JOE ROYLE PROVED HIMSELF AS arguably the best television pundit during the European Championship finals in the summer when on duty for the BBC, but now he must show he can match his words with actions. Still suffering after overstretching themselves financially during their Premiership days, Ipswich Town have been forced to cut spending dramatically, and this summer has seen a procession of senior players leaving Portman Road.

Royle said that the club’s descent into administration required him to reduce the annual wage bill from £17 million to £5 million. The result has seen the continued trimming of the squad, with Marcus Bent, John McGreal, Jermaine Wright, Chris Bart-Williams, Alun Armstrong, Chris Makin and Martijn Reuser leaving. Wright played in all but one of the club’s league matches last season.

Supporters have been upset by the one-way transfer activity, but they will expect the team to continue the sequence of finishing in the top seven in each of the past seven seasons at this level. Last term they reached the play-offs, and victory over a strong Newcastle United side in pre-season added to the feeling that they should be among the contenders for promotion.

The presence of four highly talented youngsters provides optimism for the coming season. Matt Richards, 19, fitted in comfortably at left back last term, when he was a regular, while Darren Bent, the 20-year-old striker, and Ian Westlake, the 21-year-old winger, also played in a majority of league games. Dean Bowditch, 18, is a promising striker who scored four goals in his handful of league appearances.

Despite fears among some supporters, Royle’s arrival has not altered Ipswich’s reputation for attractive football. “Ipswich were the best passing side we (West Ham United) played against last season,” Kevin Horlock, a rare arrival at Portman Road in the summer, said. The challenge this season will be for Ipswich to please their fans as well as neutrals.BE

MANAGER JOE ROYLE
GROUND PORTMAN ROAD
CAPACITY 30,300
LAST SEASON 5th
WEBSITE www.itfc.premiumtv.co.uk
ADULT TICKET PRICES £20-£42.50
CONTACT NO 01473 400555

KEYCLASH
SEPTEMBER 18, 2004
WEST HAM UNITED (A)

To the dismay of Ipswich Town supporters, there will be no East Anglian derby this season after Norwich City won the title to earn promotion to the Barclays Premiership, so they may look down the A12 towards East London for their most eagerly-awaited fixture of the season.

Rivalry between Ipswich and West Ham intensified in May when a closely contested play-offs semi-final was edged by the London club. Ipswich had won only two of their previous 24 meetings with West Ham before they triumphed 2-1 at Upton Park on Boxing Day, avenging their home defeat earlier in the season.

They then won the first leg of the play-off tie 1-0 at Portman Road, only to lose the return match at Upton Park three days later 2-0 via two second-half goals from Matthew Etherington and Christian Dailly. West Ham’s defeat by Crystal Palace in the play-offs final means they will resume their battles with Ipswich this season.

INS AND OUTS

Ins: Free transfers: K Horlock, West Ham United; J de Vos, Wigan Athletic

Outs: M Bent, Everton, £450,000. Free transfers: J McGreal, Burnley; J Wright, Leeds United; S Morrow, Hibernian. Released: C Bart-Williams, A Armstrong, N Abidallah, C Makin, M Reuser

THE FIXTURES

August
7 Gillingham (H)
11 Nottm Forest (A)
14 Derby (A)
21 Cardiff (H)
28 Rotherham (A)
30 Wolverhampton (H)
September
11 Millwall (H)
14 Stoke (A)
18 West Ham (A)
25 Plymouth (H)
28 Reading (H)
October
3 Coventry (A)
16 Burnley (H)
19 Leicester (A)
23 Watford (A)
30 Preston (H)
November
2 Sheff Utd (H)
6 Burnley (A)
13 Leeds (H)
21 Sunderland (A)
27 Brighton (H)
December
4 Crewe (A)
11 QPR (A)
18 Wigan (H)
26 Millwall (A)
28 Stoke (H)
January
1 West Ham (H)
3 Plymouth (A)
15 Coventry (H)
22 Reading (A)
February
5 Sheff Utd (A)
12 Leicester (H)
19 Preston (A)
22 Watford (H)
26 QPR (H)
March
5 Wigan (A)
12 Nottm Forest (H)
15 Cardiff (A)
19 Gillingham (A)
April
2 Derby (H)
5 Rotherham (H)
9 Wolverhampton (A)
16 Sunderland (H)
23 Leeds (A)
30 Crewe (H)
May
8 Brighton (A)