TWTD understands that departing Town defender Gareth McAuley signed for Premier League West Bromwich Albion earlier today.

Out-of-contract McAuley, 31, told Blues boss Paul Jewell that he would be moving on on the Monday following the final game of the season at Leicester with West Brom quickly emerging as his destination. Baggies boss Roy Hodgson confirmed his interest last week.

Northern Irishman McAuley joined the Blues from Leicester for a fee of £1.1 million in June 2008 and made 126 starts and one sub appearance, scoring eight goals.

The former Lincoln man was offered a new two-year deal by Town before Christmas but despite continuing to talk to the club in the final months of the season, decided against staying at Portman Road with SPL giants Rangers also showing interest.

Photo: Action Images

TMWNN_1996 added 23:35 - May 20 He wanted to leave a season or two ago. Good but nowhere near the best we have had down here. Will be found out by the vast majority of premiership strikers to be honest
0

RetroBlue added 23:43 - May 20 Good luck GMcA, hope you enjoy your spell inthe Prem , think it will however find you wnating somewhat , But dont begrudge you a shot at it before you hang yer boots up.....as for Norris ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ hope get what you really deserve!. You could have signed the 2 yr deral offered you and quite easiliy got an extension to that deal (for your 3rd yr), afet the first year . Despite what youmsay "wanting to stay at Town", you really where only in it for the money (like so many players) "you gready kuunt" ...at least McAuley didnt spin the load of bulshyte YOU did !!!

0

h32 added 23:45 - May 20 Good Luck Gareth - sensible people will understand why you are no longer here, and fully understand your reasons. You were a rock in what was most definately not an easy team to play and perform in - you will be missed and it won't be long before your critics realise it too. Yet another huge mistake by this Club, and people supposedly running it. Players like you do not grow on trees - and anyone who thought otherwise is about to find that out. Go on now to bigger and better things - you deserve it.

0

BLUEBEAT added 23:47 - May 20 meh
0

h32 added 23:50 - May 20 tortoise - another who thinks replacements are queuing from the Town Hall - get real and face the reality as it is.
0

RetroBlue added 00:05 - May 21 good luck McA...but alas I fear it will end up being slinters in yer arse !
0

TractorBeezer added 00:17 - May 21 I wish you well Macca. Hope that everything works out for you and us.
0

maximoalex added 04:39 - May 21 Sorry, but as good as he was for us, I'm not one for wishing him well. A - He won't actually read it. B - He's leaving the blues for bigger things. Fair-play, but give me De Vos or Wilnis any day. True Blues. See ya, Gareth. We'll get by without you. COYB
0

maximoalex added 04:48 - May 21 Oh, Naylor too. Basically any of our team that signed before 2005ish. Man, Ipswich used to really be something. Now we are just a championship team. At best. PJ, I hope you get it right this year. I'm fed up of telling my wife we used to be good.
0

loudnproud added 07:03 - May 21 Wont be hard to replace at all.....Many of us said this when we lost Herman and DeVos for that matter. Garath did "Okay" for us, may be the best out of a very poor bunch of lads,but thats about it. I too wish him well,but we all know that there is a much better centre half to be had some where out there and i trust Paul Jewel to find that someone.
0

Ipswich24 added 07:22 - May 21 Good luck what ever anyone says is top player. Without him would of been right in the s**t Was my favourite player last season I am gutted we have lost Gareth McAulay
0

floridaboy added 07:28 - May 21 Money rules OK!! Down to greed by McAuley and Norris. Rooney, Torres, Hernandez etc must be looking forward to playing WBA next season because McAuley will be slaughtered by a good majority of Prem strikers
0

DiamondGezzer added 07:34 - May 21 Reiterate the above. Can't blame people for wanting to find their top notch, just a pity it wasn't with us. All the best.
0

DiamondGezzer added 07:36 - May 21 My coment above was in answer to Ipswich24.
0

lezoad added 08:07 - May 21 he deserves it always a premier league player good luck to him and hope he does well next season
0

My_TFC added 08:12 - May 21 Can't blame him for leaving, club obviously didn't show him that they wanted him or were ambitious enough, and he has been the best out of a bad bunch, but like others have said on here, if he is a regular at WBA, he will get torn to shreds by the quality up there. Not sure he would be able to handle the pace or movement of a world class striker. Never-the-less, we move on and in Jewell we trust....

0

RYITFC added 08:14 - May 21 It's a shame but it's the start of a new era. So good luck Gareth. If we bring players in of quality to replace, I haven't got a problem with letting Gareth go. If we can't get players in with that quality then Cleggy boy has a lot to answer too.
0

clive_baker added 08:16 - May 21 Greedy. Mugged off Stockport because Lincoln gave him more £££, let his Lincoln contract run down so he could go on a free on bigger wages, left Leicester when they're relegated and now turns down 2 town offers to leave on a free. He doesn't know the meaning of the word loyalty it's all about money. If we had offered him more than WBA he would have stayed, Premier League or not. Hope he gets found out next season.

0

Umros added 09:02 - May 21 Like all players good servants until they turncoat on you, will he be missed, we will see, was prone to big errors at times amongst good performances. Slow and I doubt much cop in Premier against a side which will be defending a lot......Drogba, Tevez, Van Persie, Rooney against him.........hmmm.
0

HolbrookBlue added 09:06 - May 21 Playing in the Premier league must be a players aim and good luck to McAuley. Loyalty does not really come into it anymore.The difference in playing in the Premier League or in front of a very fickle 13,000 next year made the decision easy. Hopefully if he returns to Portman Road in the future McAuley will not be booed.
0

dirtydingusmagee added 09:09 - May 21 good luck Big Mac, served us well, now you have got to play in the Prem , as things stand you could have been waiting a long time [if ever ] to do so with Town .In life you have to take your chances when they come .
0

Lathers added 09:15 - May 21 He'll struggle to get in their starting line up and end up being loaned back to a championship team in January. He did improve massively after a shaky start with us, but he still has the tendancy to be a cart-horse a la David Linighan. A younger, faster replacement from L1 will do nicely.
0

AwayDays added 09:24 - May 21 He will get ripped apart in the prem! shame!
0

bluearmy4life added 09:59 - May 21 Good luck Gareth.
0

jas0999 added 10:14 - May 21 Best of luck to Gareth - a great move for him. I don't care what anyone says, this is completely Clegg's fault. If Gareth wanted to leave he should have been sold (for a fee) last Summer. Letting him go on a free is nothing short of disgraceful! PJ now has a tough task finding a decent replacement. Needs to be an experienced defender who knows the Championship. I have only seen Delaney have good games playing along side McAuley - this surely has to be a considerable concern ... along with signing a couple of decent strikers, right-back and top quality replacements for Norris and probably Bullard!! Tough job.

0

Blogs 297 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls