Scrolling through some socials after the Boro game, I was surprised at the level of antipathy expressed toward us. Although it was based largely on a view that the late penalty was dodgy, it actually went much further and painted a picture of us as a universally disliked club.

Take the BBC for instance –

“Ipswich get such soft pens. Corruption, EFL need to investigate.”

“If ever proof was needed of EFL corruption, it was there for all to see. Why do Ipswich have a shocking decision given in their favour, virtually every game?”

“Ipswich once again handed a ‘Homer‘ referee selection for Portman Rd. Surprised that he couldn’t find another penalty for them in added on time.”

“Ipswich just know how to con refs. If you are relying on referee help to get results then that’s a clear admission you aren’t good enough”

“This is getting beyond a joke now with Ipswich - should they go up, Boro, Saints or Millwall should be rightly asking some serious questions of the FA and the PGMOL.”

I suppose the headline stats – nine penalties awarded to us (including some very late ones – Derby and Preston amongst them) and only one against us - give disgruntled fans an opportunity to put two and two together and come to a conspiracy.

Even more so when it can cast their own club as the victim (eg the Budgies, of course, and Millwall – “Someone doesn’t want Millwall promoted. The Ipswich bias from referees is embarrassing”). The fact is though that the majority of these comments were from neutrals so this is not just the sound of sour grapes.

There’s rarely much room for balance in conspiracy theories but it seems to me very significant that some of it came from an unexpected source - Kim Hellberg. He acknowledged that the defender’s challenge for the penalty was clumsy and probably unnecessary (“to be fair Malanda pulls him a little bit, he put his hands there, which means you always take the risk”……..“the referee makes a decision. If you look at it our way, you should not give him the opportunity....”). These level-headed comments were in stark contrast to those from Philippe Clement a week or so ago.

Some Town fans also sought to inject some factual context by pointing out to those calling for a PGMOL inquiry that that very body apologised to us on two consecutive weekends (against Leicester and Stoke) for refs getting it wrong in denying us a clear pen and then giving the opposition an undeserved spot-kick. Swings and roundabouts.

When things get hysterical, of course there’s little room for equilibrium and reason so maybe we should exercise some of both. Unless a decision is definitively wrong we have to accept that football’s a game of opinion and so, personally, I try to look at decisions in terms of how I’d feel if they were awarded against us.

In that regard the penalty at Brum in the opener was dubious – correct to the letter of the (pretty stupid) law but I’d have been very miffed if it had been given against us and there’s no denying that it delivered us a point that we didn’t deserve.

I’m not sure that there have been many others – not Boro and certainly not the Budgies who, rather than blaming the ref, would be better thanking their keeper for keeping the score down.

I suppose that the source of this bipartisan vitriol is a feeling that we SHOULD be strolling through this league and yet we’re only stuttering through it with outside help.

Personally, I never had any expectation that this season would be straightforward and, with four games to go, I have no expectation that we’ll make second. On our day we can be brilliant (the first goal against Boro was a real sign of team quality) but on the same day we can be inconsistent and fragile as we also were against Boro. Time will tell.

Whatever happens this season, the feeling that our club is reviled leaves a very bitter taste in the mouth. No one’s doubting that players go down too easily and mouth off at the ref every time they feel hard done by, but that’s a problem of the game in general and at most levels. We’re not innocent but it’s an insult and a stretch to say that we’re more guilty than others.

I’d like to be able to say that I couldn’t care less that we’re accused of being cheats and beneficiaries of bias but, alongside the off-the-field stuff that has recently cast us in a bad light, I DO care. I doubt that I’m alone.

monty_radio added 10:11 - Apr 20 I suggest that anti- Town rhetoric stems from the fact that opposing managers have often bleated both before and after games about our supposed vast spending, conveniently ignoring the band of L1 brothers that started our rise. Most neutrals feel the same about Man City, just as they used to about Chelsea until others caught up.
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Jugsy added 10:19 - Apr 20 Re the spending of teams, it's particularly odd that no-one points out that Southampton have yo-yo'd, benefitting from parachute payments twice and what was previously an established Prem line-up (same with Leicester), yet it is Ipswich who are the 'baddies' of the league because we just so happen to be fighting at our weight class.
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55015Deltic added 10:43 - Apr 20 Really like Middlesbrough lovely Club with great fans. Would love to see them go up if we don't. Southampton are the best footballing Team though at present with Boro' injuries........
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armchaircritic59 added 19:43 - Apr 20 Part of it is undoubtably " Parachute Payment Syndrome ". Funny how clubs get fans from other clubs support when they try and mix it with the " big boys " as a second club. Funny how that quickly disappears when they come back down to the league supporters of any team play in next time. Hypocrits in action. A lot of it is just jealousy too. As they see it, very well run club, good, stable owners, pots of money in back pocket, what's not to suddenly hate? Add into the mix bent referees that we undoubtedly influence and there you have a perfect brew. Personally I think they should all get a life as it appears they need one, but as I love nothing better than annoying idiots, I hope they continue being knucklescrapers, so we can continue to laugh at their expense. Maybe they should take a leaf out of KIm Hellberg's book instead, who seems a very smart cookie and an extremely promising young manager.

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Saxonblue74 added 22:07 - Apr 20 Stoke, Leicester and a 3 game ban for Davis for a "hair pull"? Not seeing a lot of bias. Regarding our players going to ground to easily, all clubs are guilty at times. I do think that someone has had a word in Ivan Azon's ear as he is staying upright much more often than not, and a much better player for doing so.
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StowTractor added 16:00 - Apr 22 I guess we are now experiencing what the Leeds fans did 2 seasons ago.... Jugsy I had a debate on Twitter the other day with a Nodge or Millwall fan who confidently asserted that this Town team cost more to assemble than the Leeds, Leicester and Saints teams of 2023/4 which is absolute garbage as they were assembled Over several PL seasons.
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tractorboybig added 17:51 - Apr 22 When you spend us much money as us to buy promotion you will be resented
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armchaircritic59 added 18:41 - Apr 22 StowTractor, that is most certainly true, but it doesn't take away from the fact that if money did indeed talk, both us and Southampton would already be on the beach, planning a PL campaign. Money should talk if it's spent wisely. I don't need to add anything else.
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StowTractor added 09:06 - Apr 23 Well Armchair the team with the biggest spend on wages are now preparing for life in League One. So although we could have spent our money more wisely, particularly on a striker (or 2!!!) to replace Delap, at least we haven't thrown it away totally. And the money spent in players like McAteer & Furlong is now starting to bear fruit.
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flykickingbybgunn added 10:25 - Apr 23 Without getting drawn into the whole money thing above. I also have been looking at others forums (fora?). All I get off most of them is the taste of sour grapes.
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KBsSocks added 00:33 - Apr 24 We care, that's in our blood. Objectively and individually, such accusations are not unfounded; but can be countered overall (that is, when the full picture of all decisions are taken into account). Some antipathy has come from success and the riches that brings, but I also feel a little might have come from the Deportman Road nonsense. But if we play open, expansive, entertaining football fans will come around. Our away support is extremely important also.

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jas1972 added 16:08 - Apr 27 Interesting. Looking on the BBC at textc commeents during play I thought that I might be paranoid. However, more careful obdervation shows quite a few comments from other team supporters, not necessarily of our opponents on the day, I saw quite a few comments on the lines of "I don't care who goes up so long as it's not Ipswich", "Ipswich have got the ref on side again" and even " I XXXhate Ipswich". I don't understand what has provoked this.

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