Fan's hunt for fellow Tractor Boys in Nashville
SuppliedAn Ipswich Town fan who lives more than 4,000 miles away from Portman Road is hoping to create a supporters' group in his US home town.
Marc Ardisson, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, became a Town supporter 22 years ago after meeting an Ipswich family during a holiday in Orlando, Florida.
His love for the club has grown since Ipswich's 2024-25 Premier League campaign, and he is now known as the Nashville Tractor Boy.
Ardisson wants to build a Blue Army in his home town with a pub where they can watch Premier League matches as the club prepares for life back in the top flight.
In August 2004, Ardisson was on holiday in Orlando with his family when they met an Ipswich family around the hotel pool.
A few days later, Hurricane Charley hit and the two families sheltered together. Ardisson said a "great relationship" formed and he learned about Town.
PA MediaHe continued to follow the Tractor Boys over the years with a visit to Ipswich in 2012, and more recently when he was able to watch his team away at Crystal Palace in 2024.
He added that his bucket list now included watching a game at Portman Road, but he really wanted to find other Town fans in Nashville.
"It really all started two years ago when it was fun and exciting to finally be up in the Premier League," he told BBC Radio Suffolk's Wayne Bavin.
"I'm watching matches with my mates who are supporters of other Prem clubs, and this year I just said, 'Hey, I really want to try and watch some matches with Ipswich fans'.
"So that's what I'm on a mission to do... find those fans here in Nashville and find a place for us to call our own, and really just have a lot of fun this season."
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He set up a TikTok page to find other supporters, and one of his videos has reached nearly 100,000 people.
So far he has found three Ipswich fans in Nashville, but needs five people with Town memberships so he can apply to become an official Ipswich Town Football Club supporters' club.
Ardisson is planning a watch party on Saturday at 09:00 local time (15:00 BST) for the Tractor Boys' first game of the season against Sunderland.
"I just really appreciate the connection with the Ipswich community, and it really does prove that football does bring us all together," he said.
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