Forty years on Ipswich Town's European glory remembered

Click here to hear former ITV Anglia Sports Correspondent Stuart Jarrold sharing his memories of the 1981 UEFA Cup final with Donovan Blake

Click here to watch "Toast of the Town" the Anglia TV special to mark Ipswich Town's famous 1981 UEFA Cup victory

Forty years ago this month Ipswich Town became part of a pretty exclusive club in English football as they covered themselves in European glory.

As Manchester United get ready to face Villareal in the Europa League final older supporters will be casting their minds back, to when football was a simpler game when all the club cup tournaments were knock-out, so practically every glorious European night under the floodlights saw something at stake.

It also meant clubs that can only now dream of that sort of success had a chance of winning. Ipswich Town took that chance in 1981 winning the UEFA Cup.

A packed house saw them beat AZ 67 3-0 in the first leg of the final at Portman Road. Anyone who that was job done were in for a nervous ninety minutes in the return in Holland. It finished 4-2 to AZ but thankfully Town were able to keep their heads and when the final whistle blew they had won 5-4 on aggregate.

Thousands crammed into the centre of Ipswich to greet their heroes- now legends such as John Wark Mick Mills Paul Mariner Eric Gates and of course the manager Bobby Robson.

It became a day never to be forgotten, part of Ipswich folklore a wonderful memory for those who were there to share with the generations born since that incredible feat.

Will it can it ever happen again? who knows as someone once said "Football's a funny old game"