First published 2009 on the Suffolk Sports Forum | Rewritten May 2025 by Verso
Hark now hear the Ipswich sing,
Norwich ran away,
And we will fight forevermore,
Because of Boxing Day.
Still sung with pride (or irritation) at Portman Road and Carrow Road, this terrace chant captures the spirit of one of English football’s fiercest local rivalries—Ipswich Town vs. Norwich City. But here’s the kicker: the two clubs haven’t actually met on Boxing Day since 1980.
Yes, it’s been nearly five decades since the last festive derby. And yet, the chant lives on—loud, proud, and, depending on your mood, entirely absurd.
Boxing Day Clashes: Rare But Revered
Despite its mythic status, the Boxing Day fixture between East Anglia’s biggest clubs has only happened seven times in history. Here’s a breakdown of those meetings:
| Season | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1951/52 | Norwich 2–0 Ipswich | Portman Road |
| 1960/61 | Ipswich 3–0 Norwich | Carrow Road |
| 1973/74 | Ipswich 2–1 Norwich | Carrow Road |
| 1977/78 | Norwich 1–0 Ipswich | Carrow Road |
| 1978/79 | Ipswich 1–1 Norwich | Portman Road |
| 1979/80 | Norwich 3–3 Ipswich | Carrow Road |
| 1980/81 | Ipswich 2–0 Norwich | Portman Road |
That last match—Ipswich’s 2–0 win in 1980—was the final Boxing Day derby to date.
A Chant That Outlasted the Fixture
So why does a song about a nearly extinct fixture still echo across Suffolk and Norfolk?
Because it’s not really about Boxing Day. It’s about tradition, identity, and ritual. It’s about remembering a time when both clubs fought for top-tier honours, when a holiday fixture meant something, and when the rivalry felt visceral—not just geographical.
Is it outdated? Possibly. Nonsensical? Absolutely. But football chants aren’t written for accuracy—they’re built on emotion, folklore, and a bit of tribal nonsense.
Confession Time
I’ll be honest—I hate it. It winds me up. Not because of the sentiment, but because it clings to something that hasn’t happened since long before many fans were even born. But I get it. It connects generations. It’s a shared cultural artefact.
And let’s face it: “Because of a League Cup quarter-final in 2003” doesn’t have the same ring to it.
