97-885: Shefki Kuqi (pronounced [ˈʃɛfki ˈkuci] ; born 10 November 1976) is a professional football manager and former player who played predominantly as a striker . He was most recently the manager of Football Superleague of Kosovo club Feronikeli . He spent most of his career in the English football league system , for clubs including Newcastle United , Sheffield Wednesday , Ipswich Town , Blackburn Rovers , Crystal Palace , Fulham , Swansea City and Oldham Athletic . He made over 500 career league appearances, scoring over 150 goals. Despite being born in Yugoslavia to Kosovan Albanian parents, Kuqi grew up in Finland and holds Finnish citizenship which allowed him to represent
194-688: A bellyflop and has been referred to as a " Flying Finn ". Kuqi was born in Vushtrri , Kosovo . An older brother of Kuqi was due to begin national service , which prompted his family to emigrate to Finland, where they were granted asylum. He is the older brother of Njazi Kuqi and Albert Kuqi , and the cousin of Daut Kuqi. In an interview in December 2017, Kuqi revealed that he is a supporter of English club Manchester United mostly because of Alex Ferguson . HJK Helsinki Individual Manager (association football) In association football ,
291-600: A 3–1 victory; he scored the equalising goal and assisted the other two goals in a 3–1 victory. Kuqi was on target again against the MK Dons in October 2011 taking advantage of a mistake by the MK Dons goalkeeper to help Athletic to a 2–1 victory. Kuqi added another two goals to his tally after scoring twice against Crewe Alexandra in the quarter-finals of the Football League Trophy to help Oldham progress to
388-639: 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. "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
485-557: A coup for the Latics, as Kuqi was playing in the Premier League , the previous season. He scored early in his first game for his new club in a home game against local rivals Huddersfield Town in a 1–1 draw and celebrated with his trademark Flying Finn celebration in front of the away fans. Kuqi made it two goals in two games for Oldham with a headed goal against Stevenage . Kuqi scored his third for Oldham against Leyton Orient in
582-478: A long-standing rivalry with Norwich City , against whom they contest the East Anglian derby . The club's traditional home colours are blue shirts with white shorts and blue socks. The club was founded as an amateur side in 1878 and were known as Ipswich A.F.C. until 1888 when they merged with Ipswich Rugby Club to form Ipswich Town Football Club. The team won a number of local cup competitions, including
679-400: A month later, Jim Magilton was officially announced as the new manager. In November 2007, the club were involved in takeover discussions with both businessman Marcus Evans and former Birmingham City director David Sullivan . In December 2007, Evans completed his takeover of the club, purchasing an 87.5% stake in the club, investing around £44 million, which included the purchase of
776-497: A move to the Premier League with Blackburn . Kuqi made his debut in a 3–1 loss against West Ham United on 13 September 2005 and scored his first goal of the Premier League and scored again in a 2–0 win over West Brom on 1 October 2005. After the match, manager Mark Hughes praised Kuqi for his two-goal performance. Kuqi then scored his second brace of the season in a 2–0 win over Middlesbrough on 26 December 2005. During
873-593: A particularly strong affiliation with German club Fortuna Düsseldorf , with Fortuna fans making an annual visit to Portman Road since 2006. Ipswich fans also organise visits to the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf to support Fortuna at their home matches. The two clubs organised two pre-season friendlies in Düsseldorf in 2015 and in Ipswich in 2024. The club's main rivals are Norwich City . When
970-588: A person may fill both these roles. While the first team coach in football is usually an assistant to the manager who actually holds the real power, the North American–style general manager and head coach have clearly distinct areas of responsibilities. For example, a typical European football manager has the final say on in-game decisions (including player line-ups), and off-the-field and roster management decisions (including contract negotiations). In North American sports, those duties would be handled separately by
1067-456: A result of the COVID-19 pandemic . After failing to mount a promotion challenge during the following season, Lambert left the club by mutual consent on 28 February 2021. Former Wigan boss Paul Cook was appointed as his replacement three days later. On 7 April 2021, the club announced that US investment group Gamechanger 20 Limited had purchased a majority stake in the club. The consortium
