Ipswich Town F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Ipswich Town


fullname = Ipswich Town Football Club
nickname = Blues, Town, The Tractor Boys
founded = 1878
ground = Portman Road
Ipswich
capacity = 30,311Cite web
url =http://web.archive.org/web/20051227050857/www.itfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/HistoryDetail/0,,10272~347159,00.html
title = History of the Stadium
accessdate = 2007-03-16
publisher = Ipswich Town F.C.]
president= flagicon|England Bobby Robson
owner = flagicon|England Marcus Evans
chairman = flagicon|England David Sheepshanks
manager = flagicon|Northern Ireland Jim Magilton
league = The Championship
season = 2007–08
position = The Championship, 8th
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=_thinwhitestripes|pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=0000EE|body1=0000EE|rightarm1=0000EE|shorts1=ffffff|socks1=0000FF
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=CC0000|body2=CC0000|rightarm2=CC0000|shorts2=CC0000|socks2=CC0000| Ipswich Town Football Club (also known as Ipswich, The Blues, Town or The Tractor Boys) are an English professional football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2008, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02.

The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn professional until 1936, and were subsequently elected to join the Football League in 1938. They play their home games at Portman Road in Ipswich. The only fully professional football club in Suffolk, they have a long-standing and fierce rivalry with Norwich City in Norfolk, with whom they have contested the East Anglian Derby 134 times since 1902.

Ipswich won the English league title once, in 1961–62, and have been runners-up twice in 1980–81 and 1981–82. They won the FA Cup in 1977–78, and the UEFA Cup in 1980–81.

History

:"For the history of matches versus local rivals Norwich City F.C., see the East Anglian Derby." The club was founded as an amateur side in 1878. Ipswich were known as Ipswich A.F.C. until 1888 when they merged with Ipswich Rugby Club to form Ipswich Town Football Club, [Cite web
url = http://www.tmwmtt.com/history/timeline-1880.htm
title = A Potted Club History - by Decade - The 1880's
publisher = Pride of Anglia
accessdate = 2007-03-26] the team won a number of local cup competitions, including the Suffolk Challenge Cup and the Suffolk Senior Cup. [Cite web
url = http://www.tmwmtt.com/history/honours-by-season.htm
title = Honours by season
accessdate = 2007-03-20
publisher = Pride Of Anglia] They joined the Southern Amateur League in 1907 and, with results improving steadily, became champions in the 1921–22 season.Cite web
url = http://www.salarchives.co.uk/clubipswichtown.asp
title = Southern Amateur League archives - Ipswich Town
accessdate = 2007-03-20
publisher = Southern Amateur League] The club won the league a further three times, in 1929–30, 1932–33 and 1933–34, before becoming founder members of the Eastern Counties Football League at the end of the 1934–35 season. A year later, the club turned professional and joined the Southern League, which they won in its first season and finished third in the next.

Ipswich were elected to The Football League on 30 May, 1938, and played in Division Three (South) until the end of the 1953–54 season, when they won the title and promotion to Division Two. The club were immediately relegated back to Division Three (South) the following year at the end of a poor season, but made better progress after Scott Duncan was replaced as team manager by Alf Ramsey in August 1955. The club won the Division Three (South) title again in 1956–57, and returned to the higher division. This time, Ipswich established themselves in Division Two, and as the division champions, won promotion to the top level of English football, Division One, in 1960–61.Cite web
url = http://web.archive.org/web/20051227034454/www.itfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/HistoryDetail/0,,10272~342496,00.html
title = Club History
publisher = Ipswich Town F.C.
accessdate = 2007-03-16]

