During the 1999–2000 English football season, Ipswich Town competed in the Football League First Division.
Season summary Ipswich finished the season in third place in the First Division, missing out on the two automatic places for promotion to the Premiership and instead took part in the play-offs for the fourth year running, to determine the third promoted team. Ipswich finished two points behind Manchester City (who were promoted in second place) and four behind league winners Charlton Athletic.
On the final day of the league season Ipswich played Walsall, and won 2–0 with two goals from Ipswich's top scorer David Johnson, who finished the season with 22 goals. At one point, after his first goal, second place Manchester City were trailing to Blackburn, meaning that Ipswich would qualify for promotion automatically. However, this only lasted nine minutes, with City eventually scoring four goals to win the match and secure promotion.
In the play-off semi-finals, Ipswich faced sixth-placed Bolton Wanderers, who had beaten them in the semi-final the previous year. After a 2–2 draw in the first leg away at the Reebok Stadium, Ipswich won 5–3 at Portman Road, winning 7–5 on aggregate.
In the play-off final, the last domestic competitive fixture at Wembley Stadium before the stadium was redeveloped, Ipswich played fourth-placed Barnsley, beating them 4–2 and finally securing their return to the Premiership after an absence of five years.
First-team squad
Left club during season
Reserve squad
Pre-season Ipswich traveled to Scandinavia for pre-season prior to the 1999–2000 season, playing friendlies against Swedish sides Gefle IF and GIF Sundsvall.
Legend WinDrawLoss
DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 20 July 1999 St Albans CityA3–0UnknownFriars, Naylor, Niven 22 July 1999 Gefle IFA3–2UnknownStockwell, Scowcroft, Midgley 24 July 1999 GIF SundsvallA1–1UnknownJohnson 27 July 1999Peterborough UnitedA1–0UnknownJohnson 31 July 1999 FC TwenteH1–2UnknownScowcroft
Competitions Football League First Division League table
Legend WinDrawLoss Ipswich Town's score comes first
Matches DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 7 August 1999 Nottingham Forest H 3-1 20,830 Naylor, Johnson, Scowcroft 15 August 1999 Swindon Town A 4-1 6,195 Johnson (2), Naylor (2) 21 August 1999 Bolton Wanderers H 1-0 17,696 Johnson 28 August 1999 Sheffield United A 2-2 12,455 Scowcroft, Johnson 30 August 1999 Barnsley H 6-1 18,037 Johnson (2), Venus, Naylor, Scowcroft, Magilton 11 September 1999 Portsmouth A 1-1 16,034 Scowcroft 18 September 1999 Birmingham City H 0-1 19,758 26 September 1999 Manchester City H 2-1 19,406 Johnson, Croft 2 October 1999 Grimsby Town A 1-2 6,531 Magilton 16 October 1999 Queens Park Rangers H 1-4 17,544 Holland 19 October 1999 Charlton Athletic H 4-2 17,940 Scowcroft, Venus, Johnson, Stockwell 23 October 1999 Walsall A 1-0 6,526 Naylor 27 October 1999 Manchester City A 0-1 32,799 30 October 1999 Grimsby Town H 2-0 16,617 Clapham, Naylor 2 November 1999 Huddersfield Town A 1-3 12,093 Holland 6 November 1999 Blackburn Rovers A 2-2 18,512 Holland, Mowbray 12 November 1999 Tranmere Rovers H 0-0 14,514 21 November 1999 Norwich City A 0-0 19,948 24 November 1999 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 1-0 15,731 Scowcroft 27 November 1999 Crewe Alexandra H 2-1 15,211 Johnson (2) 5 December 1999 Nottingham Forest A 1-0 15,724 Holland 7 December 1999 Crystal Palace A 2-2 13,176 Holland, Johnson 18 December 1999 West Bromwich Albion H 3-1 14,712 Johnson, Scowcroft, Midgley 26 December 1999 Fulham A 0-0 17,255 28 December 1999 Stockport County H 1-0 20,671 Scowcroft 3 January 2000 Port Vale A 2-1 6,908 Holland, Scowcroft 15 January 2000 Swindon Town H 3-0 17,326 Stockwell, Naylor (2) 22 January 2000 Bolton Wanderers A 1-1 11,924 Holland 29 January 2000 Sheffield United H 1-1 17,350 Johnson (pen) 5 February 2000 Barnsley A 2-0 17,601 Scowcroft, Stewart 12 February 2000 Huddersfield Town H 2-1 21,233 Scowcroft, Stewart 19 February 2000 Crewe Alexandra A 2-1 6,393 Clapham, Wright 27 February 2000 Birmingham City A 1-1 20,493 Johnson 4 March 2000 Portsmouth H 0-1 20,305 7 March 2000 Blackburn Rovers H 0-0 18,871 11 March 2000 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 1-2 22,652 Scowcroft 19 March 2000 Norwich City H 0-2 21,760 22 March 2000 Tranmere Rovers A 2-0 6,933 Holland, Johnson 25 March 2000 Fulham H 1-0 20,168 Reuser 4 April 2000 West Browich Albion A 1-1 12,536 Holland 8 April 2000 Port Vale H 3-0 19,663 Scowcroft, Johnson, Holland 15 April 2000 Stockport County A 1-0 8,501 Johnson 22 April 2000 Queens Park Rangers A 1-3 14,920 Magilton (pen) 25 April 2000 Crystal Palace H 1-0 18,798 Johnson 29 April 2000 Charlton Athletic A 3-1 20,043 Magilton, Johnson, Reuser 7 May 2000 Walsall H 2-0 21,908 Johnson (2)
