Ipswich Town fan who 'prefers Accrington to Anfield' celebrates visiting 90th new away ground

  • Angela chats to ITV News Anglia's Andy Ward about her adventures following Ipswich Town

A football supporter who "fell in love" with her club after first going to watch them in 1975 has visited her 90th different away ground. 

Angela Howarth-Stanmore, 63, reached the milestone during Ipswich Town's recent trip to Rotherham United in the Championship. 

Her first Ipswich game was a 2-0 win over Feyenoord in the UEFA Cup in 1975, and she has been following them home and away ever since.

During that time, she's clocked up thousands of miles watching Town play at stadiums up and down the country, and headed abroad for matches in Russia, Italy and Sweden.

The recent trip to Rotherham was Angela's 90th new away ground. Credit: Angela Howarth-Stanmore

"I used to go to the evening games with my dad, and from that point I fell in love with Ipswich Town," she told ITV News Anglia.

"My favourite ground is the old Highbury, Arsenal's old ground. I went there for the FA Cup semi-final with my dad, and we beat West Brom 3-1. It was my first away game and still one of my favourite matches.

"In our great days with George Burley as manager, we got into the UEFA Cup again. First of all we went to Torpedo Moscow and we went over on an old army aircraft.

"We were escorted to the game by 1,000 armed Russian soldiers. There were 1,000 of us Town fans. It was an absolutely amazing experience."

Angela went out to Moscow to watch Ipswich play in the UEFA Cup in 2001. Credit: Angela Howarth-Stanmore

Angela, who lives in Alresford near Colchester, keeps track of all the stadiums she's visited by ticking them off in her copy of Simon Ingles' book The Football Grounds of England and Wales.

She has also kept the tickets from every match she's attended, as well as photos from her trips.

Angela now goes to games with her husband Simon Stanmore, who she met in the away end at Millwall in 1987.

"I used to travel on my own and I met him while being in the away end at the Old Den with the Ipswich fans," she reminisced.

"Two guys there were clearly Millwall fans and trying to pick a fight so I befriended a group of three Ipswich supporters and it turns out, some years later I married one of them, and that's Simon."

Angela met her husband at an Ipswich away game, and they have been going to matches together ever since. Credit: Angela Howarth-Stanmore

Cardiff and Swansea are now the only two clubs left in the Championship that Angela has never been to - stadiums she will be able to cross off her list when Town head to Wales twice early next year.

With Ipswich currently riding high in second place, a return to Premier League grounds  could be on the cards next season - a far cry from the club's recent four-year spell in League One.

For many, the prospect of watching their team at grounds like Anfield and Old Trafford would get the pulse racing, but Angela has a different perspective.

"I loved going to Accrington Stanley, they welcomed us. To go to Exeter, to go to Cheltenham, we wouldn't have gone to those grounds [had Ipswich not been in League One]. I know it's a hard one to take dropping down the leagues, but for me, that is where it opened up many new grounds," said Angela.

"I was disappointed when I went to Anfield previously. I had this image of the Kop. I was slightly disappointed. I really love the North East grounds, I love going to Newcastle, Sunderland - the fans make it."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know