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#17327868228911164-515: A single match in a caretaker role, before former Wolves boss Mick McCarthy was appointed full-time on 1 November 2012. McCarthy led Ipswich to avoid relegation, taking them from bottom of the league in November to finish in 14th position. The following season produced a 9th-place finish and in the 2014–15 season a 6th place and play-off finish – though the club lost in the semi-finals to local rivals Norwich City 4–2 on aggregate. Ipswich ended
1261-656: A strained relationship between the two. Whilst in Sheffield, Kuqi also scored a goal against Sheffield United in The Steel City Derby . He scored the second goal in the 81st minute at Hillsborough to ensure a win after Lloyd Owusu had opened the scoring with his very first touch of the ball on his debut. In September 2003, Kuqi joined Ipswich Town on loan. After making 11 appearances and scoring 4 goals, Kuqi joined Ipswich Town permanently in November despite late interest from Town's rival Norwich City . For
1358-401: A three-month emergency loan deal on 13 September 2010. His first Derby goal, in his third appearance, also, came against Crystal Palace in a 5–0 Derby victory at Pride Park . After latching onto a sloppy stray backpass from former-Derby defender Claude Davis to complete the rout with a goal Kuqi joked that the strike was "the worst of the five!" On 26 January 2011 Kuqi's contract with Swansea
1455-489: A three-year deal for an undisclosed sum, rumoured to be €1.5 million Kuqi made his debut for the club in a 1–0 win over Crewe on 12 January 2002. At Sheffield Wednesday he scored 19 times between January 2002 and September 2003, unfortunately with Wednesday being relegated to Division Two (or League One as it is now known) during his time at Hillsborough. Many Wednesday fans were bemused though at then manager Chris Turner's decision to let Kuqi leave for Ipswich for free after
1552-593: A two years deal with TuS Koblenz which was his first non-England club since 2001, and the first German club in his career. He also spent half a season playing with his brother, Njazi Kuqi . Kuqi signed for Swansea City on a free transfer from TuS Koblenz on 25 January 2010. He made his debut for the club in a 0–0 draw against Coventry City and scored his first goal for Swansea in a 1–0 win at former club Crystal Palace on 9 February 2010. Despite scoring seven goals in 16 starts, after less than nine months at Swansea, Kuqi joined fellow Championship side Derby County on
1649-589: A wooden structure, was built on the Portman Road side of the pitch in 1905. In 1911 the roof was blown off, and the ground was later commandeered by the British Army for the duration of World War I . The club turned professional in 1936, and work began on the first bank of terracing at the north end of the pitch. The following year, on the back of winning the Southern League, a similar terrace
1746-520: Is Ray Crawford , who scored 203 goals between 1958 and 1969, while Ted Phillips holds the record for the most league goals scored in a season, 41 in the 1956–57 season in Third Division South . Allan Hunter won the most international caps whilst a player at the club, making 47 appearances for Northern Ireland during his time at Ipswich. The club's widest victory margins in the league have been their 7–0 wins against Portsmouth in
1843-469: Is almost exclusively used in British football . In other European countries and rest of the world in which professional football is played, the person responsible for the direction of a team is awarded the position of coach or "trainer" is known as head coach . For instance, despite the general equivalence in responsibilities, Lee Carsley is referred to as the manager of England , and Julian Nagelsmann
1940-491: Is described as the head coach of Germany . Germany also has a team manager role that is subordinate to the head coach and is currently held by Rudi Völler . The responsibilities of a European football manager or head coach tend to be divided up in North American professional sports, where the teams usually have a separate general manager and head coach (known as a field manager in baseball), although occasionally
2037-492: Is honourably issued squad number 17. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Ipswich currently runs a Category Two Academy, with a five-year plan to improve to Category One. The academy is run by Bryan Klug . The academy was particularly successful in the 1990s, producing a number of first-team players including Kieron Dyer , Richard Wright and Titus Bramble . In more recent years,
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#17327868228912134-461: Is unlikely that this record will be beaten in the foreseeable future. The highest transfer fee received for an Ipswich player is £8.1 million as part of a deal worth in excess of £12 million from Sunderland for Connor Wickham in June 2011, while the most spent by the club on a player was £20 million for Omari Hutchinson from Chelsea in June 2024, following the club's promotion to
2231-525: The 1992–93 season. Suffering only two league defeats before the New Year, 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 them finish 16th. Poor form continued into the following season and Ipswich only avoided relegation that year when Sheffield United suffered a 3–2 defeat at Chelsea on the final day of