In the top flight for the first time, Ipswich became Champions of the Football League at the first attempt in 1961–62. As English league champions, they qualified for the 1962/63 European Cup, defeating Maltese side Floriana 14–1 on aggregate before losing to AC Milan. Ramsey quit the club in April 1963 to take charge of the England football team; after the team won the 1966 World Cup, he received a knighthood for "services to football" in 1967. [Cite web
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/4895404.stm
title = World Cup 1966 flashback
author = Caroline Cheese
publisher = BBC Sport
accessdate = 2007-03-16
date = 2006-07-31] Ramsey was replaced by Jackie Milburn, under whose leadership fortunes on the pitch plummeted. Two years after winning the league title, Ipswich slipped down to the Second Division in 1964, conceding 121 league goals in 42 games. [Cite web
url = http://www.soccerbase.com/league2.sd?competitionid=5&seasonid=93
title = Final 1963/1964 English Division 1 (old) Table
publisher = Soccerbase
accessdate = 2007-03-16] Milburn quit after just one full season and was replaced by Bill McGarry in 1964. The club remained in the Second Division for four years until McGarry guided Ipswich to promotion along with his assistant Sammy Chung in the 1967–68 season, winning the division by a single point ahead of Queens Park Rangers. [Cite web
url = http://www.soccerbase.com/league2.sd?competitionid=6&seasonid=97
title = Final 1967/1968 English Division 2 (old) Table
publisher = Soccerbase
accessdate = 2007-03-16] McGarry left to manage Wolves and was replaced by Bobby Robson in January 1969.

Robson led Ipswich to two major trophies and several seasons in top flight European football. The successful period began in 1973 when the club won the Texaco Cup and finished fourth in the league, qualifying for the UEFA Cup for the first time. By the late 1970s, Robson had built a strong side with talent in every department, introducing the Dutch pair Arnold Muhren and Frans Thijssen to add flair to a team that featured British internationals including John Wark, Terry Butcher and Paul Mariner. Ipswich regularly featured in the top five of the league and in the UEFA Cup. At their peak in 1980 they beat Manchester United 6–0 at Portman Road, a game where United goalkeeper Gary Bailey also saved three penalties. [Cite web
url = http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/s/190/190611_uniteds_10_worst_defeats.html
title = United's 10 worst defeats
publisher = Manchester Evening News
accessdate = 2007-03-21] Major success came in 1978 when Ipswich beat Arsenal at Wembley Stadium to win their only FA Cup trophy, [Cite web
url = http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=258947
title = English FA Cup Final - 1977/78
publisher = Soccerbase
accessdate = 2007-03-16] the triumph was followed by a UEFA Cup victory in 1981. The club also finished as league runners-up in 1981 and 1982. [Cite web
url = http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/history/season=1980/intro.html
title = Ipswich thankful for Thijssen
publisher = UEFA
accessdate = 2007-03-16] [Cite web
url = http://www.soccerbase.com/league2.sd?competitionid=5&seasonid=110&x=17&y=6
title = Final 1980/1981 English Division 1 (old) Table