First Division play-offs
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers SF 1st Leg 14 May 2000 Bolton Wanderers A 2-2 18,814 Stewart (2) SF 2nd Leg 17 May 2000 Bolton Wanderers H 5-3 (won 7–5 on agg) 21,543 Magilton (3), Clapham (pen), Reuser Final 29 May 2000 Barnsley Wembley Stadium 4-2 73,427 Mowbray, Naylor, Stewart, Reuser
FA Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers R3 13 December 1999 Southampton H 0-1 14,383
League Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers R1 1st Leg 11 August 1999 Brentford A 2-0 Johnson, Clapham R1 2nd Leg 24 August 1999 Brentford H 2-0 (won 4–0 on agg) Scowcroft, Clapham R2 1st Leg 14 September 1999 Crewe Alexandra A 1-2 Venus R2 2nd Leg 21 September 1999 Crewe Alexandra H 1-1 (lost 2–3 on agg) Scowcroft
Transfers Transfers in DatePosNameFromFeeRef14 July 1999GK Mike Salmon Charlton AthleticFree transfer21 July 1999MF Jermaine Wright Crewe Alexandra£500,0005 August 1999DF John McGreal Tranmere Rovers£650,00023 August 1999FW Jonas Axeldal Calcio FoggiaFree transfer21 September 1999DF Gary Croft Blackburn Rovers£540,00029 September 1999GK James Pullen Heybridge SwiftsFree transfer11 November 1999GK Sieb Dijkstra Dundee UnitedFree transfer1 February 2000FW Marcus Stewart Huddersfield Town£2,750,00022 March 2000GK Keith Branagan Bolton WanderersFree transfer
Loans in Date fromPosNameFromDate untilRef8 February 2000MF Patrice Maurel Toulouse30 June 200016 February 2000DF Michael Clegg Manchester United10 March 200023 March 2000MF Martijn Reuser Ajax30 June 2000
Transfers out DatePosNameToFeeRef3 June 1999DF David Theobald BrentfordFree transfer1 July 1999GK Lee Bracey Hull CityFree transfer1 July 1999DF Jason Cundy PortsmouthFree transfer1 July 1999MF Bobby Petta CelticFree transfer14 July 1999MF Kieron Dyer Newcastle United£6,000,00016 November 1999GK Sieb DijkstraFree agentReleased23 March 2000MF Adam Tanner Peterborough UnitedFree transfer23 March 2000MF Chris Keeble Colchester UnitedFree transfer
Loans out Date fromPosNameFromDate untilRef23 September 1999FW Neil Midgley Luton Town23 November 199930 December 1999DF Titus Bramble Colchester United30 January 200018 March 2000FW Sean Friars Portadown18 May 200030 March 2000FW Neil Midgley Kidderminster Harriers8 May 2000
Squad statistics All statistics updated as of end of season
Appearances and goals
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Goalkeepers
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Defenders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Midfielders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Forwards
Goalscorers No.PosNatPlayerFirst DivisionFA CupLeague CupPlay-offsTotal9FW David Johnson220102310FW James Scowcroft13020158MF Matt Holland100001012FW Richard Naylor8001911MF Jim Magilton400373DF Jamie Clapham2021527FW Marcus Stewart2003530MF Martijn Reuser200246DF Mark Venus201035DF Tony Mowbray100127MF Mick Stockwell2000214MF Jermaine Wright1000119FW Neil Midgely1000124DF John McGreal0001125DF Gary Croft10001Total71061289
Clean sheets No.NatPlayerFirst DivisionFA CupLeague CupPlay-offsTotal1Richard Wright1802020Total1802020
Disciplinary record No. Pos Nat Player First Division FA Cup League Cup Play-offs Total 2DF Fabian Wilnis70000000703DF Jamie Clapham20000000204DF Jean-Manuel Thetis51000000515DF Tony Mowbray50000000506DF Mark Venus80000010909FW David Johnson600000006010FW James Scowcroft200000002011MF Jim Magilton210010003112FW Richard Naylor300000104014MF Jermaine Wright200000002017DF Wayne Brown100000001024DF John McGreal410000004125DF Gary Croft200000002028DF Michael Clegg1000000010Total503001020533
Awards Player awards AwardPlayerRefPlayer of the Year James Scowcroft
PFA First Division Team of the Year PlayerRef Richard Wright Marcus Stewart
References
External links Ipswich Town squad for 1999–2000 season