A Sky Sports pundit who faced criticism from an Ipswich Town player during their boozy promotion celebrations has hit back at the star.
Ipswich were celebrating back-to-back promotions earlier this week after they booked their place in next season’s Premier League on the last day of the Championship season when defender Luke Woolfenden took to the microphone.
He took aim at Sky pundit Don Goodman, who features regularly on the broadcaster’s Football League coverage, including Championship games.
Woolfenden said, in unedited footage broadcast by Sky: ‘I’ll have to sit for six weeks now, and listen to Don Goodman tell us we’re not good enough for the Prem like we did in the Champ. We’re still going to finish mid-table, Don, but don’t worry about it.’
Goodman, however, speaking via OLBG, was left puzzled by the 25-year-old’s comments, and bashed him for his words during the club’s open-top bus parade.
A Sky Sports pundit who was slammed by an Ipswich player at the club’s open-top bus parade has hit back
The pundit was blasted by one member of the new Premier League side in a Sky broadcast
Don Goodman, however, has branded the player ‘immature’ and challenged him to prove his point
‘Paul Gilmore, the Sky reporter, called me to warn that it happened and had gone out unedited on Sky News when it wasn’t supposed to,’ Goodman said. ‘It was really kind of Paul but I was very surprised, to be honest.
‘I’ve been nothing but complimentary about Ipswich Town from the moment they beat Sunderland on the opening day up until their promotion was confirmed.
‘It just seems like Luke Woolfenden has a problem with me rather than anyone else at the club. I’m going to be a grown-up about it, but unfortunately Luke has been a little immature.
‘The only other thing I can think of that Luke may have taken personally was my observation reference what it usually takes from a defensive perspective to get into the top 2 of the Championship.
‘They had conceded a lot of goals compared to the likes of Leicester City and Leeds United and it’s a fact that across the last 10 years and 20 automatically-promoted teams, there has not been a side which has conceded more than Ipswich’s 57 goals. That is a fact.
‘I can only imagine being a defender, that’s where Luke has taken it personally. I genuinely can’t think of anything else.’
Woolfenden continued his rant, which took place prior to later celebrations with Town fan Ed Sheeran, adding: ‘This group can do whatever we want, man. We’ve worked so hard. It will get better when we have a moment’s silence for Don Goodman.’
‘I think he’ll be absolutely gutted that we got promoted. He’s been calling us c*** all season.’
Luke Woolfenden said on the bus that he will ‘have to listen to Don Goodman tell us we’re not good enough for the Prem’
Thousands of fans took to the streets of Ipswich to celebrate their club’s return to the top flight
The defender received a loud cheer from the crowd in attendance, and Goodman revealed that he had received ‘dog’s abuse’ while at Carrow Road for Ipswich’s derby game against Norwich earlier this season.
‘Perhaps it was me saying before the derby game that Norwich could beat Ipswich at Carrow Road if they “brought their A-game”,’ Goodman added. ‘I then got dog’s abuse while walking through Ipswich fans at Carrow Road and that wasn’t pleasant.
‘All for saying what to most football fans, with Norwich being at home, something that probably made sense. To have hundreds of people booing you, calling your names, a few getting in your face, being very personable and making horrible comments, was not pleasant.
‘If Luke can find any footage where, quoting him, I’ve called them “c*** all season’ he needs to dig it out and show me. In fact, I don’t think I would have kept my job with Sky Sports if I was calling Ipswich “c*** all season”.
‘I don’t know what Luke has heard or seen but I feel really sad that on the biggest and best day of his footballing life, he’s thinking about me. Go and celebrate with your friends and family, you have just achieved the most incredible thing. Unfortunately, I feel sad that Luke has got me on his brain even though I’ve praised them all season long.
‘If someone wants to call me out in such a public way in front of thousands of fans, I need to address it. There’s no bitterness in the slightest from me and I genuinely wish them all the best next season. I have nothing but admiration for everyone at the football club.’
Goodman also suggested that they should look to improve their defence – Woolfenden’s position – if they are to succeed in the Premier League
Turning back to the day job, Goodman went onto pick out the area he feels Ipswich need to improve ahead of their long-awaited return to the Premier League.
The Tractor Boys will be up against it in their first top-flight campaign since 2002, but can learn lessons from the seasons of Sheffield United, Burnley, and Luton in looking to improve in Woolfenden’s area of the pitch, Goodman claimed.
‘It surprises me that, and I’m not talking about Ipswich Town, but promoted teams in general tend to spend large amounts of their money on strikers, number 10s and wide players,’ he said. ‘The first area promoted teams should look to solidify is the defence. It’s important that nobody takes this as a dig at Ipswich.
‘Sheffield United have conceded 100 goals. Luton have conceded 78 and Burnley 74. There is no team anywhere close to those numbers and there are several players in those teams who were defending successfully last season.
‘Anyone with half a brain can understand why that is the case. The teams promoted to the Premier League will be up against most of the best attackers in the world.’
