After the Scots and the Irish, we couldn’t forgot the Welsh, could we?

So, here, in the latest instalment of our Twelve Days of Ipswich Town Christmas, are Terry Hunt’s top ten Welsh Wizards to have played for Town.

John Elsworthy

One of football’s great mysteries is just how John Elsworthy didn’t win a single Welsh cap. Made 434 appearances for Town over a 15-year period from the late 1940s until the mid 1960s. Elsworthy was one of the players who won third division, second division, and first division league titles with Ipswich.

Mick Hill

Although born in Hereford, striker Hill played a couple of times for Wales. Never a prolific scorer, but did get a memorable winner against Liverpool at Portman Road, a goal which featured on what was then a rare appearance on the show for Town.

Cyril Lea

Lea was a wing-half who played for Town in the mid 1960s, but he is better known for his contribution off the pitch. When Bill McGarry left, Lea held the fort until Bobby Robson arrived, and was then rewarded by being appointed Robson’s right-hand man. Highlight was the FA Cup victory.

Aled Owen

I suspect only real diehard Town fans will remember winger Owen. Signed from Spurs for £1,000, he made a contribution to the 1961-62 league title winning campaign, albeit with only four appearances.

Ossie Parry

Parry was a full-back who signed from Crystal Palace in 1936. He had an unusual Town career. It spanned 13 years between 1936 and 1949, but was interrupted by the war, so he played only 188 games.

Billy Reed

Right-winger Reed had the distinction of being Town’s first international player. Signed from Brighton in 1953, he played a key part in the 1956-57 Third Division (South) championship winning team – the start of something big.

Derek Rees

Inside forward Rees played for Town between 1957 and 1963, making 95 appearances and scoring 32 goals. He played 16 times in the 1960-61 season in which Town won Division Two, but none the following year, when Ramsey’s unsung heroes amazed the world of football by winning the League Championship.

Doug Rees

Big tough centre-half who played 385 games for Town between 1948 and 1959 and scored a solitary goal. Another one who missed out on Wales’ final squad of 22 for the 1958 World Cup.

Les Tibbott

Left-back Les was unlucky to be around in the 1970s when getting into Robson’s side was very tough. Tibbott’s best season in terms of first-team appearances was 1977-78, when the team was ravaged by injuries. But he didn’t play in the FA Cup Final.

Geraint “George” Williams

Came to Town to bolster the newly-promoted team in 1992. Did a steady enough job in midfield, but was never thrilling, as his goal tally of three in 263 games indicates. Town stayed up for three seasons, before plummeting horribly in 1994-95.