Footballer steps in to buy supporter a new drum

Nathan Parris said he was "gutted" when his drum broke during Tuesday night's game

A footballer and his club have come forward to buy two new drums for a supporter whose floor tom broke during a frenzied goal celebration at a League match.

A leg of Nathan Parris' beloved drum snapped and the rest of it was damaged when Ipswich Town fans "erupted" as Nathan Broadhead scored a 84th-minute penalty to beat Port Vale 2-1 on Tuesday, he said.

The Tractor Boys fan can be regularly heard banging his drum at Ipswich matches.

He said that after appealing for help on Twitter, Town's Harry Clarke contacted him, as well as the club itself, and the new drum will be going to Saturday's match at Peterborough.

Ipswich signed Harry Clarke for an undisclosed fee from Arsenal in January

Ipswich are second in the League One table and fighting for automatic promotion to the Championship.

Mr Parris told BBC Radio Suffolk that "Portman Road just erupted" after the late winner against Port Vale in front of a crowd of 27,696.

"I went crazy and fans around me went mental and the drum sort of broke," he said.

He said he appealed on Twitter for a replacement, as he had permission to take it to the next game at Peterborough, and he received a message from the defender.

"He's done wonders; he's helped me out... contributed towards a new one which has been purchased," he said.

"It's not something he had to do; it's done off his own bat; it's just wonderful really; there will be a drum ready for Saturday."

Nathan Parris, and his old drum, with Ipswich Town chairman Michael O'Leary

Marcus Nash, Town's director of media and communications, it was a "no brainer" for the club to make the purchase.

"Nathan comes to every game and generates an atmosphere that our supporters love," he said.

"Harry's just an absolute diamond; the rest of the squad are the same... the kindness like this underscores a strong sense of community and camaraderie that exists in the club right now, from the top down.

"Harry is just a fine example of the kind of person we want at Ipswich Town Football Club."

Nathan has a tattoo of a drum and the Ipswich Town club badge on his arm

Clarke moved back to Ipswich more than seven years after he left the club as a youth player to join Arsenal.

Mr Nash said about 4,000 fans, and the new drum, were due to travel to Peterborough, with the Cambridgeshire club currently in fifth place and in the play-off places.