I have just watched Countryfile on BBC1 which this week comes from our beautiful county of Suffolk. The one thing that I enjoyed the most was watching the beautiful, majestic and iconic Suffolk Punch Horses working the land as they have done for generations. Sadly this wonderful animal that is a symbol of our county, and it's proud agricultural heritage, has become an endangered species with only 500 pairs left in existance! This awesome animal that proudly stands on our Club Badge desperately needs our help to survive for future generations of our children to witness. It is a very sad and cruel irony that we are now known as 'The Tractor Boys' (something I have grown to despise by the way) when it is the Tractor that has driven this wonderful animal to the very brink of extinction! I would hate to see the Suffolk Punch replaced on our club crest by a fecking Tractor! This may not be something that you care about too much but for me the Suffolk Punch is an iconic symbol unique to our County and we must do everything we can to support these great beasts that have been working the land in Suffolk for generations. I felt quite emotional after learning about the demise of this great working horse!
Calm down Mr Wark. I remember reading or watching something recently about them being adopted in Texas fairly recently where they now work the land. A quick scout on the internet will tell you that their numbers are increasing. I don't think we could expect these horses' numbers to ever explode in the UK. But they are a magnificent animal and it's no coincidence my company is named in their honour
I remember my Dad (god rest him) taking me to Easton Park Farm back in the early 1970s when I first clapped eyes on these big mighty animals dressed in all their finery as they pulled a plough. As a Six year old these animals looked huge but they were ever so placid and we were allowed to pat and stroke them. On the subject of our adopted nickname "Tractorboys" quite frankly I hate this nickname as it is just condesending nonsense! I much prefer Superblues! Given the choice between a mighty and poweful Shire Horse and a flipping Budgie I think we got much the better deal!
I'm afraid we all get used to the fact that the planet will probably survive but change and many of the species we take for granted will be lost and replaced with new ones. The loss of the red squirrel and invasion of the False Widows are just a couple of many examples. When you put it in that context a species with such a niche as the Suffolk Punch has probably got no chance of being round in a hundred years from now.
That doesn't mean that we should just shrug our shoulders and go Oh Well never mind! These animals are worth the time and effort in preserving for future generations.
Favourites of farmers and knights alike I would hate to see the Suffolk Punch die out. I'm with you on the tractor boy moniker, it bugs me too, although I've gotten used to it now. I believe it was started by a journalist as part of an article headline or something and it ended up sticking.
I remember being at PR (around 2000) and (Villa?) fans we're calling us "Tractor Boys" in some of their chants, which was the first time I heard it. I seem to remember it really stuck when Magic was in charge as I remember him saying how much he hated it.... but it had probably been lingering around us for some time. As for the nickname, I can think of worse and don't mind it too much The way that football is going and clubs taking on their nicknames for branding purposes i.e. 'Hull Tigers' there would be some interesting ones and 'Ipswich Tractor Boys' probably wouldn't be the greatest of them
The tractor boys took off when we were in Europe under Burley. It was a tabloid thing but then for some inexplicable reason the Star started using it, the club started selling merch with it on and that was that.
I was living in Portsmouth at the time and I vividly remember thinking, wtf? Where the hell did that come from? And then even more shocked that it wasn't just the papers but our own adopting it.
Sorry boys but you are all wrong! It was first chanted by Birmingham City supporters when we played them at St Andrews back in 1999! Then some Ipswich Buerk decided that it would be a great idea if we kept the name!
No it was definitely against Arsenal, the year we returned to the Premier league. The Arsenal fans kept taunting Ipswich by singing,'No noise from the tractor boys' then not too long later, Marcus Stewart put us in front. The Ipswich supporters retorted with 'One nil to the tractor boys' Gospel
I'm pretty sure it started when Earl Soham Victoria which was mainly made up of Debenham lads got to the Carlsberg cup final at Wembley or Anfield in the late 90's early 00's, A bloke called Claude Chapman (RIP) started singing it and somehow it got transferred over to us, anybody that knew Claude will tell you he is a legend in the area and there are quite a few stories about him. I basically hate the bloody title, but i think it is here to stay.
+1 for Truth Seeker's take on it.I remember it started out as an ironic chant in response to the "I can't read I can't write" chant.ie we may be feckin yokels but we're beating you!
However it came about I fecking Hate It! It was funny the first couple of times I grant you but it should have been kept as a joke and not kept as a label! Every time a stranger asks me which team I support....Ipswich I say... and when they smirk back "Ah you're a Tractorboy!" I just feel like kicking the living 5hite out of them! Hate it! Hate it! Hate it!
totally agree with this, I was brought up in a village, doesn't mean we all drive a ****ing tractor. Used to love it playing football when the teams from ipswich came over, you could put your house on one ****er making some crack about the countryside and we made them look silly.
You might want to give these guys a look Warky.! http://www.angerplanet.co.uk/?gclid=CIaB3Jnz8LoCFUfkwgodOWAAzQ
Do anger and conflict rule your life? Your family? Your work? Yes Is your marriage/relationship breaking down? What marriage? Are you hurting yourself and those around you? Constantly, especially not606ers. Do you lose your temper with partner, children, colleagues? Are you in danger of losing them? Often, but then they are all arseholes. Are you stressed? Suffering from constant angry thoughts? God damn stupid charred pizza. Do you often regret your behaviour and its effect on others? Do you dislike yourself? No, screw 'em. Is everybody losing patience with you? That's a given (see the Marriott thread). Are you always holding your anger in? Is it bearable? I'm always holding my belly in, and that makes me angry.
