Historically Ipswich Town are revered for the great Sir Alf Ramsey and Bobby Robson being their famous managers, with Ramsey guiding the tractor boys to the champions of England in the 1961-62 season and a decade later the rise continued under Bobby Robson’s tenure during the 1970’s winning the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup with two second placed finishes in the top flight, into English folklore both managers chaptered on later leaving to manage their country with distinction and pride, the 1966 World Cup triumph under Sir Alf is forever etched.

Robson’s departure in 1982 led to mixed fortunes for the club with a decline in league form becoming prevalent and relegation followed in the 1986 season to the second division with the club becoming established in the second tier, the club escaped this syndrome by gaining promotion back to the top flight in the 1999-2000 season but returned to their normal standing in English football and the second division in the 2002 season. A new owner took the reigns at the club during the 2007 season. The club became known as the static club, no movement but what followed was a move in the wrong direction with the club drop zoned into League 1, for first time for over sixty years in 2019. The club’s financial position became perilous with a 100 million pound debt, an ageing Portman Road Stadium and mid table finishes, the club was at a crossroads, the only way was up and that proved to be the case with the rise of Ipswich Town.

In 2021 Evans sold the club to an American consortium named as Game Changer Ltd for 40 million pounds and they immediately wiped off the club’s 100 million pound debt. During the first six matches of the season there was no game changer on the pitch with he tractor men finding themselves in the relegation zone under manager Paul Cook alongside a loss to Barrow AFC in the Cup fast tracked Kieran Mckenna into the manager’s hot seat, whose CV highlighted a series of youth team coach positions at Leicester City, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur with a spell as first team coach Manchester United. It was a risk appointment for Ipswich highlighted by the appointment at Plymouth Argyle of Ian Foster to run concurrently who led a similar path as McKenna having managed the England Under 18, 19 and 20 teams being highly rated, Foster did not hit the ground running and was sacked after a short period. Management is a precarious profession, much like the media it can become a cesspit to operate in but if you like the smell of sweet smelling manure then you continue to take on the challenge, McKenna’s first season ended with an eleventh place finish.

Ipswich’s budget in League One was the biggest in the league and McKenna made that pay clinching promotion to the championship at the first time of asking under the Irish man’s tenure. At the tender age of 35, McKenna was about to bring off a remarkable feat by taking Ipswich Town to the promised land, the Premier League titled ‘The Rise of Ipswich Town’. McKenna in his first championship season guided the club ninety-six points tucked in behind champions Leicester City, a remarkable rise from having the lowest turnover peaking out at 14.4 million pounds set against a 16.4 million pound wage bill, to hit the 96 points mark is remarkable. A further claimer to the termed special came with McKenna winning more points in the last two seasons than any other manager, in terms of player development, no manager has raised the bar higher than McKenna.

Possession football and speed in transition with a vibrant factor are the McKenna hallmarks to DNA to the Ipswich Town brand of football, a sensational achievement with the back to back promotions, McKenna has control over the club’s infrastructure and staff recruitment. The McKenna input has a strong influence on the multi pound training centre to be built, the academy will then rise from category 2 to category 1 on completion to glove a monopoly on the local scouting network alongside the development of Portman Road to hit a 29000 capacity. The owners are valued at 13 billion pounds, a 100 million pound investment from a private equity firm substantiates the rapid growth of Ipswich Town to continue the club’s growth with Premiership status, a key factor to sustain the ‘Rise of Ipswich Town’.