Dozzell To Make Home Debut For Town!

After what has been a thoroughly miserable few months for Ipswich Town football club, we finally have some good news to report.

Manager Mick McCarthy said today that he would play Andre Dozzell from the start tomorrow night to the delight of the home faithful.

The 16-year-old scored on his debut on Saturday to earn the Blues a 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday, after coming off the bench at Hillsborough to steal a point for Town and only a string of excellent saves by Bartosz Bialkowski kept Town in it in the end.

The blues played reasonably well without seriously threatening before Dozzell entered the fray and scored a vital equalizer with his head midway through the second half.

Like father like son it has turned out to be because 32 years ago – way back in February 1984, Dozzell senior aged just 16 and 57 days, came off the bench to score in Town`s 3-1 home win over Coventry and he went on to to make 340 appearances for the blues over a ten year span before moving on to Tottenham Hotspur.

Could lightening strike twice? Well it already has I guess because at 16 years and 350 days, Dozzell junior came off the bench and played the whole of the second half and like his dad got a goal on his debut too!

The fact that Mick McCarthy has decided to play him tells us a number of things that perhaps we might not have otherwise known.

1. McCarthy has accepted we are not going to make the play-off’s.

2. It is time to give youth a chance!

3. He wants to get back onside with Ipswich Town fans.

You can hardly blame him for that I suppose and there is no better way of getting supporters off your back than playing a young local lad with a fine Town pedigree!

Jason senior summed up his emotions when his son came on and scored a goal. ‘It was an unbelievable day, so emotional – I still don`t think it has sunk in fully to be honest,’ he said.

The players feel that Andre has what it takes to go all the way in the game and Freddie Sears was especially enthusiastic, ‘For me it was a bonus, scoring on my debut, and it`s the same for Dozzer. He`ll be buzzing and everyone`s buzzing for him.’

Freddie was two years older when he scored on his debut for West Ham in the top flight of English football.

And we will leave the last word to his dad Jason. ‘I was an Ipswich supporter long before I played for the club and used to go to all the games home and away so to be back in the away end was special. Hearing the fans singing his name had the hairs on my neck standing up. I`m so proud.’

Frank Weston – editor of Vital Ipswich