IPSWICH Town skipper Carlos Edwards has called upon the club’s supporters to raise the noise levels at home – just as they have done on the road.
Attendances at Portman Road have steadily dropped over the last decade from an average of 25,351 in 2002/03 to 17,271 last season, with an official figure of just 16,434 recorded for the most recent 2-1 loss to Cardiff City.
Nearly 1,500 fans were at Vicarage Road to witness Town’s 1-0 midweek win at Watford towards the start of the season though, while more than 500 were at Oakwell for the 1-1 draw against Barnsley at the start of this month.
And despite the Blues being just a point off the foot of the Championship table, a strong away following is expected at the KC Stadium on Saturday as Paul Jewell’s side – set to include new signings Nigel Reo-Coker and Stephen Henderson – take on Hull City.
“We get great support away and I don’t see why we can’t have great support at home,” said Edwards.
“To be fair, the fans should know how important they are to us. Some might say the players need to give them that extra spark, but I don’t think we should need to give them that extra spark.
“We do appreciate the crowd. Some of the players don’t walk over to the fans after the game, but it’s not because we don’t want to, it’s because we are maybe upset at the result. Sometimes, after a poor performance, the last thing you want to do is go over to the supporters.
“I hope that they can be a little bit more patient because there is still a long way to go this season.”
Town’s last league win on home turf came back on March 31 – a 1-0 victory over Barnsley – with five defeats and three draws having followed since then. The Blues are set to host Derby and Sheffield Wednesday – two of Jewell’s former clubs – on Tuesday and Saturday respectively next week.