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Ipswich Town F.C.

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Ipswich Town
Full nameIpswich Town Football Club
Nickname(s)The Blues, The Tractor Boys
Short nameIpswich
Founded1878; 146 years ago (1878) (as Ipswich A.F.C.)
GroundPortman Road
Capacity30,311[1]
OwnerGamechanger 20 Ltd.
ChairmanMike O'Leary
ManagerKieran McKenna
LeaguePremier league
2023–242nd of 24 (promoted)
WebsiteClub website

Ipswich Town Football Club (Ipswich Town) is an English football club. It is based in Ipswich, Suffolk County. The club was founded in 1878. The club's home stadium is Portman Road.

Ipswich Town currently play in the EFL Championship, having been promoted from the EFL League One in 2023, after 4 years in the division. The club has won the Football League First Division once, in 1962 and the FA Cup in 1978. They have also been successful in European football. They won the UEFA Cup in 1981 and remain undefeated at Home in UEFA competitions. The current chairman of the club is Mike O'Leary. The current manager is Kieran McKenna. Two of the club's previous managers, Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson, have gone on to manage the England national football team. George Burley went on to manage the Scotland national football team. Ipswich Town remains the only team since the 1800s to win the top tier of the English football league at the first attempt.

History

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Ipswich Town F.C. was started as an amateur team in 1878 and was called "Ipswich A.F.C."[2] The club played a lot of games in the local area and won several cup competitions.[3] In 1936, they became a professional club and joined a league called the "Southern League" which they won in their first season. In 1938, they were elected to join The Football League and played in "Division Three (South)" until the end of the 1954 season, when they were promoted to "Division Two".[4]

In 1961, Ipswich Town won their division and were promoted to the highest level of English football, "Division One". The club went on to win this division the next season. This let them play in European football competition, The European Cup the following season. Two years later, they were sent back to "Division Two" where they stayed for four years before being promoted to "Division One" again, in 1968. Soon after, Bobby Robson became the manager of the club and led them to success in both English and European football. In 1978 Ipswich won the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium, beating Arsenal F.C. 1–0. Further success came in 1981 when Ipswich defeated Dutch team AZ Alkmaar.[5]

Bobby Robson was asked to become manager of the England national football team in 1982 so he left the club. Ipswich did not do well in the following seasons and were relegated to "Division Two" in 1986. They remained here until 1991 when they won the division and promotion into the new English Premier League. Three seasons followed, including a 9–0 defeat by Manchester United F.C.in their last season, along with Crystal Palace's loss to Liverpool the joint biggest defeat in Premier League history.[6][7] In 1995 Ipswich were relegated once again and stayed in second division of English football until they were promoted in 2000 after they beat Barnsley in the play-offs at Wembley 4–2.[4]

In their first season in the Premier League, Ipswich finished fifth; This meant they qualified to play in the UEFA Cup the next season. Although the club played well in the European competition, they were poor in the Premier League. At the end of that season they finished bottom and were relegated to Division One, now called Football League Championship.[4] Ipswich were relegated to League One after the 18/19 season, finishing last in the championship.[8]

Colors and crest

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One of Ipswich Town's nicknames is The Blues.[9] This is because the traditional kit the players wear is usually mostly blue. When Ipswich play against other teams who also wear blue, they change to an alternative kit, sometimes called an "away" kit. The "away" kit has been different colours including orange, white, red and black vertical stripes. Currently, the away kit is plain white.[10]

The crest which is on the shirts and shorts of the kit shows a horse, with one hoof resting on a football. Underneath the horse is a river—this represents the River Orwell which flows through the town.[11]

Stadium

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Portman Road

Ipswich Town play their home games at a stadium called Portman Road. The club started playing games here in 1884.[12] The stadium can hold over 30,000 people. Outside the ground there are statues of both Bobby Robson and Sir Alf Ramsey.[13][14]

In 2003, England played a game against Croatia at Portman Road.[15] England won the game 3–1.[16] The England youth team has also played at the stadium several times.[17]

Other sports have been played at Portman Road, including athletics, hockey and American football. The stadium has also been used for events other than sports. It was first used for concerts in 1990 by Tina Turner, [18] and subsequently in following years by Elton John,[19] R.E.M.,[20] Red Hot Chili Peppers,[21] and Rod Stewart.[22]

Supporters

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A graph showing the number of supporters who went to watch Ipswich play from 1936 to 2006

Local fans call the team "Town" because it is a shortened version of the team name. Some people also call Ipswich the "Tractor Boys". This nickname is used a lot by newspapers.[23][24] Many Ipswich fans use this name as a joke rather than letting it be an insult.

The main rival of Ipswich Town is Norwich City who are based in Norfolk. When these two teams play, the game is called the "East Anglian derby". The derby is usually referred to as the 'Old Farm' derby, a take on the 'Old Firm' derby played in Scotland between Glasgow Celtic and Glasgow Rangers (now 'The Rangers').[25][26]

Records

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Mick Mills holds the record for Ipswich league appearances. He played 591 matches between 1966 and 1982. The club's top league goalscorer is Ray Crawford, who scored 203 goals between 1958 and 1969. Ted Phillips holds the record for the most goals scored in a season, 41 in the 1956–57 season. Allan Hunter has played the most international games while at the club, making 47 appearances for Northern Ireland.

