Issue 2 Identity

The Identity
of ITFC
Kieran Dyer, Darren Bent, Connor Wickham, Richard Wright, Darren
Ambrose, and the list goes on. For decades ITFC have produced numerous youth products that
have gone on to play at the very highest level. In 2005 Ipswich won the FA Youth Cup prompting
excitement amongst the Town supporters, many believed this would be the generation that could
take Town back into the Premier League and beyond. But under the management of Roy Keane
and Paul Jewell, the spine of the side consisted of big name signings and loanees keen to progress
their careers elsewhere. Now only one player from the 2005 FA Youth Cup final is at Ipswich; David
McGoldrick played for Southampton with Theo Walcott, Adam Lallana and Gareth Bale.
In 2009, aged just 16 Connor Wickham made his debut for Ipswich Town. He was the youngest
player ever to play for the Town first team. Just weeks after his debut, manager Jim Magilton was
sacked and replaced with the infamous Roy Keane. In Roy Keane’s first year in the job he appeared
to continue with the clubs philosophy and handed a debut to eighteen year old Luke Hyam
and gave youth graduate Tommy Smith a long run in the first team. East Anglian boy Tom Eastman
was also given his debut. Both clearly had massive potential and the Town faithful saw a
bright future for the youngsters. However, over the first few months of the 2010/11 season the
side struggled and many young players were dropped for older “been there, done it” players. This
was not the winning formula for Keane and he was sacked in January 2011.
Paul Jewell was shortly appointed as the new boss of Town; he had a track of record of bringing
through youth players and playing attractive football: two integral parts of the club’s identity.
Things did slightly pick up over the second half of the season but many of the club’s youth graduates
failed to make a big break into the first team. In April Town suffered a humiliating defeat to
arch rivals Norwich, and the club felt its identity ripped apart. That summer, the only shining light
from Town’s youth system Connor Wickham, was sold to Sunderland for £8M. In Jewell’s second
season he brought many of his old players, not the chance for youth many expected. The club faltered
to an average 15 th place. In October of 2012, as youth was given brief chances in
the first team Paul Jewell was sacked as manager of Ipswich Town. Mick McCarthy
was brought into to save the club from relegation. This time, the club was in real dan-