publisher = Soccerbase
accessdate = 2007-03-16] [Cite web
url = http://www.soccerbase.com/league2.sd?competitionid=5&seasonid=111&x=17&y=6
title = Final 1981/1982 English Division 1 (old) Table
publisher = Soccerbase
accessdate = 2007-03-16] Robson's success with Ipswich prompted The Football Association to seek his services as manager of the English national team, and in August 1982 he was replaced at the club by his assistant Bobby Ferguson, having taken up the F.A.'s offer. Under Ferguson, Town finished mid-table twice, [Cite web
url = http://www.soccerbase.com/league2.sd?competitionid=5&seasonid=112
title = Final 1982/1983 English Division 1 (old) Table
accessdate = 2007-03-17
publisher = Soccerbase] [Cite web
url = http://www.soccerbase.com/league2.sd?competitionid=5&seasonid=113
title =Final 1983/1984 English Division 1 (old) Table
accessdate = 2007-03-17
publisher = Soccerbase] but worsening performances meant that they began to struggle in the top division. Ipswich were finally relegated to the second tier (then called Division Two) in 1985–86. [Cite web
url = http://www.soccerbase.com/league2.sd?competitionid=5&seasonid=114
title = Final 1984/1985 English Division 1 (old) Table
accessdate = 2007-03-17
publisher = Soccerbase] [Cite web
url = http://www.soccerbase.com/league2.sd?competitionid=5&seasonid=115
title =Final 1985/1986 English Division 1 (old) Table
accessdate = 2007-03-17
publisher = Soccerbase] Ferguson, who had remained in charge despite the relegation, resigned in May 1987 after reaching the promotion play-offs but failing to return the club to the first division. Ipswich Town were then managed by John Duncan for three years until he was replaced by former West Ham boss John Lyall in May 1990. [Cite web
url = http://www.soccerbase.com/managers2.sd?managerid=816
title = John Lyall's managerial career
publisher = Soccerbase
accessdate = 2007-03-17] Lyall guided Ipswich to the Second Division championship and promotion to the new FA Premier League, ready for the 1992–93 season.Cite web
url = http://web.archive.org/web/20051213200817/www.itfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/HistoryDetail/0,,10272~425222,00.html
title = Ipswich Town F.C. - The Nineties
publisher = Ipswich Town F.C.
accessdate = 2007-03-17] Suffering only two league defeats before the New Year, [Cite web
url = http://www.soccerbase.com/results2.sd?teamid=1372&seasonid=122
title = Ipswich 1992/1993 results and fixtures
accessdate = 2007-03-19
publisher = Soccerbase] Ipswich started the season well and were fourth in the Premier League in January 1993, but a dip in form during the final weeks of the season saw Ipswich finish in a disappointing 16th place. [Cite web
url = http://www.soccerbase.com/league2.sd?competitionid=1&seasonid=135
title = Final 1992/1993 English Premier Table
publisher = Soccerbase
accessdate = 2007-03-17] Poor form continued into the following season and Ipswich only avoided relegation that year when Sheffield United suffered a last-gasp 3–2 defeat at Chelsea on the final day of the season.Six months later, fortunes on the pitch had not improved, and Lyall was sacked as Ipswich manager in December 1994 with the club rooted to the bottom of the Premiership.

