On 16 October 1878, a group made up mostly of former pupils of Ipswich School met at Ipswich Town Hall. They founded an amateur football club that nobody imagined would one day be crowned champions of England and win a European trophy. Today Ipswich Town turns 148. This is its story.

Born at the Town Hall (1878)

The club began life as Ipswich Association Football Club. The word "Association" set it apart from the existing Ipswich Football Club, which played rugby. Local MP Thomas Cobbold, who had played football at Charterhouse School, became its president. It was the start of a long relationship: the Cobbold family stayed tied to the club for more than a century. Ipswich played their first match against another club on 2 November 1878, beating Stoke Wanderers 6–1.

From amateurs to professionals

In 1884 the club moved to Portman Road, still its home today. In 1888 it merged with the town's rugby club and took the name it carries to this day: Ipswich Town Football Club. For almost 60 years it remained amateur. In 1936 it turned professional and won the Southern League at the first attempt. On 30 May 1938 it was elected to the Football League by a margin of just two votes.

The Alf Ramsey miracle

In 1955 Alf Ramsey took charge. In 1960–61 Ipswich won the Second Division title, ahead of Sheffield United and Liverpool. The following season they did something few clubs in English football history have achieved: they were crowned champions of England (1961–62) in their very first season in the top flight. In April 1963 Ramsey took over the England national team, with whom he won the 1966 World Cup.

The golden era of Bobby Robson

Under Bobby Robson, Ipswich became one of the best teams in England. In 1978 they won the FA Cup, beating Arsenal 1–0 at Wembley with a goal from Roger Osborne. In 1981 came the greatest moment in the club's history: the UEFA Cup. In the final they beat AZ Alkmaar 3–0 at Portman Road, lost 4–2 at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam and lifted the trophy 5–4 on aggregate.

The Suffolk Punch crest

The club crest came out of a competition organised by the club, won by John Gammage. As he himself recalled, his first thought was the Suffolk Punch, the region's traditional breed of working horse. He added elements from the town's historic buildings, such as the Wolsey Gate, as well as the sea and the port. In 1995 the crest was refreshed: the horse was redrawn to look more like a Suffolk Punch, and yellow was replaced with red.

"Tractor Boys"

For decades supporters called the team "the Blues" or simply "Town". Its best-known nickname today, "Tractor Boys", is relatively recent and refers to the rural character of Suffolk. Ipswich fans have adopted it with pride.

Celebrate with us

From the Town Hall in 1878 to the 1962 league title and the 1981 UEFA Cup, Ipswich show that a small town can reach great heights. Happy birthday, Town!

See Ipswich Town shirts and merchandise at sportarena.gr.

Photo: Portman Road, 2015 – James Cracknell, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.