# 1998–99 Ipswich Town F.C. season

During the 1998–99 English football season, Ipswich Town competed in the Football League First Division.

## Season summary

In the 1998–99 season, Ipswich fans felt it would be third time lucky in the play-offs for the Tractor Boys. However the team once again lost on away goals to Bolton Wanderers. Ipswich had been second at the beginning of April but defeat to Bolton saw Bradford City overtake them and two more defeats in their last four games, including a shock home defeat to relegation-threatened Crewe Alexandra, saw Ipswich finish third.

## First-team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | ENG | Richard Wright |
| — | GK | ENG | Lee Bracey |
| — | DF | ENG | Jason Cundy |
| — | DF | ENG | Tony Mowbray |
| — | DF | ENG | Mark Venus |
| — | DF | FRA | Jean-Manuel Thetis |
| — | DF | NED | Fabian Wilnis |
| — | MF | ENG | Jamie Clapham |
| — | MF | ENG | Kieron Dyer |
| — | MF | ENG | John Kennedy |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Mick Stockwell |
| — | MF | ENG | Adam Tanner |
| — | MF | NIR | Jim Magilton |
| — | MF | ENG | Matt Holland (captain) |
| — | MF | NED | Marco Holster |
| — | MF | NED | Bobby Petta |
| — | FW | ENG | Richard Naylor |
| — | FW | ENG | James Scowcroft |
| — | FW | JAM | David Johnson |

### Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | DF | ARG | Mauricio Taricco (to Tottenham Hotspur) |
| — | MF | NIR | Danny Sonner (to Sheffield Wednesday) |
| — | MF | ENG | Paolo Vernazza (loan return to Arsenal) |
| — | MF | ENG | Lee Hodges (loan return to West Ham United) |
| — | MF | ENG | Jonathan Hunt (loan return to Derby County) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Paul Mason (Retired) |
| — | FW | SCO | Alex Mathie (to Dundee United) |
| — | FW | FRA | Samassi Abou (loan return to West Ham United) |
| — | FW | ENG | Marlon Harewood (loan return to Nottingham Forest) |

### Reserve squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | DF | ENG | Wayne Brown |
| — | DF | ENG | Titus Bramble |
| — | MF | SCO | Stuart Niven |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Chris Keeble |
| — | FW | ENG | Richard Logan |

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

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Sunderland (C, P) | 46 | 31 | 12 | 3 | 91 | 28 | +63 | 105 | Promotion to the Premier League |
| 2 | Bradford City (P) | 46 | 26 | 9 | 11 | 82 | 47 | +35 | 87 | Promotion to the Premier League |
| 3 | Ipswich Town | 46 | 26 | 8 | 12 | 69 | 32 | +37 | 86 | Qualification for the First Division play-offs |
| 4 | Birmingham City | 46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 66 | 37 | +29 | 81 | Qualification for the First Division play-offs |
| 5 | Watford (O, P) | 46 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 65 | 56 | +9 | 77 | Qualification for the First Division play-offs |

#### Legend

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

#### Matches

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 9 August 1998 | Grimsby Town | A | 0–0 | 7,211 | |
| 15 August 1998 | Bury | H | 0–0 | 13,267 | |
| 22 August 1998 | Portsmouth | A | 0–0 | 12,002 | |
| 29 August 1998 | Sunderland | H | 0–2 | 15,813 | |
| 31 August 1998 | Port Vale | A | 3–0 | 5,485 | Scowcroft, Johnson, Holland |
| 8 September 1998 | Bradford City | H | 3–0 | 11,596 | Scowcroft (2), Venus |
| 12 September 1998 | Oxford United | A | 3–3 | 6,632 | Scowcroft, Johnson, Dyer |
| 19 September 1998 | Bristol City | H | 3–1 | 13,657 | Johnson (2), Scowcroft |
| 26 September 1998 | Watford | A | 0–1 | 13,109 | |
| 29 September 1998 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 2–0 | 5,072 | Stockwell, Scowcroft |
| 3 October 1998 | Crystal Palace | H | 3–0 | 16,837 | Venus (pen), Taricco, Mathie |
| 17 October 1998 | Swindon Town | H | 1–0 | 13,212 | Johnson |
| 20 October 1998 | Norwich City | H | 0–1 | 22,079 | |
| 24 October 1998 | Stockport County | A | 1–0 | 7,432 | Dyer |
| 31 October 1998 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 2–0 | 15,568 | Johnson (2) |
| 3 November 1998 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 2–0 | 14,680 | Scowcroft, Stockwell |
| 7 November 1998 | Huddersfield Town | A | 2–2 | 14,240 | Venus, Johnson |
| 14 November 1998 | Barnsley | A | 1–0 | 15,966 | Johnson |
| 21 November 1998 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 0–1 | 17,255 | |
| 28 November 1998 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 3–0 | 5,165 | Scowcroft (3, 1 pen) |
| 2 December 1998 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 1–1 | 12,449 | Holland |
| 5 December 1998 | Birmingham City | H | 1–0 | 15,901 | Petta |
| 12 December 1998 | Barnsley | H | 0–2 | 16,021 | |
| 20 December 1998 | Sheffield United | A | 2–1 | 12,944 | Abou, Naylor |
| 26 December 1998 | Portsmouth | H | 3–0 | 21,805 | Naylor (2), Dyer |
| 28 December 1998 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0–1 | 24,636 | |
| 9 January 1999 | Grimsby Town | H | 0–1 | 15,575 | |
| 17 January 1999 | Sunderland | A | 1–2 | 39,835 | Holland |
| 30 January 1999 | Port Vale | H | 1–0 | 16,328 | Clapham |
| 6 February 1999 | Bury | A | 3–0 | 4,750 | Venus (pen), Mowbray, Harewood |
| 13 February 1999 | Bradford City | A | 0–0 | 15,024 | |
| 20 February 1999 | Oxford United | H | 2–1 | 16,920 | Holland, Venus (pen) |
| 27 February 1999 | Bristol City | A | 1–0 | 14,065 | Naylor |
| 2 March 1999 | Watford | H | 3–2 | 18,818 | Dyer, Venus, Johnson |
| 6 March 1999 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 1–0 | 15,929 | Thetis |
| 9 March 1999 | Crystal Palace | A | 2–3 | 16,360 | Johnson, Clapham |
| 13 March 1999 | Huddersfield Town | H | 3–0 | 17,170 | Magilton, Johnson, Petta |
| 20 March 1999 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1–0 | 15,552 | Thetis |
| 3 April 1999 | Swindon Town | A | 6–0 | 10,337 | Venus (2 pens), Scowcroft, Mowbray, Clapham, Wilnis |
| 5 April 1999 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 3–1 | 22,162 | Johnson, Scowcroft, Holland |
| 11 April 1999 | Norwich City | A | 0–0 | 19,511 | |
| 17 April 1999 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 0–2 | 19,894 | |
| 20 April 1999 | Stockport County | H | 1–0 | 17,056 | Magilton |
| 24 April 1999 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 1–2 | 20,845 | Venus (pen) |
| 2 May 1999 | Birmingham City | A | 0–1 | 27,685 | |
| 9 May 1999 | Sheffield United | H | 4–1 | 21,689 | Magilton, Scowcroft, Dyer, Naylor |

