Ipswich Town and Kieran McKenna have done the impossible. They have become the first team after Southampton 12 years ago to gain successive promotions from League One to the Premier League. The “Tractor Boys” are the toast of the English football league and a feel-good story in the increasingly capitalistic game.
But, how does a nickname like “Tractor Boys” attach itself to such a Cinderella story? Turns out, that nickname sums up everything nice about the town of Ipswich, its people, and the values that have helped them see this glorious day.
The nickname Tractor Boys comes from their agricultural heritage. The town of Ipswich is not flashy. In fact, it is one of the most understated and austere towns in the United Kingdom. Hailing from Suffolk, the most common occupation there historically used to be related to farming. This nickname then, Tractor Boys, stuck as a self-deprecating humour by the club fans.
They took the “insults” and banter about being called farmers/tractor drivers/tractor boys and embraced it to ultimately make it their own. There are multiple origin stories of this nickname. During an away game at Birmingham in the 1998/99 season, Ipswich Town were losing when the home fans started ribbing them by chanting “No noise from the tractor boys”.
Their spell in the Premier League at the turn of the century brought even more publicity to this nickname. At the time, “1-0 to the Tractor Boys” became an ironic chant to sum up their fortunes in the top division. It has remained ever since, but the fans making it their own has almost made it a rallying cry now.
The nickname is so popular it has bled into the competitive culture as well. Their derby with Norwich City, their Suffolk rivals, has often been called “Old Farm Derby”, a humorous wordplay on the term “Old Firm Derby” played between Celtics and Rangers. Again, the “Farm” comes from Suffolk’s agricultural heritage.
So, there you have it. Get ready to hear the term “Tractor Boys” a lot more next season when Kieran McKenna and his miracle men arrive on the big scene armed with their history and heritage to upset a giant or two!
