Midfielder Jimmy Bullard and boss Paul Jewell are reported to have fallen out over the player’s refusal to relocate from his home in Cobham, Surrey to a new base nearer to Town. Bullard was dropped to the bench for Saturday’s game against Watford after a series of under-par performances.

The commitment of Bullard - who is said to be the club’s highest earner on a wage of £18,000-a-week — is also claimed to have been questioned by team-mates, an “Ipswich insider” telling the Daily Mail: “Jimmy has been bragging about his wages and some of the players are unimpressed by this, as well as his attitude when he larks about in training.

“The gaffer has told him he is unlikely to play if he doesn’t make the effort to move into the area.”

Previous managers Roy Keane and George Burley have similarly demanded that their players live close to the club. Keane fell out with Ben Thatcher and Kevin Lisbie over their refusal to move to Suffolk.

Bullard’s form has dipped in recent weeks during the club's seven-game run of defeats, having been one of the key performers during the earlier good run which saw the Blues into the play-off places.

The 33-year-old signed on a free transfer in the summer after his contract had been terminated by former club Hull City, having enjoyed a hugely successful loan spell at Portman Road last season.

Photo: Action Images

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happybeingblue added 17:38 - Dec 6 the rumours are going round that jewells lost the dressing room!
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icetruckiller added 17:48 - Dec 6 Sounds like the club is close to meltdown. Pi$$ poor team performances, players drinking and gambling, now have players having run-ins with manager and being dropped, and bragging about his wages. As Algarvefan said, we need hungry lower league players, not ex-premiership overpaid has beens.
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brittaniaman added 17:55 - Dec 6 Why Jewell did not wait until the weekend before he went home, because playing Barnsley he would be on his doorstep, and then he could have stayed the whole weekend + a bit more timeas well !!!!
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h32 added 18:29 - Dec 6 bluelady - do you really have faith in 'official statements' either - can't personally believe all this because Jewell has made no attempt to move to the area himself, therefore any criticism of players for doing likewise would be purely hypocritical. But then what does that mean anymore. And what did most of you vote Mr Bullard as last season ????? - if it is true.
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fourth added 19:11 - Dec 6 We need to set up a monastery near Brantham. Give East Bergholt over to the lads. put them on bread and water cut off visiting rights until April 2012
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Dissboyitfc added 19:12 - Dec 6 No smoke without fire, i posted on this site a week or two ago, that there were problems behind the scenes which we did nt know about....Lets face it, Bullard is no stranger to this sort of controversy is he? Whats the official reason behind Hull sacking him? All this would explain the recent lack lustre performances, both his and his team mates... Bullard now needs to start letting his football do the talking, he has let Jewell down his team mates and the supporters down. Hull must be laughing at us, severall of their supporters predicted we would soon see this side of Bullard... Plus the timing of Cleggs statement about playford Road, mmm,smoke screen perhaps?... COYB

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Garv added 19:42 - Dec 6 Also no coincidence that certain idiots decide to bring up things like drinking which is completely made up, and gambling which we know Chopra hasn't done for about 2 months, now instead of 10 weeks ago when we were playing well! Chopra had a bet on the day of the Brighton game for goodness sake! That was his last bet so for people to now bring it up as a cause for our bad form is just being negative for the sake of it, which is what so many just love to do isn't it!

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PSGBlue added 19:52 - Dec 6 I don't suppose for one minute that Jimmy does the 240 mile round trip each day, suspect he rents somewhere in Suffolk. Then goes home after a match before returning Monday morning. But nevertheless, not to buy locally gives out the wrong signal of comittment. As far as any bust up goes, then its all just rumour. But having siad that Jimmy's performance has dipped from the high standards of last season, so something is wrong.

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AndyUK61873 added 20:05 - Dec 6 folks, y'all must br crazy if you think you will see an "official statement"....clubs don't talk to internal policies or issues, we all know that. Love how Bullard comes from being the Player of the Year, Town Folk hero, to now, "dump his sorry a**" by everyone on here....dump him how exactly...nobody will buy him and if you buy out his contract you end up paying him the 18k/week so no savings

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h32 added 21:49 - Dec 6 Garv - 'champion straw grasper and excuse maker' - how can you even want to try and wash over these issues when it's common knowledge to everyone ?.
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Tractamatt added 01:57 - Dec 7 Just don't see it Bullard and Jewell have worked together before and seemed to have a mutual respect for each other.Also it was not an official release it was an ipwichn insider so ,Bullard gets dropped to the bench for a couple of bad performances and gets a sulk on words are exchanged and things are said in the heat of the moment.Unfortunately this is done infront of a nobby nobody who blows it up out of all proportion and sells it to wichever sleasy rag will pay him the most.Simole find who he/she is and sack the with immediate effect.LATER THIS MORNING THERE WILL BE A RELEASE SAYING ALL'S FINE AND WE'RE BACK TO SQARE ONE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO BUY A POINT.

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bobble added 04:45 - Dec 7 whats the cider like in surrey ?
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JewellintheTown added 05:44 - Dec 7 Bl**dy hell, some of you really do need to get a grip. Where does all the paranoia come from - the alien abduction and probing or living with Elvis too long! FFS, talk about gullible!
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blrmy added 07:27 - Dec 7 And you guys believe the Daily Mail?!
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Pettitt10 added 10:18 - Dec 7 Hes not all about the money marshalls, he was on £45,000 a week at hull and before the whole wrong doing up there he said he would be willing to take a pay cut for ITFC... then his contract was terminated. Drop him jewell.
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