Ipswich Town: Karl Fuller on Town's 2022/23 promotion season

For just the third time in my nigh on 45 years of supporting Ipswich, the sweet sense of promotion has consumed my every thought of the last week or two.

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Success every 15 years on average seems harsh. But we have just had 21 years of mostly rubbish – even more harsh.

I think back to when I first started this column. Paul Jewell was in charge, and we were rock-bottom of the Championship.

Yes, we made some improvements before ultimately slipping to relegation. But the club now is unrecognisable to the one back then.

Hindsight is wonderful, especially when you're proved to be right. I felt that this year would be the one. I saw enough progress in the process towards the end of last season.

Kieran McKenna had us playing in a style that needed minimal tweaks which told me enough about our chances this season.  

Matters off the pitch were complementing everything that McKenna was producing on it, and a good start would be key.

Ipswich Town won promotion from League One in impressive style (Image: PA)

During August I was on holiday, and I was laying on a beach the day we beat MK Dons 3-0.

At the time, that seemed like a statement result. Purely because of how MK fared the season before when they finished just shy of automatic promotion.

Of course, we have seen what has happened to them since, and that result was not as pivotal as first thought. We ended August unbeaten and second behind Portsmouth on goal difference.

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We maintained that early form and would end each of the next four months still in second place.

The January transfer market would be one that we would not make the same mistake as we did in 2015.

Karl started writing his column when Town were bottom of the championship under Paul Jewell (Image: Archant)

We were in an equally strong position back then but did not capitalise on that situation.

This time, we did. However, it would take a while for our four new signings to get up to speed and settle into our starting line-up.

By the time Valentine's Day had ended, fears were creeping into the minds of supporters that we would not even make the play-offs.

But the most incredible run we have ever witnessed saw 13 wins, two draws, and a 19-game unbeaten run to finish the season in style.

Even then, to think that we only just finished two points ahead of Sheffield Wednesday to clinch second place shows how tough the job was.    

I often refer to our ‘bubble’. From the times when they told us to be careful what we wished for, to being part of what we have achieved this season.

The Marcus Evans years were marked by mediocrity at Town (Image: � Copyright Stephen Waller)

Nobody will ever understand the journey that we have been on in recent years without living it as we have.

It is all too easy for those outside of our bubble to comment on how we have had the biggest budget but still not won the league.

Money does not guarantee anything in football. And our net player spend was reported at zero in any case.

There are so many factors that have woven together to put us back in the Championship.

On the surface, it all starts with McKenna. A man that is still the youngest permanent manager in the entire professional league that few of us had heard of at the time of his appointment. What a revelation he has been.

Kieran McKenna has brought the good time back to Town (Image: PA)

Then there are his players. From the ‘Golden Glove’ man of Christian Walton to the ‘Golden Boot’ winner, Conor Chaplin, and all those in between. To a man, our squad has been immense this season.

And then, there is everything that is not always on the surface that has underpinned our success.

For Kieran McKenna, read Martyn Pert. A very able assistant who has proved to be the perfect foil for his younger mentor.

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And a moment’s thought for all those coaches, analysts, departmental heads, and directors of vital positions that have played a massive part in our success.

And then the cream at the top. Mark Ashton, Michael O’Leary, Tom Ball, and the owners that are Gamechanger 20 Ltd, and the ‘three lions’ of Brett Johnson, Mark Detmer, and Berke Bakay.

Mark Ashton has played a big part in Town's success (Image: Sarah Lucy Brown)

I cannot thank you all enough for what you have done for us. For giving us our club back.

Our drifting ship has been rescued and steered into calmer waters, and now we all look forward to our onward voyage.

Then there is the work of our Foundation Trust. Matt Holland and Simon Milton have worked hard to play their part in raising the profile of the Trust. We are a much more community-focused club than ever now.

I feel confident that another increase in the level of our recruitment will happen over the summer, and we will prove competitive in the Championship. I even have a smidgeon of hope of finally beating Norwich for the first time in oh so many years.

Town fans greet the team bus on the day they clinched promotion (Image: Steve Waller)

My final thoughts are with my fellow supporters. How incredible have you all been. I have shared so many glorious moments this season with thousands of like-minded, caring, and devoted supporters.

It speaks volumes that we ended the season with a better average home crowd than that lot up the A140. They have had one year outside the Premier league, we have had 21.

A magnificent club has been sleeping for too long. The beast within us has been stirred, the fire is back in the belly, the Championship awaits. The boys are back in Town.

Have a great summer.