Lyall's successor, George Burley, was unable to turn team performances around, and Ipswich suffered a Premiership record defeat, 9–0, at Manchester United, on their way to relegation. [Cite web
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/4528611.stm
title = Arsenal 7-0 Everton
date = 2005-05-11
accessdate = 2007-03-17
publisher = BBC Sport] [Cite web
url = http://www.soccerbase.com/league2.sd?competitionid=1&seasonid=124
title = Final 1994/1995 English Premier Table
publisher = Soccerbase
accessdate = 2007-03-17] Back in the second tier of the league, Burley led the club to three consecutive promotion playoffs, but they were to endure defeats in all three semi-finals. Ipswich finally returned to the Premiership in 2000 after coming from behind to beat Barnsley 4–2 in the last Division One playoff final at Wembley Stadium. Ipswich performed well in the Premiership in their first season with Burley's side finishing in an impressive fifth place—being pipped by Liverpool on the last day of the season for a place in the Champions League. Consolation was a UEFA Cup place and FA Premier League Manager of the Year Award for Burley. [Cite web
url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/suffolk/sport/features/football/itfc/burley/burley_facts.shtml
title = George Burley fact file
date = 2003-03-17
accessdate = 2007-03-20
publisher = BBC Suffolk]

This spell in the top division ended after two seasons and the loss of income due to relegation led to the club going into financial administration. [Cite web
url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2003/02/24/sfnton24.xml
title = Tractor Boys ploughed out
author = Tony Francis
publisher = The Telegraph
date = 2003-02-23
accessdate = 2007-03-16] There was the minor consolation of again qualifying for the UEFA Cup, this time via the UEFA Fair Play ranking, and Ipswich survived two ties before losing in the second round proper to Czech side FC Slovan Liberec. [Cite web
url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/suffolk/sport/2002/11/14/report_slovan_ipswich.shtml
title = Town out of UEFA Cup
date = 2002-11-14
accessdate = 2007-03-19
publisher = BBC Suffolk] A poor start to the season, culminating in a 3–0 defeat at Grimsby Town, meant that Burley was sacked in October 2002 after nearly eight years as manager. [Cite web
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/i/ipswich_town/2319359.stm
title = Ipswich sack Burley
accessdate = 2007-03-17
date = 2002-10-11
publisher = BBC Sport] First team coach Tony Mowbray was given four games as caretaker manager, winning once, but he was ultimately replaced as manager by the former Oldham Athletic, Everton and Manchester City manager Joe Royle, who had played for local rival Norwich City. [Cite web
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/i/ipswich_town/2363793.stm
title = Royle eyes promotion
publisher = BBC Sport
accessdate = 2007-03-17
date = 2002-10-28] Royle inherited a side struggling near the Division One relegation zone, but revived fortunes such that the team narrowly failed to reach the playoffs. [Cite web
url = http://www.soccerbase.com/league2.sd?competitionid=2&seasonid=132
title = Final 2002/2003 Football League Championship Table
publisher = Soccerbase
accessdate = 2007-03-17] The 2003–04 season saw the club come out of administration and continue to challenge for promotion back to the Premier League. [Cite web
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/i/ipswich_town/2950192.stm
title = Ipswich exit administration
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2003-05-30
accessdate = 2007-03-17] They finished that season in fifth, but were defeated in the playoff semi-finals by West Ham United. [Cite web
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_1/3713951.stm
title =West Ham reach final
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2004-05-18
accessdate = 2007-03-19]

Narrowly missing automatic promotion in 2004–05, Royle took Ipswich once more to the play-offs, but once more they lost to West Ham United in the semi-finals. [Cite web
url = http://www.soccerbase.com/cup2.sd?competitionid=147&seasonid=133
title = Championship Play-Off 2003/2004
publisher = Soccerbase
accessdate = 2007-03-19] 2005–06 saw a campaign plagued by injuries and Ipswich finished a disappointing 15th — the club's lowest finish since 1966. [cite web
title= Plymouth 2-1 Ipswich
url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/low/football/eng_div_1/4933606.stm
accessdate=2008-01-07
date = 30 April 2006
publisher = BBC Sport] Joe Royle resigned by mutual consent on 11 May 2006. [Cite web
url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/suffolk/content/articles/2006/05/12/itfc_joe_royle_departure_first_feature.shtml
title = Who will succeed Joe Royle?
publisher = BBC Suffolk
accessdate = 2007-03-19] A month later, Jim Magilton was officially announced as the new manager and former Academy Director Bryan Klug was appointed to assist as first team coach. [Cite web
url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/suffolk/content/articles/2006/06/05/jim_magilton_appointed_feature.shtml
title = Magilton is new Ipswich boss
date = 2006-06-20
accessdate = 2007-03-19
publisher = BBC Suffolk]

