# 1997–98 Ipswich Town F.C. season

During the 1997–98 English football season, Ipswich Town competed in the Football League First Division.

## Season summary

For the second season running, Ipswich reached the playoffs, having won 16 of their last 20 games, but lost to Charlton Athletic who went on to be promoted.

## First-team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | ENG | Richard Wright |
| — | GK | ENG | Lee Bracey |
| — | DF | ENG | Tony Mowbray |
| — | DF | ENG | Jamie Clapham |
| — | DF | ENG | Mark Venus |
| — | DF | ENG | Jason Cundy |
| — | DF | NED | Gus Uhlenbeek |
| — | DF | ARG | Mauricio Taricco |
| — | MF | IRL | Matt Holland |
| — | MF | ENG | Kieron Dyer |
| — | MF | NIR | Danny Sonner |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Paul Mason |
| — | MF | ENG | Simon Milton |
| — | MF | ENG | Mick Stockwell |
| — | MF | ENG | Adam Tanner |
| — | MF | WAL | Geraint Williams |
| — | MF | NED | Bobby Petta |
| — | FW | ENG | Richard Naylor |
| — | FW | ENG | James Scowcroft |
| — | FW | SCO | Alex Mathie |
| — | FW | ENG | David Johnson |

### Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | DF | ENG | Chris Swailes (to Bury) |
| — | DF | WAL | Andy Legg (on loan from Birmingham City) |
| — | FW | ENG | David Whyte (released) |
| — | MF | ENG | Jason Dozzell (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | FW | ENG | Mark Stein (on loan from Chelsea) |
| — | DF | ENG | David Kerslake (to Swindon Town) |
| — | FW | ZAM | Neil Gregory (to Colchester United) |

### Reserve squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | DF | ENG | Wayne Brown |
| — | DF | ENG | David Theobald |
| — | MF | ENG | Chris Keeble |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | John Kennedy |
| — | MF | SCO | Stuart Niven |
| — | FW | ENG | Neil Midgley |

## Competitions
### Football League First Division
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 3 | Sunderland | 46 | 26 | 12 | 8 | 86 | 50 | +36 | 90 | Qualification for the First Division play-offs |
| 4 | Charlton Athletic (O, P) | 46 | 26 | 10 | 10 | 80 | 49 | +31 | 88 | Qualification for the First Division play-offs |
| 5 | Ipswich Town | 46 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 77 | 43 | +34 | 83 | Qualification for the First Division play-offs |
| 6 | Sheffield United | 46 | 19 | 17 | 10 | 69 | 54 | +15 | 74 | Qualification for the First Division play-offs |
| 7 | Birmingham City | 46 | 19 | 17 | 10 | 60 | 35 | +25 | 74 | |

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Source: Statto

#### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |
Ipswich Town's score comes first

#### Matches

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 9 August 1997 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 0–0 | 17,614 | |
| 23 August 1997 | Bradford City | A | 1–2 | 13,913 | Dyer |
| 30 August 1997 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 1–1 | 13,512 | Stein |
| 2 September 1997 | Swindon Town | H | 2–1 | 11,394 | Venus, Sonner |
| 13 September 1997 | Huddersfield Town | A | 2–2 | 9,313 | Edmondson (o.g), Dyer |
| 20 September 1997 | Stoke City | H | 2–3 | 11,219 | Scowcroft, Holland |
| 26 September 1997 | Norwich City | A | 1–2 | 18,911 | Stein |
| 4 October 1997 | Manchester City | H | 1–0 | 14,587 | Mathie |
| 18 October 1997 | Oxford United | A | 0–1 | 7,594 | |
| 21 October 1997 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 0–0 | 4,730 | |
| 25 October 1997 | Bury | H | 2–0 | 10,452 | Tanner (pen), Dozzell |
| 28 October 1997 | Birmingham City | A | 1–1 | 16,778 | Holland |
| 1 November 1997 | Charlton Athletic | A | 0–3 | 12,606 | |
| 4 November 1997 | Stockport County | H | 0–2 | 8,828 | |
| 9 November 1997 | Sheffield United | H | 2–2 | 9,687 | Legg, Gregory |
| 15 November 1997 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1–1 | 21,937 | Johnson |
| 22 November 1997 | Reading | A | 4–0 | 9,400 | Holland, Johnson, Scowcroft, Naylor |
| 29 November 1997 | Nottingham Forest | H | 0–1 | 17,725 | |
| 2 December 1997 | Middlesbrough | H | 1–1 | 13,865 | Johnson |
| 6 December 1997 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 1–1 | 5,720 | Johnson |
| 13 December 1997 | Portsmouth | H | 2–0 | 11,759 | Cundy, Johnson |
| 20 December 1997 | Port Vale | A | 3–1 | 5,784 | Mathie (2), Johnson |
| 26 December 1997 | Birmingham City | H | 0–1 | 17,510 | |
| 28 December 1997 | Swindon Town | A | 2–0 | 11,639 | Johnson (pen), Petta |
| 10 January 1998 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 0–0 | 12,709 | |
| 17 January 1998 | Middlesbrough | A | 1–1 | 30,081 | Johnson |
| 27 January 1998 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 3–2 | 12,402 | Holland, Scowcroft, Cundy |
| 31 January 1998 | Bradford City | H | 2–1 | 11,855 | Mathie (2) |
| 7 February 1998 | Stoke City | A | 1–1 | 11,416 | Holland |
| 14 February 1998 | Huddersfield Town | H | 5–1 | 10,597 | Holland, Johnson (2), Mathie, Naylor |
| 18 February 1998 | Manchester City | A | 2–1 | 27,156 | Mathie, Dyer |
| 21 February 1998 | Norwich City | H | 5–0 | 21,858 | Mathie (3), Petta (2) |
| 24 February 1998 | Oxford United | H | 5–2 | 11,927 | Mathie, Johnson (3), Holland |
| 28 February 1998 | Sunderland | A | 2–2 | 34,501 | Petta, Dyer |
| 3 March 1998 | Sheffield United | A | 1–0 | 14,120 | Holland |
| 7 March 1998 | Charlton Athletic | H | 3–1 | 19,827 | Stockwell, Cundy, Johnson |
| 14 March 1998 | Stockport County | A | 1–0 | 8,939 | Johnson |
| 21 March 1998 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 3–0 | 21,546 | Johnson, Holland, Scowcroft |
| 28 March 1998 | Reading | H | 1–0 | 18,952 | Scowcroft |
| 5 April 1998 | Nottingham Forest | A | 1–2 | 22,292 | Scowcroft |
| 11 April 1998 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 0–0 | 18,032 | |
| 13 April 1998 | Portsmouth | A | 1–0 | 15,040 | Johnson |
| 18 April 1998 | Port Vale | H | 5–1 | 16,212 | Johnson (2), Petta (2), Mathie |
| 25 April 1998 | Bury | A | 1–0 | 7,830 | Stockwell |
| 28 April 1998 | Sunderland | H | 2–0 | 21,249 | Holland, Mathie |
| 3 May 1998 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 3–2 | 19,070 | Johnson, Stockwell, Mathie |