2328-408: The 2016–17 season in 16th place, their lowest finish since the 1958–59 season . McCarthy announced that he would be leaving the club at the end of the 2017–18 season on 23 March 2018, though he ultimately left the role early with four games to go. He was replaced until the end of the season by Bryan Klug as a caretaker manager and Ipswich finished the season in 12th. On 30 May 2018, Paul Hurst
2425-423: The 2020–21 season in ninth place, three places outside the play-offs . Expectations were high ahead of the following season, but following a series of disappointing results, Cook was sacked in December 2021. On 16 December 2021, Kieran McKenna , first-team coach at Manchester United, was appointed to replace Cook. Ipswich finished the 2021–22 season in 11th place. With McKenna's first full season in charge,
2522-623: 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 the Third Division South until the end of the 1953–54 season, when they won the title and promotion to
2619-767: The Finland national team at international level, for which he scored eight goals in 62 appearances between 1999 and 2010. His trademark goal celebration of swallow-diving onto the ground has led to his nickname of the "Flying Finn". Kuqi started his youth career at Trepça , and he played several games for the youth team, but he and his family later moved to Finland as Kosovar Albanian immigrants. Kuqi started his playing career with Kangasniemen Palloseura. He later played for Mikkelin Kissat, Mikkelin Palloilijat , HJK and FC Jokerit in Finland's Veikkausliiga . Kuqi played in
2716-648: 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
2813-612: The Second Division . The club were immediately relegated back to the Third Division 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 Third Division South title again in 1956–57 , and returned to the higher division. This time, Ipswich established themselves in the Second Division, and as
2910-502: The UEFA Champions League in the autumn of 1998 with HJK. Kuqi was the league top scorer in the 2000 season, representing FC Jokerit. Having played for three clubs in Finland's Veikkausliiga, Kuqi became more well known, leading to his transfer to Stockport County . Kuqi joined Stockport County in January 2001. Kuqi made his debut for the club in a 1–1 draw against Tranmere Rovers on 3 February 2001. Regarded by many as
3007-419: The manager is the person who has overall responsibility for the running of a football team . They have wide-ranging responsibilities, including selecting the team, choosing the tactics, recruiting and transferring players, negotiating player contracts, and speaking to the media. In professional football, a manager is usually appointed by and answerable to the club's board of directors, but at an amateur level
Shefki Kuqi - Misplaced Pages Continue
3104-480: The 1936–37 season, following the clubs entry into the Southern Football League after turning professional. These have stood as the primary colours of the club's home kits ever since. Since turning professional, Ipswich have used a number of away colours, including white, orange, red and black vertical stripes, claret and green, cream and black vertical stripes and dark blue and claret. In 2006,
3201-541: The 1974–75 season they reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time, losing to West Ham United after a replay, and finished third in the league. By the late 1970s, Robson had built a strong side with talent in every department, introducing the Dutch pair Arnold Mühren and Frans Thijssen to add flair to a team that featured British internationals including John Wark , Terry Butcher and Paul Mariner , although
3298-422: The 90th minute in a goalless draw. On his move, Kuqi admitted he was surprised to join the club but admitted that he was 'one of the happiest footballers in the world' He was released on 25 May 2011 after making six appearances, all as a substitute, without scoring. In August 2011, following his release by Newcastle, Kuqi signed a one-year contract with Oldham Athletic . The signing was considered as something of
3395-461: The Ipswich squad perhaps lacked the depth of established big clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United . Ipswich regularly featured in the top five of the league and in the UEFA Cup. At their peak in the 1979–80 season , they beat Manchester United 6–0 in a league game at Portman Road, a game where United goalkeeper Gary Bailey also saved three penalties. The defeat cost United two points –
3492-481: The Premier League. Bobby Robson is the club's longest serving manager in terms of games managed, managing Ipswich for 709 matches between 1969 and 1982. Scott Duncan is the club's longest serving manager in terms of time spent as manager at the club, managing the club for 6,487 days between 1937 and 1955. Ipswich still maintain an undefeated home record in European competition . This record began in 1962, when
