A look back at the fortunes of five East Anglian clubs

Glory Years From 1971, when Colchester beat Leeds, to 1993, when Norwich beat Bayern Munich, the east of England was a foot­ball hotspot. Unlike Ipswich’s freak 1962 title win – they went down two years later– success was widespread and lasting. Ipswich and Norwich won three cups between 1978 and 1985, and Town were twice league runners-up. Outside Ips­wich the peaks came later, when Cambridge (1992), Norwich (1993) and Peterborough (1993) all achieved their highest league position, City got to two FA Cup semis and Cam­bridge twice reached the sixth round. Even Colchester won the Con­ference and FA Trophy (1992), though admittedly they had to be relegated first.

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Peterborough have the money and the ground, Cambridge have reached greater heights on the pitch. Simon Knott surveys the state of rivalry in the fenlands

Down in the Fen country things are stirring, as Cambridgeshire’s two League clubs face up to the post-Bosman world. And about time. Just as Cambridge’s ground is an object of ridicule for Boro fans, so Peterborough’s lack of achievement raises a hearty guffaw down at the Abbey Stadium. Despite several solid cash injections over the years and aspirations in abundance, Posh have never been able to live their dreams, and it has been galling for Boro fans to witness Cambridge’s league and cup exploits over the past ten years or so. For the Cambridge faithful, the Abbey has been a cross to bear for longer than that. But planning permission for redevelopment has at last been obtained, and work should begin in the summer.

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As Ipswich revel in their role as the nation's sweethearts and Norwich flounder, Gavin Barber reflects on their sudden change of fortunes

What were you doing on August 22? If you are an Ips­­­wich fan, you were probably wat­ch­­­­­­­­­ing a thril­ling draw with Man­­­ches­ter United. If you sup­port Norwich, you were most likely searching for a rea­son to miss your team’s 0-0 draw with Bournemouth in the Worthington Cup. This stark illustration of the current disparity between the two teams didn’t go unnoticed by either set of supporters. Since then, of course, Ipswich’s astounding Premiership form and City’s further struggles have only made it more marked.

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Cris Freddi reviews the local tie which ended non-League Canvey Island's FA Cup hopes

“You can’t be serious about these shrimps.”

“We’re not, really…”

The Shrimpers Club bar. Some poor sod hobbling round the pitch in a pink prawn outfit, tail trailing in the mud. Who decided we needed cuddly toy mascots? Cyril the frigging swan. Dumber and dumb­er.

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The vioence at Africa's Champions League final was the climax of a troubled year. Alan Duncan fears little will change as a result

The reputation of African football suffered yet another knock following December’s ill-fated second leg of the Champions League final between Tunisian outfit Espérance de Tunis and Ghana’s Hearts of Oak, in the west African country’s capital, Accra. The match, the climax of the continental club cal­endar, degenerated into scenes of pandemonium with 18 minutes of the second half remaining when security forces responded to a hostile, missile-throwing faction of Ghanaian fans by firing teargas up into the stad­ium’s north stand, with one canister landing above the VIP enclosure.

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