The 1961–62 season was the 73rd season of competitive football played by Ipswich Town. The club had been promoted the previous season as champions of the Second Division. They made a steady start to the league season, and were in twelfth place by the end of August, but slowly rose to compete with Burnley for the title. Going undefeated in February and March, the club were top of the league at the start of April. Burnley's poor form that month allowed Ipswich to take advantage and win the title with Burnley still left to play their final league fixture. It was the first time a club had won the championship at the first time of asking with the exception of Preston North End who had won the inaugural title in the 1888–89 season. Ray Crawford was the club's top scorer and equalled Derek Kevan of West Bromwich Albion as the league's top scorer with 33.
The club exited the FA Cup in the fourth round in a replay against lower league opposition in Norwich City, having played two replays against Luton Town the previous round. Similarly, Ipswich were sent out of the Football League Cup in the fourth round after losing heavily to Blackburn Rovers. As league champions, Ipswich qualified for European football for the first time in the club's history and participated in the 1962–63 European Cup where they lost to eventual winners AC Milan in the first round. The Ipswich manager Alf Ramsey left after the following season to become England national football team manager.
Background Ipswich went into the 1961–62 Football League, their 73rd competitive season, having been promoted from the Football League Second Division as champions, one point ahead of Sheffield United. It was Ipswich's first season in the top tier of English football in the club's history. Ray Crawford was the league's top scorer with 39 goals as Ipswich ended the season with 100 goals scored.
Summary League August to October
Ipswich's first ever match in the top flight was against Bolton Wanderers at Burnden Park on 19 August 1961. The match ended goalless and Eric Todd wrote in The Guardian that although Ipswich looked like Second Division champions "only on occasions", they were denied a late chance to win of which "Bolton could not have complained." Three days later, Ipswich made their first visit to Turf Moor where they lost 4–3 to Burnley after equalising three times, including two goals from Ted Phillips. Despite the defeat, Ramsey said it was the best performance he had seen from Ipswich since he had been connected with the club. In their first game of the season at Portman Road, two late goals by Peter Dobing secured a 4–2 victory for Manchester City on 26 August 1961. Journalist Clement Freud, writing in The Observer, noted that for half an hour of the match "Ipswich found their First Division feet." Ipswich then faced Burnley at home, winning 6–2 including a brace from Crawford, to record their first victory of the season, and ended the month in twelfth place in the league table.
September started with a trip to the Hawthorns where Ipswich faced West Bromwich Albion. Two goals from Doug Moran, one either side of a Crawford strike, saw the visitors secure a 3–1 victory. Three days later, and in front of 24,928 spectators, the highest attendance at Portman Road that season, Ipswich won 2–1 against Blackburn Rovers. A fourth consecutive victory followed as Ipswich beat Birmingham City 4–1 which included another brace from Phillips, one of which was a strike. After a mid-week League Cup victory over Manchester City, Ipswich faced Everton at Goodison Park: goalkeeper Wilf Hall stood in for injured Roy Bailey to make his debut in a First Division match. In blustery conditions, Derek Temple scored a hat-trick as Ipswich were beaten convincingly 5–2 with consolation goals from Phillips and Moran. Two days later, Ipswich travelled to Ewood Park and secured a late point with a 2–2 draw thanks to a 75th-minute goal from Phillips, his second of the match. The ball rebounded off his face after being punched clear by Blackburn's goalkeeper Brian Reeves. A 4–2 defeat by Fulham meant Ipswich had gone without a win in three games, but the final fixture of September saw them defeat Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough 4–1, with goals from Phillips (2), Crawford and Jimmy Leadbetter. Ipswich ended the month in sixth place in the league table, seven points behind leaders Burnley.
Ipswich's next league opposition was West Ham United who they faced on 7 October 1961 in front of 28,059 spectators, their largest ever league attendance at Portman Road. The home team won 4–2 with a second-half brace each from Phillips and Crawford. Tony Pawson, writing in the Daily Herald, praised Ipswich who "dominated [the] match by clever football". A 2–1 defeat at Sheffield United the week later was followed by a 3–2 victory at home over Tottenham Hotspur, a result described by John Arlott in The Observer as "the highest of the peaks of Ipswich Town's achievement". Cliff Jones scored twice for the League and FA Cup champions, but a second-half brace from Crawford ensured a win for Ipswich in front of yet another record Portman Road crowd. A week later, a trip to Bloomfield Road saw Ipswich end the month in fourth place in the league after a 1–1 draw, with a performance deemed "half-hearted" by the East Anglian Daily Times.
