T-shirt blunder sees US man become Ipswich fan

A US man who accidentally became an Ipswich Town fan when a T-shirt order went wrong said he planned to follow their Premier League journey after an "incredible" run to promotion.

Just before Christmas, Zach Peterson, 40, from Lincoln, Nebraska, ordered a Chicago Bears American football themed T-shirt for a colleague.

But when it arrived in the post, he was instead greeted with an Ipswich Town top, leaving him confused and frustrated.

However, after doing some online research about the team, he became engrossed in their chase to the top flight - and he now plans to cheer on the club from more than 4,000 miles (6,400km) away.

Explaining how the mix-up came about, Peterson said: "My co-worker, Tauna, is a big Chicago Bears fan, so I decided to get a T-shirt representing her favourite player, Colston Loveland, as a Christmas present.

"The package arrived just in time for me to gift it right before Christmas, but when I opened it, I found the Ipswich Town FC T-shirt.

"Honestly, my immediate reaction was frustration, because I knew that there was absolutely no way that the replacement would arrive before Christmas.

"But the seller let me keep the Ipswich Town FC [top], so I just kind of shrugged my shoulders and thought to myself, 'It is what it is'."

Peterson had some knowledge of English football but only of the bigger clubs, so he started to look into Ipswich Town.

He watched the team's recent promotion and described it as an "incredible achievement".

"Here in the States, we don't have any sports leagues with a promotion-relegation system, though the United Soccer League is preparing to transition to this model," he continued.

"To be perfectly honest, I initially didn't realise how significant of an achievement it [promotion] was, but then I saw the fans storming the pitch at Portman Road after the final match of the season, and also saw highlights from the club's parade.

"You could tell just how much it meant to everyone. I can only imagine what the atmosphere was like."

Peterson said when he was learning about Ipswich "it was a bit like looking into a mirror" with his local American football team, the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

"They've got that Tractor Boys nickname, and coming from a big agricultural state like Nebraska, that immediately clicked.

"It's a blue-collar, hardworking identity that isn't trying to be something it's not.

"When I was watching [the pitch celebrations and parade highlights], it was obvious to me just how much that club means to the people over there.

"I can definitely identify with that level of passion and loyalty."

He also recently wore his Town top to a family birthday party, which led to many questions and him being able to share the club more widely.

Asked if he would be flying across the pond to watch a match next season, Peterson said he was not sure, but would not turn down the opportunity if it did arise.

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