Ipswich Town: Terry Hunt on the 2024/25 season at ITFC.

Kieran McKenna and Ipswich Town have finding the Premier League difficult. But returning next season isn’t a given, says Terry Hunt. (Image: PA.) Ronan Keating was correct, you know. Life is a rollercoaster, especially if you are a fan of our beloved Ipswich Town football club. This time last year, we were riding high, relishing in the glory of successive promotions and salivating at the thought of playing in the Premier League for the first time in almost two decades. I recall how exciting it was, with fans excited to face the great glamour clubs like Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester United. Could we match them? We’d give it a good try we thought!

A year later, the picture is drastically different. We were demoted by a significant margin and went down without much of a fight, especially in the second half of the season. We’re back in the Championship, where we’ve played the most of our games this century. The season was undoubtedly dismal. Until the new year, we gave it our all, and there was genuine hope that we could beat the odds. Town crumbled over the second half of the season. Town crumbled over the second half of the season. (Image: PA)But from January, we simply collapsed. Just a single, solitary league win in 2025 tells its own, sorry story. There were some big thumpings in there too.

To stay in the Premier League, we needed everything to go our way, which did not happen. Mistakes, injuries, and questionable choices by authorities all had an impact. In the end, we were not good enough. So, we’re back in the Championship, and we need to regroup. Some people believe we will immediately return to the Premier League. I hope they are correct, but it won’t be simple. We will lose a number of our finest players, and the vultures are already circling. We will need to replace them. We’ll be a major scalp in the Championship, and visiting teams will step up their game when they play in our Premier League-quality stadium. I shall not take anything for granted.

But, before we get too sad, let’s put things in perspective. Goodness my, we’ve made some progress under Kieran McKenna and Mark Ashton’s leadership, with millions of Americans supporting them. It is quite unlikely. Town fans will have Liam Delap to cheer for next season. It is quite unlikely. Town fans will have Liam Delap to cheer for next season. (Image: PA.) Consider the terrible days during Marcus Evans’ ownership. Endless seasons of mediocre football to stay in the Championship, followed by a humiliating relegation to the third division for the first time in sixty years.

I’m having trouble remembering the identities of anonymous players. The Pauls include Jewell, Hurst, Lambert, and Cook. Four awful seasons in the kick-and-rush League One. Our lowest league finish in my lifetime – and I’m old! We are light years away from those dark days. We’ve reclaimed what I believe is our proper place in the English football hierarchy. Top of the Championship or bottom of the Premier League? Can we set higher goals in these times when money rules everything in football? This season, we learnt how difficult it is to merely survive in the major leagues. However, you simply need to look at the success of other, so-called’smaller’ clubs. FA Cup winners: Palace, Forest, Bournemouth, and Brighton.

It’s quite a list, and one day wouldn’t it be great to add Ipswich to it? It’s certainly not beyond the realms of possibility.So, of course, we are disappointed. Relegation is never pleasant. But let’s take a look at the big picture and the progress we’ve achieved in recent seasons. I feel there is much more excitement to come. But for now, let’s take a break. Have a nice summer. See you in August!

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