November to January
Nottingham Forest were the next visitors to Portman Road on 4 November, and despite them having considerably more chances to score, a solitary effort from Phillips midway through the first half was sufficient for Ipswich to take both points. The following week saw Ipswich travel to Molineux where they faced Wolverhampton Wanderers. The visitors were down to ten men after just six minutes as Roy Stephenson was forced to withdraw following a thigh injury. Two late goals from Wolves, from Terry Wharton and Alan Hinton, resulted in a 2–0 defeat for Ipswich. Matt Busby's Manchester United were Ipswich's opponents at Portman Road on 18 November, with the home side winning 4–1 with goals from Phillips (2), Crawford and Elsworthy, and United's late consolation goal coming from Sammy McMillan. Both Busby and Ramsey acclaimed Phillips, the former suggesting that he had the "hardest and most accurate shot in the game at present" while the latter agreed: "Ted is the best shot of my time." The final game of November saw Ipswich visit Ninian Park where they faced Cardiff City. With a performance described in the East Anglian Daily Times as "deadly", "efficient" and "polished and planned", Ipswich won 3–0 with goals from Moran and Phillips (2). They finished the month in second place in the league, three points behind Burnley who had a game in hand, and a point ahead of West Ham United and Everton.
December started with the visit of Chelsea to Portman Road. Pawson in The Observer noted that Ipswich "held off Chelsea's determined challenge, and then casually crushed them" 5–2 with a hat-trick from Crawford supplemented by goals from Moran and Stephenson. A week later, Dennis Shaw of the Daily Herald described Ipswich as "the biggest disappointment of the season" as they lost 3–0 at Aston Villa, offering just two scoring attempts in the game. After losing to Blackburn in the League Cup midweek, Ipswich went into their next home league game against Bolton Wanderers after two consecutive defeats, a situation they had not been in since late August. Bolton took the lead through Doug Holden but two goals from Crawford in the last seven minutes secured a 2–1 victory for Ipswich who The Observer Arlott described as making a "mockery of footballing justice — if it exists." Two days before Christmas, Ipswich travelled to Maine Road to face Manchester City on a frozen pitch. Although they had not won in eight games, City were 2–0 ahead by half time. Neil Young scored City's third and with Ipswich being denied a goal with numerous saves from Bert Trautmann, the match ended 3–0, inflicting Ipswich's third defeat in their last four games. The Boxing Day fixture saw Leicester City visit Portman Road for the first competitive fixture in the clubs' histories. Leadbetter missed his first match in 156 games with a knee injury. Crawford scored past Gordon Banks midway through the second half to secure the points for Ipswich. The return fixture, scheduled for 30 December at Filbert Street, was called off on the morning of the match due to a frozen pitch. Ipswich finished the year in fourth place, three points behind leaders Burnley who had two games in hand.
Due to fixture congestion in the FA Cup, Ipswich played just two league matches during January 1962. The first took place on 13 January and saw West Bromwich Albion, whose team included England international and future Ipswich Town manager Bobby Robson, visit Portman Road. Goals from Stephenson, Moran and the fit-again Leadbetter secured a 3–0 win for the home side. The following week, Ipswich travelled to Birmingham where they faced Birmingham City at St Andrew's. The visitors were 2–0 down by half-time after a brace from Ken Leek. An own goal from Baxter put Birmingham three ahead; Crawford scored a consolation goal to end the match 3–1. The month ended with Ipswich once again in fourth position in the First Division, four points adrift of Burnley who still had two games in hand.
February to April Knocked out of both the League and FA Cup by the end of January, Ipswich were left to fulfil their league fixtures which started with them hosting Everton on 3 February 1962. Stephenson dominated the inexperienced Colin Green and won corners from which Ipswich scored through a Phillips shot and a Moran header. Although Roy Vernon had scored for Everton, Ipswich's third goal came after Green fouled Stephenson, whose resulting free kick was converted by Elsworthy. Crawford made it 4–1 from a fine angle before Brian Harris scored a consolation, ending the match 4–2. The following week, Ipswich were at Craven Cottage where they faced Fulham. Alan Mullery put the home side ahead after 13 minutes as they dominated the early stages, but injuries to Graham Leggat and Johnny Haynes weakened the team allowing Ipswich to take advantage. Stephenson equalised and Crawford scored the winner with twelve minutes to go, with Ipswich taking the points with a 2–1 victory. After a two-week break, Ipswich faced West Ham United at the Boleyn Ground on 24 February. Described by Pawson in The Observer as a "curiously relaxed and gentle game", John Dick put the home side ahead before Leadbetter equalised with a rebound from a Crawford header which struck the West Ham crossbar. Bailey spilled Joe Kirkup's strike into his own net to give West Ham the lead once again before a penalty from Phillips secured a 2–2 draw. The month ended with Ipswich in third place in the First Division, four points behind Burnley who had a single game in hand.