### First Division play-offs

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| SF 1st Leg | 16 May 1999 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 0–1 | 18,295 | |
| SF 2nd Leg | 19 May 1999 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 4–3 (lost on away goals) | 21,755 | Holland (2), Dyer (2) |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 2 January 1999 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 1–0 | 7,223 | McGreal (own goal) |
| R4 | 23 January 1999 | Everton | A | 0–1 | 28,854 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 1st Leg | 11 August 1998 | Exeter City | A | 1–1 | 3,233 | Holland |
| R1 2nd Leg | 18 August 1998 | Exeter City | H | 5–1 (won 6–2 on agg) | 7,952 | Taricco, Holland, Stockwell, Mathie, Mason |
| R2 1st Leg | 15 September 1998 | Luton Town | H | 2–1 | 9,032 | Scowcroft, Thetis |
| R2 2nd Leg | 22 September 1998 | Luton Town | A | 2–4 (lost 4–5 on agg) | 5,655 | Johnson, Davis (own goal) |

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date | Pos | Name | From | Fee |
| 1 July 1998 | MF | Marco Holster | Heracles Almelo | Free transfer |
| 1 August 1998 | FW | Sean Friars | Liverpool | Free transfer |
| 11 September 1998 | DF | Jean-Manuel Thetis | Sevilla | £50,000 |
| 6 January 1999 | DF | Fabian Wilnis | De Graafschap | £200,000 |
| 22 March 1999 | MF | Jim Magilton | Sheffield Wednesday | £680,000 |

### Loans in

| Date from | Pos | Name | From | Date until |
| 3 October 1998 | MF | Paolo Vernazza | Arsenal | 3 November 1998 |
| 28 October 1998 | MF | Jonathan Hunt | Derby County | 17 November 1998 |
| 18 November 1998 | MF | Lee Hodges | West Ham United | 21 December 1998 |
| 3 December 1998 | FW | Samassi Abou | West Ham United | 29 December 1998 |
| 12 January 1999 | MF | Jim Magilton | Sheffield Wednesday | 21 March 1999 |
| 28 January 1999 | FW | Marlon Harewood | Nottingham Forest | 4 March 1999 |

### Transfers out

| Date | Pos | Name | To | Fee |
| 1 July 1998 | MF | Simon Milton | Retired | Retired |
| 7 July 1998 | MF | Geraint Williams | Colchester United | Undisclosed |
| 7 July 1998 | DF | Gus Uhlenbeek | Fulham | Free transfer |
| 29 September 1998 | MF | Paul Mason | Retired | Retired |
| 14 October 1998 | MF | Danny Sonner | Sheffield Wednesday | Undisclosed |
| 16 October 1998 | FW | Alex Mathie | Dundee United | £700,000 |
| 9 November 1998 | DF | Mauricio Taricco | Tottenham Hotspur | £1,775,000 |

### Loans out

| Date from | Pos | Name | From | Date until | Ref |
| 1 August 1998 | MF | John Kennedy | Morecambe | 31 October 1998 | |

## Awards
### Player awards

| Award | Player | Ref |
| Player of the Year | Jamie Clapham | |

### PFA First Division Team of the Year

* Player
* Richard Wright
* Mark Venus
* Kieron Dyer