3589-547: 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
3686-532: The SPL that season. Kuqi made his debut for the Finland national team on 18 August 1999 against Belgium , soon after receiving Finnish citizenship. He was a regular member of the Finland squad from 1999 to 2010. Kuqi made 62 appearances for Finland and scored eight goals. He announced his retirement from international football on 24 November 2010. After his playing career, Kuqi was a manager of Honka , PK-35 Vantaa and Inter Turku in Finland . On 8 January 2024, he
3783-777: The Suffolk Challenge Cup and the Suffolk Senior Cup . After playing in the Norfolk & Suffolk League from 1899 and the South East Anglian League between 1903 and 1906, they joined the Southern Amateur League in 1907 and, with results improving steadily, became champions in the 1921–22 season. The club won the league a further three times, in 1929–30 , 1932–33 and 1933–34 , before becoming founder members of
3880-536: 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 team's away shirt for the 2004–05 season, and also to the home kit for the 2005–06 season. These stars were added to represent the three major trophies which Ipswich Town have won ; the FA Cup , the UEFA Cup and the old First Division . The stars were relocated directly above
3977-600: The West Stand. The East Stand of Portman Road, formerly known as the Portman Stand , is called the Cobbold Stand , named after the former owners of the club. The playing surface at Portman Road is highly regarded and has been voted best pitch in the league on a number of occasions. The former groundsman, Alan Ferguson, received a number of accolades, including both Premiership and Championship Groundsman of
Shefki Kuqi - Misplaced Pages Continue
4074-461: The Wolsey Gate, and is close to the sea with a large dock area." This crest was re-used on the home and goalkeeper kit during the 2020–21 season, in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Ipswich's UEFA Cup triumph. 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,
4171-558: The Year Award for Burley. However, the following season was not so successful. The team took only one win in their opening seventeen league games, leaving them bottom in December. Despite a good run of form in January and February, Burley could not save the club from relegation back to the Championship at the end of the season. The loss of income due to relegation also led to the club going into financial administration . There
4268-554: The Year. The stadium has also hosted many England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly international match, against Croatia in 2003. A recent nickname for Town is "The Tractor Boys", which was coined during the club's brief period in the Premier League from 2000–01 to 2001–02 , when the team regularly competed against more fashionable clubs. The nickname is an example of self-deprecating humour referring to Suffolk's agricultural heritage. The origins of
4365-400: The academy has produced more young players going onto the main team including Connor Wickham , Jordan Rhodes , Luke Woolfenden , Flynn Downes and Andre Dozzell , who like his father Jason Dozzell , scored on his debut at the age of 16. Towards the end of each season, a player is voted as the 'Player of the Year' by the club's fans. In 2007, the club created a hall of fame into which
4462-568: The club announced that popular artist and longtime Ipswich fan Ed Sheeran would be the club's new shirt sponsor for the 2021–22 season, a deal which was later extended to cover until the end of the 2023–24 season. On 14 June 2022, Ipswich announced that the club had signed a 4-year contract with Umbro to become the new kit manufacturers for both the Men's and Women's teams, marking the first time since 1995 that Ipswich's kits were made by Umbro. Between 1878 and 1884, Ipswich Town played at two grounds in
4559-507: The club come out of administration and continue to challenge for promotion back to the Premier League. They finished that season in fifth, but were defeated in the playoff semi-finals by West Ham United . Narrowly missing automatic promotion in 2004–05 , Royle again took Ipswich to the play-offs, but once more they lost to West Ham United in the semi-finals. 2005–06 saw Ipswich finish in 15th place—the club's lowest finish since 1966. Joe Royle resigned by mutual consent on 11 May 2006, and
4656-463: The club donated 500 orange and blue-and-white shirts to children in Iraq . In 1981, Ipswich Town announced a sponsorship deal with Japanese-based electronics company Pioneer Corporation , who became the first official sponsors of the club. Pioneer Corporation also sponsored the west stand of the club's Portman Road stadium up until 1999, formerly known as the West Stand. Pioneer would continue to sponsor
4753-615: The club first qualified for the European Cup . For 45 years, Ipswich held the record for the longest unbeaten run of games at home in European competition, with a run of 31 home matches undefeated. Due to the team's absence from such tournaments in recent years this record has since been broken by Dutch club AZ Alkmaar , but remains a record for British clubs. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Club sponsor and minority stakeholder Ed Sheeran
