# 1963–64 Ipswich Town F.C. season

During the 1963–64 English football season, Ipswich Town F.C. competed in the Football League First Division. Just two years after being crowned champions of England, they finished bottom of the table and were relegated to the Second Division, setting several unwelcome club records along the way.

## Season summary

After beating Burnley on the opening day of the season, Ipswich went 23 league and cup matches before registering their next win, the longest winless sequence in the club's history. A 10–1 drubbing at Fulham on Boxing Day remains Ipswich's heaviest ever defeat, though the nine-goal margin was equalled in 1995 when they lost 9–0 to Manchester United in the Premier League. They ended the campaign having shipped 121 league goals, the highest total ever conceded by Ipswich in a single season. In addition to the Fulham debacle, they lost 9–1 at Stoke City and were hit for six goals or more in a further five matches.
The season saw the departure from Portman Road of the club's regular strike partnership of Ray Crawford and Ted Phillips. Crawford signed for Wolverhampton Wanderers in September 1963 (although he would return to Ipswich for a second spell two years later) and Phillips joined Leyton Orient in March 1964. John Compton (to Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic) and Doug Moran (to Dundee United) would also move on before the start of the following season as manager Jackie Milburn began to break up Alf Ramsey's title-winning team.
One of the season's few bright spots was the goalscoring of American-born Gerry Baker, older brother of Arsenal and England forward Joe Baker. Signed by Milburn for £25,000 from Hibernian in December 1963, Baker netted 18 times in 22 matches (including three hat-tricks) to finish the season as the club's leading scorer.

## Kit

Ipswich's kit was almost identical to the one worn the previous season. Although there were no changes to the shirt, blue side panels were added to the shorts, and the socks changed from blue and white hoops to plain white with blue turnovers.

## Squad

    Players who made one appearance or more for Ipswich Town F.C. during the 1963–64 season
| Pos. | Nat. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Nat. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | ENG | Roy Bailey | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| GK | ENG | Dave Bevis | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| GK | SCO | Jim Thorburn | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| DF | SCO | Billy Baxter | 42 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 6 |
| DF | SCO | Jack Bolton | 32 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Larry Carberry | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | John Compton | 35 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| DF | SCO | Joe Davin | 26 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| DF | SCO | George Dougan | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Andy Nelson | 26 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| MF | SCO | Bobby Blackwood | 28 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 7 |
| MF | ENG | Joe Broadfoot | 29 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 5 |
| MF | WAL | John Elsworthy | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 |
| MF | NIR | Danny Hegan | 21 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 7 |
| MF | SCO | Jimmy Leadbetter | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| MF | ENG | Roy Stephenson | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| MF | ENG | Dennis Thrower | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | USA | Gerry Baker | 20 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 18 |
| FW | ENG | John Colrain | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 3 |
| FW | ENG | Ray Crawford | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| FW | SCO | Doug Moran | 30 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 8 |
| FW | ENG | Ted Phillips | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 4 |
| FW | SCO | Frank Treacy | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |

## League standings

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 18 | Blackpool | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 52 | 73 | 0.712 | 35 | |
| 19 | Aston Villa | 42 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 62 | 71 | 0.873 | 34 | |
| 20 | Birmingham City | 42 | 11 | 7 | 24 | 54 | 92 | 0.587 | 29 | |
| 21 | Bolton Wanderers (R) | 42 | 10 | 8 | 24 | 48 | 80 | 0.600 | 28 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 22 | Ipswich Town (R) | 42 | 9 | 7 | 26 | 56 | 121 | 0.463 | 25 | Relegation to the Second Division |

## Results

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