### First Division play-offs

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| SF First Leg | 10 May 1998 | Charlton Athletic | H | 0–1 | 21,681 | |
| SF Second Leg | 13 May 1998 | Charlton Athletic | A | 0–1 | 15,585 | |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 3 January 1998 | Bristol Rovers | A | 1–1 | Stockwell |
| R3 Replay | 13 January 1998 | Bristol Rovers | H | 1–0 | Johnson |
| R4 | 24 January 1998 | Sheffield United | H | 1–1 | Johnson |
| R4 Replay | 3 February 1998 | Sheffield United | A | 0–1 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 First Leg | 13 August 1997 | Charlton Athletic | A | 1–0 | 6,598 | Venus |
| R1 Second Leg | 26 August 1997 | Charlton Athletic | H | 3–1 (won 4–1 on agg) | 10,989 | Stein, Brown (o.g), Scowcroft |
| R2 First Leg | 16 September 1997 | Torquay United | H | 1–1 | 8,031 | Stockwell |
| R2 Second Leg | 23 September 1997 | Torquay United | A | 3–0 (won 4–1 on agg) | 3,598 | Holland (2), Dyer |
| R3 | 14 October 1997 | Manchester United | H | 2–0 | 22,173 | Mathie, Taricco |
| R4 | 18 November 1997 | Oxford United | A | 2–1 | 5,723 | Dozzell, Mowbray |
| QF | 7 January 1998 | Chelsea | H | 2–2 (lost 4–1 on penalties) | 22,088 | Taricco, Mathie |

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date | Pos | Name | From | Fee |
| 1 August 1997 | MF | Matt Holland | Bournemouth | £800,000 |
| 1 August 1997 | DF | Mark Venus | Wolverhampton Wanderers | £150,000 |
| 1 August 1997 | GK | Lee Bracey | Bury | £40,000 |
| 14 August 1997 | DF | David Kerslake | Tottenham Hotspur | Free transfer |
| 31 October 1997 | FW | David Whyte | Reading | Free transfer |
| 13 November 1997 | FW | David Johnson | Bury | £1,100,000 |
| 12 March 1998 | DF | Jamie Clapham | Tottenham Hotspur | £300,000 |

### Loans in

| Date from | Pos | Name | From | Date until |
| 22 August 1997 | FW | Mark Stein | Chelsea | 22 October 1997 |
| 2 October 1997 | MF | Jason Dozzell | Tottenham Hotspur | 20 November 1997 |
| 3 November 1997 | DF | Andy Legg | Birmingham City | 3 December 1997 |
| 9 January 1998 | DF | Jamie Clapham | Tottenham Hotspur | 12 March 1998 |

### Transfers out

| Date | Pos | Name | To | Fee |
| 31 May 1997 | MF | John Wark | Retired | Retired |
| 1 July 1997 | MF | Lee Norfolk | North Shore United | Free transfer |
| 1 July 1997 | DF | Kevin Ellis | King's Lynn Town | Free transfer |
| 1 July 1997 | MF | Steve Sedgley | Wolverhampton Wanderers | £500,000 |
| 21 July 1997 | GK | Craig Forrest | West Ham United | £500,000 |
| 1 August 1997 | DF | Tony Vaughan | Manchester City | £1,350,000 |
| 13 November 1997 | DF | Chris Swailes | Bury | £200,000 |
| 30 November 1997 | FW | David Whyte | Free agent | Released |
| 9 March 1998 | DF | David Kerslake | Swindon Town | Free transfer |
| 26 March 1998 | FW | Neil Gregory | Colchester United | £50,000 |

### Loans out

| Date from | Pos | Name | From | Date until |
| 17 October 1997 | DF | Wayne Brown | Colchester United | 8 November 1997 |
| 26 November 1997 | FW | Neil Gregory | Peterborough United | 26 December 1997 |
| 11 December 1997 | DF | David Kerslake | Wycombe Wanderers | 9 March 1998 |
| 1 January 1998 | FW | Neil Gregory | Colchester United | 2 March 1998 |
| 6 March 1998 | MF | John Kennedy | Morecambe | 31 May 1998 |

## Awards
### Player awards

| Award | Player | Ref |
| Player of the Year | Matt Holland | |

### PFA First Division Team of the Year

| Player | Ref |
| Kieron Dyer | |
| Mauricio Taricco | |