The club's widest victories in the league have been their 7–0 wins against Portsmouth in 1964, against Southampton in 1974 and against West Bromwich Albion in the First Division in 1976. Their biggest defeats in the league were 10–1 against Fulham in 1963 and 9–0 against Manchester United in 1995.

The highest number of people to watch Ipswich at Portman Road is 38,010 for a sixth round FA Cup match against Leeds United on 8 March 1975.

The largest amount of money received for an Ipswich player is £6.5 million, from Newcastle United for Kieron Dyer in July 1999. The most the club has spent on a player was £4.75 million for Matteo Sereni from Sampdoria in July 2001.[27]

Managers

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Kieran Mckenna is the manager of Ipswich Town. He replaced Paul Cook. Cook joined Ipswich Town in 2021, after Paul Lambert. Lambert' moved to Ipswich Town from Stoke City in the Premier League, where he spent 4 months in charge.

Two managers of Ipswich Town have gone on to become the manager of the England national football team. The first was Sir Alf Ramsey. He also won the World Cup for England in 1966. The second was Sir Bobby Robson who got England to the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup. George Burley became manager of the Scotland national football team in January 2008, for 22 months.

Name Nationality From To M W D L Win %
Mick O'Brien  Ireland 29 May 1936 11 August 1937 39 25 9 5 064.1
Scott Duncan  Scotland 12 November 1937 7 August 1955 505 205 113 187 040.6
Alf Ramsey  England 8 August 1955 30 April 1963 369 176 75 118 047.7
Jackie Milburn  England 1 May 1963 8 September 1964 56 11 12 33 019.6
Bill McGarry  England 5 October 1964 23 November 1968 196 80 62 54 040.8
Bobby Robson  England 13 January 1969 18 August 1982 709 316 173 220 044.6
Bobby Ferguson  England 19 August 1982 17 May 1987 258 97 61 100 037.6
John Duncan  Scotland 17 June 1987 5 May 1990 161 73 29 59 045.3
John Lyall  England 11 May 1990 5 December 1994 231 77 75 79 033.3
George Burley  Scotland 28 December 1994 11 October 2002 413 188 96 129 045.5
Joe Royle  England 28 October 2002 11 May 2006 189 81 48 60 042.9
Jim Magilton  Northern Ireland 5 June 2006 22 April 2009 148 56 41 51 037.8
Roy Keane  Ireland 23 April 2009 7 January 2011 81 28 25 28 034.6
Paul Jewell  England 13 January 2011 24 October 2012 86 30 18 38 034.9
Mick McCarthy  Ireland 1 November 2012 10 April 2018 279 105 78 96 037.6
Paul Hurst  England 30 May 2018 25 October 2018 15 1 7 7 006.7
Paul Lambert  Scotland 27 October 2018 28 February 2021 113 37 28 48 032.7
Paul Cook  England 2 March 2021 4 December 2021 44 13 17 14 029.5
Kieran McKenna  Northern Ireland 20 December 2021 Present 79 44 23 12 055.7

Honors

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Ipswich Town won the top division once (when it was called Division One) in 1962. The club has won the FA Cup once, in 1978, when they defeated Arsenal F.C. 1–0. The club has also won the UEFA Cup once in 1981.[28]

Honour Year(s)
Football League First Division winners 1962
FA Cup winners 1978
UEFA Cup winners 1981
Football League First Division Play-Off winners 2000
Football League Second Division champions 1961, 1968, 1992
Football League Third Division South champions 1954, 1957
Texaco Cup winners 1973
FA Youth Cup winners 1973, 1975, 2005

League position

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Season League Position
2000/01 Premier League 5th
2001/02 Premier League 18th
2002/03 First Division 7th
2003/04 First Division 5th
2004/05 Championship 3rd
2005/06 Championship 15th
2006/07 Championship 14th
2007/08 Championship 8th
2008/09 Championship 9th
2009/10 Championship 15th
2010/11 Championship 13th
2011/12 Championship 15th
2012/13 Championship 14th
2013/14 Championship 9th
2014/15 Championship 6th
2015/16 Championship 7th
2016/17 Championship 16th
2017/18 Championship 12th
2018/19 Championship 24th
2019/20 League One 11th
2020/21 League One 9th
2021/22 League One 11th
2022/23 League One 2nd