4850-603: The club in April 1963 to take charge of the England national team . Under his leadership the England team won the 1966 World Cup . He received a knighthood for "services to football" in 1967. 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 – one of
4947-447: The club instead opted to sign Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink . He joined Crystal Palace for a reported £2.5 million transfer fee at the end of the August transfer window in 2006. On his move, Kuqi admits he was surprised by Blackburn when he was sold to Crystal Palace and made his debut for the club in a 1–1 draw against Luton Town . Kuqi did not have a prolific first season at Selhurst Park , scoring only seven goals in 38 games, and at
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#17327868228915044-525: The club was elected to the Football League in 1938. Ipswich won the league title in 1961–62 , their first season in the top flight, and finished runners-up in 1980–81 and 1981–82 . They finished in the top six in the First Division for ten years, and won the FA Cup in 1978 and UEFA Cup in 1981 . They have never lost at home in European competition, having defeated teams such as Real Madrid , AC Milan , Inter Milan , Lazio and Barcelona . Ipswich play their home games at Portman Road . They have
5141-434: The club won the Second Division championship and gained promotion to the inaugural season of the newly founded Premier League . Since then Ipswich have had multiple kit sponsors, including Suffolk-based brewing company Greene King from 1995 to 2001, and the energy companies TXU Energi (2001–2003), Powergen (2003–2006) and E.ON (2006–2008). After the club's takeover by Marcus Evans in 2007, Marcus Evans Group became
5238-536: The club's existing £32 million debt. The club agreed a sponsorship deal with the Marcus Evans Group on 20 May 2008, lasting until 2018, the longest in the club's history. After failing to reach the playoffs despite substantial investment, Magilton was sacked in April 2009, and new Chief Executive Simon Clegg replaced him with former Manchester United player, Roy Keane . Keane's spell as manager came to an end after an unsuccessful 18 months, when he
5335-575: The club's history, as well as being England's two most successful managers. On 10 July 2012, the West Stand, formerly known as the Pioneer Stand and the Britannia Stand , was renamed the East of England Co-operative Stand following a sponsorship deal with the East of England Co-operative Society . The Co-op's sponsorship lasted until 2021, when it was not renewed and returned to be simply
5432-412: The club's kits until 1985, when a new sponsorship deal was agreed with local Suffolk radio station Radio Orwell . The radio station would only sponsor the club's kits for a single season before being replaced with pharmaceutical and horticultural chemical manufacturers Fisons . Fisons were the main sponsors of the club from the 1986–87 season through to the 1994–95 season, including the 1991–92 season when
5529-429: The club's new primary sponsor and would go on to be the football club's main sponsor from 2008 until 2018. In January 2018, the club agreed a new three year sponsorship deal worth almost £2 million with British online casino company Magical Vegas. In May 2020, Magical Vegas revealed that they had donated the final year of their shirt sponsor rights to The Carers Trust charity for the 2020–21 season. On 6 May 2021,
5626-569: The club's sponsorship by the electronics company Pioneer Corporation and was converted to all-seating in 1990. In 1992, following the recommendations of the Taylor Report in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster three years earlier, the terraces in both the north and south stands were also converted to all-seating, creating the first complete all-seater stadium in the top flight of English football - post Taylor Report ( Highfield Road
5723-453: The crest when the shirt was redesigned prior to the 2007–08 season, with them being moved again in 2022–23 to the back of the shirt. Ipswich Town's traditional home colours are blue shirts with white shorts and blue socks. One of Ipswich Town's nicknames is The Blues , stemming from their traditional kit. The club's first registered colours were blue and white striped shirts with black shorts. All-blue shirts and white shorts were first worn in
5820-473: The division champions, won promotion to the top level of English football, the First Division , in 1960–61 . 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 left