In 2007 Ipswich became the first carbon neutral football club in England following a collaboration between the fans and the club's main sponsor e.on. [Cite web
url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/suffolk/content/articles/2007/05/04/itfc_carbon_neutral_feature.shtml
title = Blues go green
publisher = BBC Suffolk
accessdate = 2008-01-09
author = Brandice Alexander] In November 2007, the club were involved in takeover discussions with both businessman Marcus Evans and former Birmingham City F.C. director David Sullivan. [Cite web
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/i/ipswich_town/7070904.stm
title = Ipswich agree to sell £44m stake
accessdate = 2007-11-07
date = 31 October 2007
publisher = BBC Sport] [Cite web
url = http://www.eveningstar.co.uk/content/eveningstar/news/story.aspx?brand=ESTOnline&category=News&tBrand=ESTOnline&tCategory=News&itemid=IPED07%20Nov%202007%2008%3A22%3A34%3A157
title = Now Sullivan joins the takeover bidding
publisher = East Anglian Daily Times
accessdate = 2007-11-07
date = 7 November 2007] In December 2007, Evans completed his takeover of the club, purchasing an 87.5% stake in the club, investing around £44m which included the purchase of the club's existing £32m debt. [Cite web
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/i/ipswich_town/7144881.stm
title = Evans completes Ipswich takeover
accessdate = 2008-01-09
date = 17 December 2007
publisher = BBC Sport] The club agreed a sponsorship deal with the Marcus Evans Group on 20 May 2008, lasting until 2013, the longest in the club's history. [Cite web
url = http://www.itfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10272~1315966,00.html
title = New Club Sponsor Revealed
publisher = ITFC
accessdate = 2008-05-20
date = 2008-05-20]

As of Dec 2007, the club had a board of twelve directors, including David Sheepshanks, Holly Bellingham, [Cite web
url = http://www.marketform.com/board/macl.htm
title = Marketform - Directors
publisher = Marketform] and Kevin Beeston. [Cite web
url = http://www.itfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/WhosWho/0,,10272,00.html
title = Ipswich Town - Directors
accessdate = 2007-03-17
publisher = Ipswich Town F.C.] Previous directors include former Chairmen Patrick and John Cobbold, [Cite web
url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2005/10/23/sfnpb223.xml&sSheet=/sport/2005/10/23/ixfooty.html
title = John and Patrick Cobbold
accessdate = 2007-03-17
publisher = The Daily Telegraph.] both of Tolly Cobbold; Harold Smith; and Richard Ryder. [Cite web
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3440885.stm
title = Ryder's tough role at BBC
publisher = BBC News
date = 2004-01-29
accessdate = 2007-03-19] [cite news
title = Tributes to Town stalwart at funeral
publisher = Ipswich Evening Star
page = 4
date = 2006-08-23 ] [Cite web
url =http://web.archive.org/web/20051213194956/www.itfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/HistoryDetail/0,,10272~342776,00.html
title = League Champions Story Part Two
publisher = Ipswich Town F.C.
accessdate = 2007-03-19]

Colours and crest

One of Ipswich Town's nicknames is "The Blues", stemming from their traditional kit, which is predominantly blue. Since turning professional, Ipswich have used a number of alternate (or away) colours, including white, orange, red and black vertical stripes, claret and green, cream and black vertical stripes and dark blue and claret.Cite web
url = http://www.tmwmtt.com/history/ipswich_kits_00s.htm
title = Ipswich Town F.C. kit
publisher = Pride of Anglia.com
accessdate = 2007-03-19] The shirts worn by players of Ipswich Town did not sport a crest until the mid-1960s, when they adopted a design featuring a gold lion rampant guardant on a red background on the left half and three gold ramparts on a blue background on the right half. In 1972, the crest was redesigned as the result of a competition, won by the Treasurer of the Supporters Club, John Gammage. Each element of the new design was intended to represent the region. [Cite web
url = http://web.archive.org/web/20050910041117/www.itfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/HistoryDetail/0,,10272~345822,00.html
title = The Club Badge
publisher = Ipswich Town F.C.
accessdate = 2007-03-16] Football kit box
align = right
pattern_la =
pattern_b =
pattern_ra =
leftarm = 000000
body = FF8000
rightarm = 000000
shorts = 000000
socks = 000000
title = Ipswich's orange away kit used during the 1999–2000 season.cquote|I regarded the Suffolk Punch as a noble animal, well suited to dominate our design and represent the club. And to complete the badge I thought of the town of Ipswich which contains many historical buildings, including the Wolsey Gate, and is close to the sea with a large dock area.

