Ipswich Town players poke fun at Leeds United and also call out Don Goodman during the club’s promotion parade celebrations live on Sky.
A large crowd of supporters congregated in the town to witness the bus pass through days after Kieran McKenna’s side triumphantly secured a return to the Premier League after a lengthy 22-year absence.
The Tractorboys beat Huddersfield 2-0 victory in the final game of the season on Saturday, with fans storming the pitch at Portman Road in celebration.
Continuing the jubilant festivities on Bank Holiday Monday, a grand open-top bus procession embarked from the stadium, through the town, and stops in Christchurch Park.
Manager Kieran McKenna and the players are to address loyal supporters on their open-top bus.
To ensure that fans can fully relish the parade, large screens was placed in Christchurch Park, allowing them to revel in the spectacle before witnessing the arrival of the players and staff.
This was shown live on Sky News and Sky Sports News, with players grabbing the Sky presenter’s mic and shout down it, as you can see below…
Leeds and Don Goodman rightly getting absolute pelters ???????? #itfc pic.twitter.com/3eCBLtQGlk
— mith (@mithtalksEFL) May 6, 2024
Love this from Woolfy! He’s right!! #ITFC pic.twitter.com/RlpOhqB3n4
— Matt Stannard (@mattstannard) May 6, 2024
If that doesn’t show you Leeds are favoured by SKY I’m not sure what will.
Can’t wait until he sees the whole thing was streamed
— ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????? (@IpswichCulture) May 6, 2024
#itfc ???????? https://t.co/BSVI0YwbJ4 pic.twitter.com/sTSw12G3T0
— Beran Harvey (P) (@Beran_ITFC) May 6, 2024
McKenna said after the game, per East Anglian Daily Times: “It’s a massive step up, there’s no doubt about it.
“It’s not something I want to think about too much today, but I know it’s a humungous step up in every department of the football club.
“It’s going to be a massive, massive challenge to even be competitive in the Premier League.
“We know there are some big, big challenges ahead, but they are challenges to look forward to, challenges to embrace.
“No-one externally thought we could get to this point. Those are things to look forward to, but they’re things to think about next week.
“This weekend is for revelling in what we’ve done so far.”
McKenna previously served as assistant boss at Manchester United, and will lok forward to a return there next season but with Ipswicg.
He said: “I’ve coached in the Champions League when I was 31/32, I’ve coached in the Premier League, been involved in those big games and it’s brilliant.
“You want to test yourself against the best clubs, the best teams, the best coaches. It’s going to be a great challenge to go and do that again.
“For me, my value comes in how I help the people around me, how I represent the football club that I’m working for, how I try and improve the team, the players and the club.
“Of course it’s going to be fantastic to have that challenge in the Premier League next year, but it’s been fantastic to have it this year in the Championship and it was fantastic to do it last year in League One too.”
He then said to Sky Sports during the parade: “It’s incredible. Honestly, I think it’s more than anyone could have imagined. It’s an incredible turnout and yeah, it’s amazing seeing so much joy.”
Interviewer: “How much do your players deserve this moment?”
KM: “No, I think everyone deserves it. I think the whole town deserves it. The players deserve it for how they’ve worked this year, last year. The club deserve it and I mean, supporters definitely deserve it, you know, to follow the club. So many of them follow the club loyally for so many years and been waiting for. For a glorious day like this and, yeah, they certainly deserve to enjoy it.
Interviewer: “Did you ever think it was possible to do the back to back? Did you believe deep down from the start of the season or has this come as a bit of a surprise?”
KM: “I don’t think it’s a surprise, but it’s… yeah, we didn’t set out with that goal, to be honest. We just set out to be as good as we could possibly be and play our football and try and win every match and, yeah, of course, the closer you get to the end, you know that you’re within reach of an amazing achievement and we’re just so glad that we managed to finish off well and, yeah, it’s amazing.”
Interviewer: “Thinking ahead, Axel told us, and Zebi has already told us that you’ve had a meeting looking ahead the next season already, even before the celebrations are finished. How do you get the dynamics right between what you’ve got at the moment and all that’s good about this squad and what you need next season?”
KM: “No, that’ll be the challenge. No doubt about it. We kept incredible a level of consistency from League one to the Championship in all aspects, really. Not just squad but playing style and our identity and we’re going to have to adapt again. There’s no doubt. It’s a massive jump up and we’ll try and keep the best things of all we have and the most important things that have helped us get here and of course try and bring them to a completely different level.”
Interviewer: “And for you personally, Kieran, when we talk about managers of Ipswich, you think Alf Ramsey, Bobby Robson, George Burley, the last time they were in the Premier League. What does it mean to be talked about in that company?”
KM: “No, I mean, so much. Its incredible to be. It’s incredible to be your manager at this football club from day one and, you know, on days like today, even more so. And, yeah, I know there’s, you know, a fantastic history to football clubs being some amazing managers who brought this club to the very highs of European football. And, you know, we’ve taken some steps forward. You know, we know we progressed a lot in a short space of time, but, you know, we still have, you know, a long way to go to be in those sort of, you know, those sort of companies. So, yeah, it’s fantastic, the journey we’re on. We’re so proud of what we’ve done, but, you know, hopefully there’s good days ahead for the club as well.”
Interviewer: “Just finally, before I let you go, what’s been your favourite moment of today so far?”
KM: “Well, we drove past my house and the wife and kids and my mum and dad came out on the street, so that was nice. But other than that, you know, the turnouts, honestly, is so much more than what any of us expected, so it’s just incredible seeing every single person, the joy on their faces. Each one’s something to cherish.”
“These supporters deserve it”
Kieran McKenna is loving every moment of the Ipswich promotion parade ???? pic.twitter.com/qdk2geDqV9
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) May 6, 2024
Twitter users reacted as Ipswich players poke fun at Leeds and call out Don Goodman during their promotion parade live on Sky…
@life_is_itfc: DON GOODMAN IS A WANKER
@AJWoody_3: Absolutely love this! Don Goodman tears taste so sweet! Clueless cunt #itfc Well done @lukewoolfenden
@Petieboy2013: Love it – up yours Don Goodman!