5917-629: The end of August 2007, he signed for Fulham on a four-month loan deal, where he made ten league appearances, scoring no goals. Kuqi was placed on the transfer list and fined two weeks wages by Neil Warnock after signalling an offensive gesture to Palace fans when they cheered as he was substituted following a particularly poor performance in the 2–0 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 23 February 2008. Other reasons behind him being transfer listed were due to his weight gain and lack of fitness and Warnock told Kuqi there will be no way back for him In March 2008, Kuqi returned to Ipswich on loan until
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#17327868228916014-451: The end of the 2018–19 season, ending Ipswich's 63-year stay in the top two tiers of English football. Lambert remained as manager following relegation to take charge of Ipswich's first season in the third tier since 1957. Ipswich finished the season in 11th place, the club's lowest finish since 1953. The standings were decided by points-per-game due to the season's suspension in March 2020 as
6111-523: The end of the season to fill in for the injured Jonathan Walters but failed to reproduce his form at Ipswich Town. He began the 2008–09 campaign with his first team prospects seemingly irretrievable but Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock named (and used) him as a substitute for the away draw at Ipswich Town and home victory over Charlton in September and on 4 October he scored the second goal of Palace's 2–0 victory at Nottingham Forest . Kuqi's return to
6208-410: The fans (Hibernian) convinced him to join the club after he was in the stands to see an Edinburgh derby . On 18 August 2012, Kuqi made his debut, coming on as a substitute in a 2–1 win against St Mirren . Kuqi made only two starting appearances for Hibs during his season with the club and failed to score a goal in 14 total appearances. He was described by BBC Sport as being one of the worst signings in
6305-436: The fifth team to do so, and were promoted as runners-up to end their 22-year absence from the top tier. They sealed the runner-up spot with 96 points, boasting the highest goal tally of 92 in total. Ipswich Town's shirts did not sport a crest until the mid-1960s, when they adopted a design based on the Ipswich coat of arms, featuring a gold lion rampant guardant on a red background on the left half and three gold ramparts on
6402-468: The first black player to represent the club in the football league. 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. In
6499-548: The first derby between the two professional clubs taking place in 1939. Locally, much is made of the informal title " Pride of Anglia ". Fans claim the title for either winning the East Anglian Derby, finishing highest in the league, having the better current league position and having the more successful club history. Mick Mills holds the record for Ipswich league appearances, having played 741 first-team matches between 1966 and 1982. The club's top league goalscorer
6596-418: The first team completed a remarkable sequence of events, and he ended his season as the top scorer of his team. Kuqi was offered a new contract on 27 January 2009 which he rejected. By the end of the season, Kuqi was offered a new contract again along with 5 other players but a few months later, Warnock said he was expecting Kuqi to leave. After Kuqi's contract ran out at Crystal Palace on 1 July 2009, he signed
6693-405: The following season proved more successful. After an undefeated streak of 18 league games, with several club records broken, Ipswich were promoted back to the Championship as runners-up. Ipswich finished the 2022–23 season in second place, with 98 points and scoring 101 league goals. After winning their final league game of the 2023–24 season , Ipswich achieved back-to-back promotions, becoming
6790-542: The head coach and general manager, respectively. Ipswich Town F.C. Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Ipswich , Suffolk , East Anglia, England. The club competes in the Premier League , the top tier of English football , following back to back promotions from League One and the Championship . Ipswich Town were founded in 1878 but did not turn professional until 1936;
6887-535: The league and in the FA Cup) and were semi-finalists in the FA Cup. Ipswich did win the UEFA Cup, however, in 1981 with a 5–4 victory over AZ Alkmaar in the two-legged final. The run to the final included a 4–1 win at St Etienne , captained by Michel Platini . The club also finished league runners-up in the subsequent 1981/82 season. Robson's success with Ipswich attracted the attention of many bigger clubs, and he
6984-533: The manager may have total responsibility for the running of a club. The manager's responsibilities in a professional football club usually include (but are not limited to) the following: Some of the above responsibilities may be shared with a director of football or sporting director , and are at times delegated to an assistant manager or club coach. Additionally, depending on the club, some minor responsibilities include: These responsibilities are more common among managers of small clubs. The title of manager