The crest was modified in 1995 after consultation with a Supporters Forum, with the turrets of the Wolsey Gate moved to the top of the crest, the yellow background changed to red, the Suffolk Punch given a more dominant physique and the F.C. expanded to "Football Club". Three stars were added to the sleeve of the teams away shirt for the 2004–05 season, [Cite web
url = http://www.itfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10272~518099,00.html
title = Away shirt proving a hit
publisher = Ipswich Town F.C.
accessdate = 2008-01-30] and also to the home kit for the 2005–06 season. [Cite web
url = http://www.itfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10272~631956,00.html
title = New kit available for pre-order
publisher = Ipswich Town F.C.
accessdate = 2008-01-30] These stars were added to represent the three major trophies which Ipswich Town have won; the FA Cup, the UEFA Cup and the old Division One. The stars were relocated directly above the crest when the shirt was redesigned prior to the 2007–08 season. [Cite web
url = http://www.itfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10272~942109,00.html
title = New home shirt revealed
publisher = Ipswich Town F.C.
accessdate = 2008-01-30]

In 2006, the club donated 500 orange and blue and white shirts to children in Iraq. [Cite web
url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/suffolk/content/articles/2006/02/02/ipswich_town_iraq_shirts_feature.shtml
accessdate = 2007-03-19
date = 2006-02-03
publisher = BBC Suffolk
title = The New Blue Army]

Understated Ipswich Began To Be Rather Gay After 2002.
Date = 1348-04-16
Author = Clive SpunksAlot
Publisher = The Daily Spunk

|
Ipswich Football Club=Shite
Publisher = Ya Mum

upporters

During the 2005–06 season, Ipswich Town recorded an average attendance of 24,252, approximately 80% of available capacity, the fourth-highest attendance in The Championship. [Cite web
url = http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/page/DivisionalAttendance/0,,10794~20057,00.html
title = 2005–06 Championship Attendances
publisher = The Football League
accessdate = 2007-03-19] The highest attendance of the season was 29,184 in the local derby against Norwich City. [Cite web
url = http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Attendance/0,,10794~200510272,00.html
title = League attendance 2005–06
publisher = The Football League
accessdate = 2007-03-19]

Locally, much is made of the informal title "Pride of Anglia". Fans variously claim the title for either winning the East Anglian Derby, finishing highest in the league, having the better current league position, having the more successful club history or for reasons without any apparent logical basis. The club's main local rival is Norwich City. When the two teams meet it is known as the 'East Anglian Derby', or, informally, as the 'Old Farm Derby', a comic reference to the 'Old Firm Derby' played between Scottish teams Celtic and Rangers. [Cite web
url = http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/coca_cola/article1996290.ece
title = East Anglia Derby: Grant ready with his shark riposte
accessdate = 2007-03-19
date = 2006-11-19
author = Ronald Atkin
publisher = The Independent] Over the 134 matches played against Norwich City since 1902, Ipswich boasts the better record, having won 45% of the matches to Norwich's 37%.Cite web
url = http://web.archive.org/web/20051227044535/www.itfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/HistoryDetail/0,,10272~345141,00.html
publisher = Ipswich Town F.C.
title = East Anglian Derby
accessdate = 2007-03-16] [This includes matches played at an amateur level.]

