Two weeks into the new season and you’d be forgiven for feeling a little flat. Town haven’t hit their stride, but flashes of excellence have been showcased within the mire of individual errors. It’s easy to reflect on Town’s opening four games (excluding the cup, as everyone seems to nowadays) with a sense of frustration, but there has been one bright light within a tide of flickers… Macauley Bonne.
The phrase ‘local hero’ is often overplayed in football. The romanticism that surrounds the notion has become another overused catchphrase, just like ‘wonderkid’ and ‘one of our own’. Every club strives to posses a local hero, but only a small number can claim to carry such a star. Sheffield United have Billy Sharp, West Ham have Mark Noble and Tottenham – at least for now – have Harry Kane. Whilst the likes of Luke Chambers and Bartosz Bialkowski have immersed themselves within the sporting community in Suffolk, Town have always been crying out for that missing piece: someone who truly understands what we go through on a Saturday afternoon and Tuesday evening.
Whilst the gap between footballer and fan may be widening with every passing season, Macauley Bonne is a man that embodies the essence of the game. A role-model to academy players, Bonne’s journey through the game sets a wonderful precedent to any youngster who finds themselves looking for a club. From Colchester to Leyton Orient, from Charlton to QPR, Bonne’s love for Ipswich has never faded, making his return to Suffolk – and subsequent fast start to the campaign – all the more fitting.
Stuart Watson of the East Anglian Daily Times published an interview with Bonne at the end of July (FULL ARTICLE HERE: https://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/ipswich-town/bonne-on-being-an-itfc-fan-8170010) , in which the 25-year-old spoke about his childhood supporting Town. ‘I support Ipswich, I’m a Town fan. It’s the town I grew up in, it’s the team I played for as a kid and it’s all the history I know.‘ During a period in the club’s history through which Town fans have been bereft of a hero, the arrival of Macauley Bonne is everything we could have wanted. Whilst he may not be Town’s most technically gifted player, it is plainly clear that if every player performed with the same passion as Bonne, we wouldn’t be talking about four league games without a win.
That isn’t a slight on the other players in Town’s squad, more of a nod to a man who is living the dream. As Town fans, we’d all want nothing more than to be pulling on the shirt and scoring goals in front of packed stands at Portman Road; in fact, we live vicariously through a man that is sure to provide many more moments of joy moving forward.
It is rather fitting that Bonne’s homecoming has coincided with the most exciting summer in recent history for the club. After a tough season at Loftus Road, Bonne has come back to Portman Road and made himself an instant hero. You just have to take a look at his comments after the MK Dons match to understand that he – just like every fan – yearns for this club to take steps forward.
As a Chantry lad who grew up watching the Town and idolising Darren Bent, Macauley Bonne is representative of everything this new era should be. I highly doubt Mark Ashton and Paul Cook had much trouble selling the club to Macauley, as he already knows the lure of the area. As a club, we have to harness those values of top players and do all we can to embed them into the team. We all want to see wins, but we also want to see players that give 200% every time they represent the Suffolk blue. I was pretty gutted after the MK Dons game, but I was proud to have watched a player who gave his all for the club; a massive detachment from the lifeless and passionless passengers that were on show 12 months prior.
Football is about pride and passion, and we can consider ourselves lucky to have a player that feels those emotions as well. Town’s number 18 vowed to make up for his miss against Cheltenham and his man of the match showing against MK Dons did just that. In a time where ‘running towards adversity’ is pushed throughout the club, Macauley Bonne embodies that ethos whilst reflecting the beliefs of the Town.
Personally, based on his performances over the first four games, I would be handing Macauley the armband for this weekend’s bout against Wimbledon, as he has shown himself more than worthy of the captaincy role. Some may argue that he’s only a loan player… but I’m sure we can do something about that…
Thank you for taking the time to read my column. If you enjoyed, feel free to share it around. I’ll see you soon!
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