7081-588: The margin which eventually separated them and champions Liverpool. Major success came in 1978 when Ipswich beat Arsenal at Wembley Stadium to win their only FA Cup trophy. The triumph was followed by almost winning the triple in 1980–81. Ipswich led the top division for most of the season and were on course to win a second league title plus FA Cup and European honours. However, injuries and fixture congestion (a squad of thirteen players played over sixty matches) took its toll and Ipswich ultimately came runners up to Aston Villa (a side they had beaten home and away in
7178-421: The next two seasons at Ipswich Town, Kuqi became a regular in the first team and able to score goals. He scored 20 goals in the Championship for Ipswich in the 2004–05 season, which made him the club's leading top scorer, along with Darren Bent . By the end of the season with his contract at Ipswich Town coming to an end, Kuqi rejected the offer of a new contract with the club. His form with Ipswich earned him
7275-562: The nickname are not certain, but the first generally accepted use of the nickname was created whilst playing at Leeds United in 2000–2001: Ipswich were winning the game 2–1 and the Leeds fans started chanting, "We're being beaten by a bunch of tractor drivers". 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
7372-419: The nickname is commonly used by the media. Former Town manager Jim Magilton commented in the local press that he disliked the nickname and said that it conjured up "images of carrot-crunching yokels", while players such as Matt Holland accepted the chant with good humour. Ipswich have a global fan base, with the official Ipswich Town Supporters Club having supporters branches across the world. The club has
7469-475: The relegation, left the club in May 1987 after his contract expired, following Ipswich's failure to return to the First Division. Ipswich Town were then managed by John Duncan for three years until he was replaced by former West Ham United boss John Lyall in May 1990, with Ipswich still in the Second Division. Lyall guided Ipswich to the Second Division title and promotion to the new FA Premier League , ready for
7566-454: The saviour of County's 2000–01 season as he impressed with his speed and strength, he went on to score six goals in eighteen games to help County retain their division one status. Kuqi is still the club's second most internationally capped player. However, under player-manager Carlton Palmer , after he succeeded Andy Kilner as manager, Kuqi was used less frequently. His good performances led him being linked with his future club Blackburn . Kuqi
7663-455: The season, Kuqi struggled to command a first team place and found himself on the bench. Kuqi scored seven Premier League goals for Blackburn in the 2005–06 season, but couldn't replicate his form from his time at Ipswich Town. During the following season Kuqi struggled to break into the first team and made only one appearance, coming on as a substitute in a 3–0 loss against Portsmouth. Six years later, Kuqi revealed he almost joined Celtic , but
7760-530: The season. Six months later, fortunes on the pitch had not improved, and Lyall was sacked in December 1994 with the club bottom of the Premiership. Lyall's successor, George Burley , was unable to turn team performances around, and Ipswich were dealt a Premiership record defeat, 9–0, at Manchester United , on their way to relegation. 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
7857-407: The semi-final of the tournament with a 3–1 victory, with Luca Scapuzzi also getting on the scoresheet. Kuqi left the club following the expiry of his contract on 1 July 2012 as the club could not afford to keep him for the 2012–13 campaign. In August 2012, Kuqi signed a one-year deal with Scottish Premier League (SPL) team Hibernian , with a further option. On his move, Kuqi said the passion of
7954-466: The stadium. The North Stand was renamed in honour of former manager Sir Bobby Robson in September 2009. On 31 March 2012, in conjunction with celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Ipswich Town winning the First Division, the South Stand was renamed in honour of Ipswich and England's former manager Alf Ramsey . Portman Road now features two stands named after their two most successful managers in
8051-436: The top division. The recent construction of an expensive new stand at Portman Road limited the club's budget, despite the money gaining from sales of key players including Thijssen and Wark. Ipswich were finally relegated to the Second Division at the end of the 1985–86 season . Butcher, the last remaining key player from the successful 1981 team, was sold to Rangers that summer. Ferguson, who had remained in charge despite
8148-399: The town, Broomhill and Brook's Hall, but in 1884, the club moved to Portman Road and have played there ever since. At their new home, Ipswich became one of the first clubs to implement the use of goal nets, in 1890, but the more substantial elements of ground development did not begin until, in 1901, a tobacco processing plant was built along the south edge of the ground. The first stand,