Former positions

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  • 1938/39: Third Division (South) - 7th
  • 1939/40: Third Division (South) - Abandoned
  • 1946/47: Third Division (South) - 6th
  • 1947/48: Third Division (South) - 4th
  • 1948/49: Third Division (South) - 7th
  • 1949/50: Third Division (South) - 17th
  • 1950/51: Third Division (South) - 8th
  • 1951/52: Third Division (South) - 17th
  • 1952/53: Third Division (South) - 16th
  • 1953/54: Third Division (South) - Champions
  • 1954/55: Second Division - 21st
  • 1955/56: Third Division (South) - 3rd
  • 1956/57: Third Division (South) - Champions
  • 1957/58: Second Division - 8th
  • 1958/59: Second Division - 16th
  • 1959/60: Second Division - 11th
  • 1960/61: Second Division - Champions
  • 1961/62: First Division - Champions
  • 1962/63: First Division - 17th
  • 1963/64: First Division - 22nd
  • 1964/65: Second Division - 5th
  • 1965/66: Second Division - 15th
  • 1966/67: Second Division - 5th
  • 1967/68: Second Division - Champions
  • 1968/69: First Division - 12th
  • 1969/70: First Division - 18th
  • 1970/71: First Division - 19th
  • 1971/72: First Division - 13th
  • 1972/73: First Division - 4th
  • 1973/74: First Division - 4th
  • 1974/75: First Division - 3rd
  • 1975/76: First Division - 6th
  • 1976/77: First Division - 3rd
  • 1977/78: First Division - 18th
  • 1978/79: First Division - 6th
  • 1979/80: First Division - 3rd
  • 1980/81: First Division - 2nd
  • 1981/82: First Division - 2nd
  • 1982/83: First Division - 9th
  • 1983/84: First Division - 12th
  • 1984/85: First Division - 17th
  • 1985/86: First Division - 20th
  • 1986/87: Second Division - 5th
  • 1987/88: Second Division - 8th
  • 1988/89: Second Division - 8th
  • 1989/90: Second Division - 9th
  • 1990/91: Second Division - 14th
  • 1991/92: Second Division - Champions
  • 1992/93: Premier League - 6th
  • 1993/94: Premier League - 19th
  • 1994/95: Premier League - 22nd
  • 1995/96: First Division - 7th
  • 1996/97: First Division - 4th
  • 1997/98: First Division - 5th
  • 1998/99: First Division - 3rd
  • 1999/2000: First Division - 3rd

References

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  1. ↑ "History of the Stadium". Ipswich Town F.C. Archived from the original on 3 July 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2007.
  2. ↑ "Cobbolds and Ipswich Town Football Club". The Cobbold Family History Trust. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  3. ↑ "Honours by season". Pride Of Anglia (requires subscription)[dead link]. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Club History". Ipswich Town F.C. 2008-06-04. Archived from the original on 2008-08-08. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  5. ↑ "Ipswich thankful for Thijssen". UEFA. Retrieved 2007-03-16.
  6. ↑ "Arsenal 7-0 Everton". BBC Sport. 2005-05-11. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
  7. ↑ "Final 1994/1995 English Premier Table". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 2006-09-08. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
  8. ↑ "Ipswich relegation 'gut-wrenching' - Lambert". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  9. ↑ "Blues News". Ipswich Town F.C. 9 January 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-02-18. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  10. ↑ "2021/22 AWAY KIT REVEALED". www.itfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
  11. ↑ "The Club Badge". Ipswich Town F.C. Archived from the original on 2008-07-20. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  12. ↑ "History of the Stadium". Ipswich Town F.C. Archived from the original on 2008-07-03. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  13. ↑ "Sir Bobby Robson statue unveiling". Ipswich Town F.C. Archived from the original on 2008-07-03. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  14. ↑ "Statue of Sir Alf unveiled - Part One". Ipswich Town F.C. Archived from the original on 2008-08-08. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  15. ↑ "FA chooses Portman Road". BBC Sport. 2003-06-18. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
  16. ↑ "England 3 Croatia 1". The Football Association. Archived from the original on 2008-01-10. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
  17. ↑ "Portman Road ready for England". The Football Association [dead link]. 2003-06-17. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  18. ↑ "Do you remember when Tina Turner performed to a packed out Portman Road crowd?". Ipswich Star. 2023-05-25. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
  19. ↑ "Elton makes Ipswich date". BBC Suffolk. 2003-12-20. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  20. ↑ "R.E.M playing at Portman Road". BBC Suffolk. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  21. ↑ "Red Hot Chili Peppers". The Guardian. 2006-07-03. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  22. ↑ "Rod Stewart is set to rock Ipswich". Ipswich Evening Star. 2006-11-07. Archived from the original on 2008-01-07. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  23. ↑ Andrew Warshaw (2002-02-03). "One in a thousand as Tractor Boys plough on". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2007-10-14. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  24. ↑ Alex Hayes (2001-03-18). "Reuser keeps tractor boys rolling". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2016-01-13. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  25. ↑ "Lee Croft hands Norwich victory over Ipswich in 90th East Anglian derby". The Times. 7 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-04.[permanent dead link]
  26. ↑ "Johnson fails to add the finishing touch". The Independent. 12 April 1999. Retrieved 2009-04-04. ...this East Anglian derby never sparked into life...
  27. ↑ "Ipswich Town all time records". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 2007-10-01. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  28. ↑ "Club honours". Ipswich Town F.C. Archived from the original on 2012-07-22. Retrieved 2009-03-28.

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