Ipswich Town fan visits her 90th ground to watch her team

Angela Howarth has supported Ipswich at stadia in Russia, Sweden and the Netherlands

An Ipswich Town fan has reached the milestone of following her "beloved" club to 90 different grounds.

Angela Howarth was spotted with a banner by a Sky Sports television camera during Ipswich's 2-2 draw with Rotherham at the New York stadium on Tuesday.

Since her first Town game in 1975, she has followed the team to Russia, Italy and the Netherlands.

She also first met her husband Simon in the away section at Millwall in 1987.

Angela and her husband Simon Stanmore (pictured at Derby County) met in the away stand at Millwall in 1987 and have been going to matches together ever since

In that first match, she was hooked after seeing Sir Bobby Robson's side beat Feyenoord 2-0 at Portman Road in the Uefa Cup.

"I would go with my dad, we'd stand in Churchman's [now the Sir Alf Ramsey stand]," she said.

"My first away game was one of my favourite games, and favourite grounds - Highbury in the semi-final of the FA Cup in 1978 against West Brom.

"That lives in my memory as one of the most amazing games I've ever seen in the 47 years of supporting the club."

From Russia with love: Angela Howarth went to Moscow when Town fans were met at the airport by "1,000 armed soldiers" before playing Torpedo Moscow

Visiting Fleetwood Town's Highbury ground during the 2022-23 season, she made a request to Town's Welsh international Wes Burns

Mrs Howarth, who lives in Colchester, has battled conditions such as "knee deep mud" in Bracknell to Russian military patrols when Ipswich travelled to Torpedo Moscow in 2001.

"When we landed, there were armed Russian guards under the aircraft. There was 1,000 town fans, equally met by 1,000 armed Russian soldiers. They looked bemused as to why they have been drafted in to rally up well-behaved Town fans," she said.

She has also seen Town at Inter Milan, Helsingborg and Ajax.

'Disappointed by Anfield'

"My favourite grounds back here are in the North East. I absolutely love Newcastle and Sunderland away. I was most disappointed when I went to Anfield. The Kop wasn't as big as I thought," she said.

Mrs Howarth usually attends matches with her husband Simon Stanmore, who she met in the away section at Millwall in 1987.

"A fight broke out, so I moved away and stood with what turned out to be my husband. We got chatting, saw him again the next game away at Hull. The rest is history."

• How a town was bewitched by the magic of the FA Cup

• The footballers who made a cult classic movie

• Ed Sheeran celebrates Town win after pulling pints

Ipswich Town are second in the Championship, but Mrs Haworth hopes to see further new grounds in the Premier League next season.

"We've got the squad, strength, the leader [manager Kieran McKenna] and we've certainly got the support. We can do this," she said.

"I haven't been to all the newly-built Premier League grounds, hopefully I can hit 100.

"Factoring family, being a full-time teacher, I've fitted a lot in the last 40-odd years. I'm glad I made that banner."

Angela with Town legend Terry Butcher (left), and she did get to meet Wes Burns, at Bracknell Town, but said she did not get his shirt