During the 1994–95 English football season, Ipswich Town competed in the FA Premier League.
Season summary Ipswich Town conceded 93 Premier League goals, kept just 3 clean sheets and recorded just 7 wins all season as one of the worst seasons in their history saw them return to the second tier of the league after three seasons in the top flight.
Manager John Lyall reverted to manager after being Director of Football for the previous season and during the summer, Steve Sedgley became the club's first £1 million signing. However, Ipswich experienced their worst start to a season for 31 years, losing 11 of their first 15 games. Following defeat by Manchester City at the beginning of December with Ipswich bottom of the league and relegation already looking more than likely, Lyall quit. Coach Paul Goddard stepped in as caretaker manager but former player George Burley was soon back at the club as manager, with Dale Roberts as his assistant. But the transition did little to alter Ipswich's fortunes. Before then though, in arguably their biggest highlight of the season, the Tractor Boys stunned reigning champions Manchester United by beating them 3–2 at Portman Road in September (having even led by 2–0 at one stage) which would ultimately be one of the defeats that cost United the title by one point. However, in the return fixture, an unthinkable double wasn't to be and a 9–0 humiliation at the hands of United at Old Trafford in early March, a record Premier League defeat, effectively crushed any remaining hopes of survival. The defeat was part of a run of seven defeats with Ipswich failing to score and their relegation was guaranteed on 14 April with six games remaining following results elsewhere. On a brighter note though, another highlight included a surprise 1–0 win at Anfield against eventual-4th-placed Liverpool in mid-January, their first win at Anfield in 34 attempts.
In the cups, Ipswich failed to progress in both, losing to First Division Bolton in the Coca Cola Cup and to Second Division Wrexham in the FA Cup.
With an ageing squad, Burley was given little option but to resort to his young reserves in hope of rebuilding his side ready to push for a Premier League comeback.
Former chairman Patrick Cobbold died in December.
First-team squad Squad at end of season
Left club during season
Reserve squad
Competitions FA Premier League
League table
Results summary
Results by round
Legend WinDrawLoss Ipswich Town's score comes first
Matches DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 20 August 1994 Nottingham ForestH0–118,882 23 August 1994 WimbledonA1–15,853Milton 27 August 1994 Queens Park RangersA2–112,456Yates (own goal), Genchev 30 August 1994 Tottenham HotspurH1–322,559Kiwomya 10 September 1994 Aston VillaA0–222,241 19 September 1994 Norwich CityH1–217,447Wark (pen) 24 September 1994 Manchester UnitedH3–222,539Mason (2), Sedgley 1 October 1994 SouthamptonA1–313,246Marshall 10 October 1994 Coventry CityA0–29,526 16 October 1994 Sheffield WednesdayH1–213,073Wark 23 October 1994 ChelseaA0–215,068 29 October 1994 LiverpoolH1–322,513Paz 1 November 1994 Leeds UnitedH2–015,956Sedgley, Williams 5 November 1994 Crystal PalaceA0–313,349 19 November 1994 Blackburn RoversH1–317,329Thomsen 26 November 1994 Newcastle UnitedA1–134,459Thomsen 3 December 1994 Manchester CityH1–213,504Mason 10 December 1994 Nottingham ForestA1–421,340Thomsen 16 December 1994 WimbledonH2–211,367Milton, Sedgley 26 December 1994 West Ham UnitedA1–120,562Thomsen 28 December 1994 ArsenalH0–222,054 31 December 1994 EvertonA1–425,659Sedgley 2 January 1995 Leicester CityH4–115,803Kiwomya (2), Tanner, Yallop 14 January 1995 LiverpoolA1–032,733Tanner 21 January 1995 ChelseaH2–217,296Slater, Wark (pen) 28 January 1995 Blackburn RoversA1–421,325Wark (pen) 4 February 1995 Crystal PalaceH0–215,570 22 February 1995 Manchester CityA0–221,430 25 February 1995 SouthamptonH2–116,076Mathie, Chapman 28 February 1995 Newcastle UnitedH0–218,639 4 March 1995 Manchester UnitedA0–943,804 8 March 1995 Tottenham HotspurA0–324,930 20 March 1995 Norwich CityA0–317,510 1 April 1995 Aston VillaH0–115,710 5 April 1995 Leeds UnitedA0–428,600 11 April 1995 Queens Park RangersH0–111,767 15 April 1995 ArsenalA1–436,818Marshall 17 April 1995 West Ham UnitedH1–119,099Thomsen 29 April 1995 Leicester CityA0–215,248 6 May 1995 Coventry CityH2–012,893Marshall, Pressley (own goal) 9 May 1995 EvertonH0–114,951 14 May 1995 Sheffield WednesdayA1–430,213Mathie
FA Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR37 January 1995 WrexhamA1–28,500Linighan
League Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR2 1st Leg 21 September 1994 Bolton WanderersH0–37,787R2 2nd Leg 5 October 1994 Bolton WanderersA0–1 (lost 0–4 on agg)8,212
Transfers Transfers in DatePosNameFromFeeRef15 June 1994DF Claus Thomsen AGF Aarhus£250,00015 June 1994MF Steve Sedgley Tottenham Hotspur£1,000,0001 September 1994MF Adrián Paz Estudiantes de La PlataUndisclosed9 September 1994DF Mauricio Taricco Argentinos Juniors£175,00019 January 1995FW Lee Chapman West Ham United£70,00024 February 1995FW Alex Mathie Newcastle United£500,00023 March 1995DF Chris Swailes Doncaster Rovers£225,000Ipswich transfer info on Chris Swailes: from a list at The Daily Telegraph website.
Loans in Date fromPosNameFromDate untilRef1 February 1995DF Andy Millen Kilmarnock28 February 1995
Transfers out DatePosNameToFeeRef1 July 1994FW Paul GoddardRetired1 July 1994FW Gary ThompsonFree agentReleased1 July 1994DF Lee HoneywoodFree agentReleased13 January 1995FW Chris Kiwomya Arsenal£1,200,0003 March 1995DF Phil Whelan Middlesbrough£300,00017 March 1995DF Eddie Youds Bradford City£250,000
Loans out Date fromPosNameFromDate untilRef9 January 1995MF David Gregory Hereford United31 May 199520 January 1995DF Eddie Youds Bradford City17 March 19956 March 1995FW Neil Gregory Scunthorpe United31 May 1995
Awards Player awards AwardPlayerPlayer of the Year Craig ForrestPlayers' Player of the Year Craig Forrest
References