGreal on eight the worst offender and Hermann Hreidarsson with five the only other players to miss a game through suspension.

But then they were regarded as a soft touch.

While Ipswich are undoubtedly tougher now, even a neutral would not describe then as a dirty side. It was easy to see why chairman David Sheepshanks was so outraged following Tuesday's match, when referee Kevin Friend was flourishing cards like invitations to a party.

While many of the bookings have been given for fouls, virtually none have been particularly bad tackles, as they have usually been mistimed, with players getting there when they could.