8245-471: 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 and the prominence of agriculture in East Anglia . The series began in the early 20th century, when both clubs were amateur organisations. The first derby was held between the two clubs on 15 November 1902, with
8342-578: The worst-ever defensive records in English senior football. 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 . During the summer of 1968, Steve Stacey , signed from fourth division side Wrexham , went on to make his debut on 14 September 1968 becoming
8439-409: Was announced as the new manager of the club on a three-year contract. However, after a poor start to the season and with the team bottom of the table, Hurst was sacked in October 2018 after less than five months in charge – making him the shortest serving manager in the club's history. He was replaced by former Norwich City manager Paul Lambert , but he was unable to prevent relegation to League One at
8536-452: Was appointed as the head coach of Kosovar club Feronikeli . Kuqi has received some media attention – especially from Match of the Day – for his spectacular, and unusual, diving goal celebration known as a Swan Dive. Kuqi jumps forward with both arms out, in what could be described as an attempt to glide like a bird, before crashing to the ground; the movement bears some resemblance to
8633-473: Was built at the southern 'Churchmans' end. All sides were terraced by 1954, and floodlights were erected in 1959 for use in lower light conditions. The two-tier Portman Stand was built along the east side of the ground in place of the existing terraces in 1971, and the West Stand was extended in 1982 by the addition of a third tier. The rebuilt West Stand was renamed the Pioneer Stand as a result of
8730-471: Was given four matches 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. Royle inherited a side struggling near the Division One relegation zone, but revived fortunes such that the team narrowly failed to reach the playoffs. The 2003–04 season saw
8827-597: Was linked with the Manchester United job when Dave Sexton was sacked in May 1981, but the job went to Ron Atkinson instead. The Football Association lured Robson away from Portman Road a year later, when he accepted their offer to manage the England national team in July 1982. Robson's successor at Ipswich was his assistant manager Bobby Ferguson . Under Ferguson, Town finished mid-table twice, but worsening performances meant that they began to struggle in
8924-419: Was made up of Ohio-based investment group ORG Portfolio Management, the "Three Lions Fund" (made up of three Phoenix Rising FC board members including Brett M. Johnson , Berke Bakay and Mark Detmer) and former owner Marcus Evans, who remained as a minority shareholder. Mike O'Leary, former West Bromwich Albion chief executive, was appointed as the club's chairman following the acquisition. Ipswich finished
9021-496: Was on the verge of joining Blackburn worth about a £1.2 million fee, but the move broke down and he accused Palmer of threatening him to be sacked for being injured Palmer was responsible for pressuring Graeme Souness for Kuqi not joining the club. Kuqi still maintains his accusations towards Palmer, claiming his management is 'clueless' and feels the club made a mistake having Palmer as manager. Kuqi joined Blackburn Rovers four years later. Kuqi joined Sheffield Wednesday and signed
9118-532: Was previously all-seater in the early 1980s), with a spectator capacity of 22,600. Success that took place on the pitch led to further investment in the infrastructure, with the club spending over £22 million on redeveloping both North and South stands, resulting in a current capacity of 30,311, making it the largest-capacity football stadium in East Anglia . In the past ten years, statues of both Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson have been unveiled outside
9215-404: Was sacked in January 2011, to be replaced briefly by Ian McParland in a caretaker role before Paul Jewell took the reins on a permanent basis. A poor start to the 2012/13 season with Ipswich bottom of the Championship after winning only one of their first twelve games, led to Jewell leaving his position on 24 October 2012 by mutual consent. He was replaced temporarily by Chris Hutchings for
9312-400: Was terminated by mutual consent after he failed to break through into the first team. After being released by the club, Kuqi was linked with joining Huddersfield Town On 10 February 2011, Kuqi joined Premier League side Newcastle United for the remainder of the season. He was given the number 42 shirt and made his debut against former club Blackburn Rovers on 12 February 2011 coming on in
9409-476: 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 Slovan Liberec . A slow start to the season, culminating in a 0–3 defeat at struggling Grimsby Town , meant that Burley was sacked in October 2002 after nearly eight years as manager. First team coach Tony Mowbray
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