A recent nickname for Town is "The Tractor Boys", which was coined during the club's brief successful period in the Premiership (2000–01) when the team regularly competed against more fashionable clubs. The nickname is an example of self-deprecating humour referring to Ipswich's agricultural heritage. The origins of the nickname are not certain, but the first generally-accepted use of the nickname appeared at a losing away game at Birmingham City late in the 1998–99 season, with the home fans chanting "no noise from the Tractor Boys", a name which stuck. [Cite web
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/low/football/teams/i/ipswich_town/1078006.stm
title = Tractor boys making noise
publisher = BBC Sport
accessdate = 2007-03-19
date = 2000-12-19] Barracking by supporters of more established Premiership clubs during Town's spell in the Premiership lent the ironic chant: '1–0 to the Tractor Boys' increased potency and publicity, and the nickname is commonly used by the media. [Cite web
url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2002/02/02/sfgeve03.xml
title = One in a thousand as Tractor Boys plough on
accessdate = 2007-03-19
author = Andrew Warshaw
publisher = The Telegraph
date = 2002-02-03] [Cite web
url = http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/coca_cola/article248034.ece
title = Reuser keeps tractor boys rolling
accessdate = 2008-01-07
author= Alex Hayes
publisher = The Independent
date = 2001-03-18] Town manager Jim Magilton commented in the local press that he disliked the nickname, saying that it conjured up, "images of carrot-crunching yokels";Cite web
url = http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20001204/ai_n14356924
title = That Was The Weekend That Was: Ipswich chant sows seeds of discontent
publisher = The Independent
date = 2000-12-04
accessdate = 2007-03-16] while players such as Matt Holland accepted the chant with good humour.

tatistics and records

Mick Mills holds the record for Ipswich league appearances, having played 591 first-team matches between 1966 and 1982. The club's top league goalscorer is Ray Crawford, who scored 203 goals between 1958 and 1969, while Ted Phillips holds the record for the most goals scored in a season, 41 in the 1956–57 season in Division Three (South). Allan Hunter is the most capped player for the club, making 47 appearances for Northern Ireland.

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

Ipswich's record home attendance is 38,010 for a sixth round FA Cup match against Leeds United on 8 March 1975. With the introduction of regulations enforcing all-seater stadiums, it is unlikely that this record will be beaten in the foreseeable future.

The highest transfer fee received for an Ipswich player is £6.5 million, from Newcastle United for Kieron Dyer in July 1999, while the most spent by the club on a player was £4.75 million for Matteo Sereni from Sampdoria in July 2001 following the club's successful qualification for the UEFA Cup.Cite web
url = http://www.soccerbase.com/team_records.sd?teamid=1372
title = Ipswich Town all time records
publisher = Soccerbase
accessdate = 2007-03-17]

Players

:"As of 2 September 2008." [cite web
url=http://www.itfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/TeamHome/0,,10272,00.html
title=The Squad | work=itfc.premiumtv.co.uk | accessdate=2007-07-20 ]

Current squad

fs player| no=4 | nat=NIR| pos=DF| name=Gareth McAuley (team captain)fs player| no=6 | nat=ENG| pos=DF| name=Richard Naylor (club captain)

Out on loan

Notable players

Players of the Year

Towards the end of each season, a player is voted as "Player of the Year" by the fans.

Managers

:main|List of Ipswich Town F.C. managers:"As of 3 May 2008. Only managers in charge for a minimum of 50 professional, competitive matches are counted." [Cite web
url = http://www.tmwmtt.com/sql/managers/index.phtml
title = The Management
publisher = Pride Of Anglia.com
accessdate = 2007-03-21]

Honours

:details|History of Ipswich Town F.C.

Ipswich Town in popular culture

A number of Ipswich players featured alongside Sylvester Stallone and Pelé in the 1981 prisoner of war film "Escape to Victory", including John Wark, Russell Osman, Laurie Sivell and Kevin O'Callaghan. Other Ipswich Town players stood in for actors in the football scenes - Kevin Beattie for Michael Caine, and Paul Cooper for Sylvester Stallone. [Cite web
url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083284/
title = Victory (1981)
publisher = Internet Movie Database
accessdate = 2007-03-19]

Notes

:I: Up until 2000, when the stand was completely rebuilt, it was commonly referred to as "Churchmans" after the family who owned the tobacco factory (before John Players Ltd) which stood next to it.:II: As Caretaker-manager(s).

References

External links

* [http://www.itfc.premiumtv.co.uk/ Ipswich Town Official Site]
* [http://www.tractor-boys.com/forum Ipswich Town Official Forum]
*