The 'tractor boys' as they call themselves justifiably came to Stamford Bridge looking to improve on their impressive away record, something that has let Chelsea down all season. Chelsea, however, had other ideas. After looking like they were to snatch their first away victory of the season at Portman Road only a couple of weeks ago, Chelsea suffered a spirited fightback from the Suffolkers (careful how you say that) and had to settle for a draw. This time vengeance belonged to the home side, and as we all know, revenge is best served cold. So it was fitting that Ipswich suffered their heaviest defeat of the campaign so far in a corner of west London on one of the most bitterly cold days of the year.

Things did not get off to a good start; Ipswich were one up before we knew where we were. Their famed away form was making good and the thought did cross my mind that we could be humiliated by a bunch of illiterate country bumpkins. This would have been even worse today because my companion for todays match was Tania's brother who was over on a visit from New Zealand, hardly a good impression to take back is it? The early goal proved to be Ipswich's undoing; Chelsea was a wounded animal now and that's when they are the most dangerous. Just before half time the equaliser went in and then it was all over, floodgates were switched to open.

The tractor boy posse had been given the whole of the east stand lower tier, which I was more than a little impressed with, this is usually only given to the big boys and Tottenham. I suppose they didn't have far to come, although the majority set off yesterday in a convoy of tractors with big haywains tagged on for good luck. They were dead noisy buggers too - they never shut up, well, except for when we scored four times. Chants of "Where are Chelsea in the league?" were not well received, let's face it, their situation is an anomoly at the moment and it will sort itself out to one more palatable to the rest us.

They followed that with the novel and always hilarious chant of "Engerland, Engerland!". That is one chant that really naffs me off, call me intellectual if you like, but is that not positive discrimination or some weird inverted racism ? Am I to take it that the supermarkets of Suffolk only stock english foods and that pissy country manor wine? Do their kids not learn foreign languages at school? Do they never venture abroad on holiday? Do they know what the global community is? Do they know it's Christmas time at all? No! We know for certain thet there will not be a 'yes' vote to the euro cast in Suffolk.

All that apart, what can the secret of Ipswich's success be this season? The team seems to gel together really well and they almost had some mystical synergy working for them. I can only attribute their success to an interbreeding programme set up by George Burley. Years upon years of parents finally having the guts to demand that their young son make an honest woman out of his sister so the family could hold it's heads high once more. Well this time the tractor got a puncture - oh dear - who will do the muckspreading now?