Town manager Paul Jewell says he wants to see laps of honour ending future seasons at Portman Road rather than the lap of appreciation for the crowd which will follow today’s final home game of the campaign against Millwall.

Jewell said: “I think it’s a time where we as a club can show their appreciation to supporters, who have witnessed some really bad performances, but also some really good ones.

“We gave them a little bit of hope then dragged it away. It’s about the 10th year on the bounce that it’s happened at Ipswich, so it’s not something we want to continue to happen, we want to be having laps of honour rather than laps of appreciation for the supporters."

The Blues boss has been impressed with today's opponents' recent form: “They’ve done well. They were in a relegation fight but they’ve really got themselves out of it. It’s always a hard game and they beat us comfortably down there.

“But we’re at home, we want to take the game to them and hopefully it’ll be a decent game for the supporters. I think the other night was a terrific advert for the Championship and hopefully with no pressure of relegation or promotion both sides can go out and play good, attractive football.”

Today’s game could see 16-year-old Byron Lawrence make his first team debut and Jewell outlined what fans can expect from the one-time Histon youth player: “He can play in a number of positions. If we were to play a diamond, he’d be at the head of the diamond.

“He can play wide, he’s left-footed but he can play off the right. I don’t want to tar him with this brush but he’s like Jack Wilshere, he’s a left footer, a stocky type.

“We’ve got to be careful we don’t put too much expectation on his shoulders at a young age, but we think he’s got a chance.”

Lawrence has been named in the squad and is likely to be on the bench at the very least. Aged 16 years and 40 days, he will become Town’s second-youngest first team player, younger than Jason Dozzell was when he made his first team debut — and scored — as a sub against Coventry in February 1984 at 16 years and 57 days.

Connor Wickham became Town’s youngest-ever player when he came on as a sub in the 3-1 home defeat to Doncaster in April 2009 aged 16 years and 11 days.

Photo: Action Images

Warkalone added 10:38 - Apr 21 He better get his finger out then
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Radlett_blue added 11:35 - Apr 21 What is the point of laps of appreciation after yet another average to poor season? Open top bus parade if we get in the top half next season?
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jocasaja added 11:44 - Apr 21 As a life long blues fan and season ticket holder I have always got behind the team and joined in the end of season applause. We are seeing improvement and I like to thank the players and club for another year - personally I voted Carlos Edwards as player of the season - with Cresswell and Martin as other strong candidates. Next season is huge - if we build on what we now have then play offs as a minimum - if things slip into another mediocre season then I can see crowds slipping to not much better than 13 or 14 '000

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HARRY10 added 12:04 - Apr 21 I'm afraid if the news coming out about season ticket sales is true the 13/14k crowds maybe optimistic
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jabberjackson added 12:17 - Apr 21 Ridiculous negative comment Harry...anyone knows that if ITFC get of to a decent start and are challenging and playing half decent football then we will average at least 24000 at home Ipswich fans love their football and will support in their droves if the results and the football is right And I believe it will be next season So can everybody cheer up please
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itfckieren added 12:17 - Apr 21 Talking of young players at the mention of Wickham at the end makes me think that PJ might try & grab him back on loan for next season..
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SouperJim added 12:20 - Apr 21 Lap of appreciation for the crowd is spot on, something Roy Keane couldn't get his head around. What was it he said about pundits being failed managers?
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h32 added 13:01 - Apr 21 This guy can't half talk !!! - but will he EVER be as efficient at delivering ??? Never have so many, been so bamboozled by so few - to achieve an objective. Much talk, much (almost daily) contradiction - NO medium to long term progress. Sums the situation up pretty well.
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walberswick added 13:01 - Apr 21 “I think it's a time we can show our appreciation to supporters, who have witnessed some really bad performances."
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RaymondovicBlue added 13:01 - Apr 21 Just the sort of player needed if we don't land Murphy from Celtic ... or choose not to pay the high wage cost for that one position. Murphy has been very good, but in truth ... how often has he been match winning? PJ has to know which players warrant massive wages, and which positions therefore need filling with youngsters. This lad COULD be the next Wickham - but we need to see him playing to see if that will come true! Anyone heard of a good youngster called Hyam who used to play a bit ? (Yes, I DO know he is now injured just when he would probably be getting games!) :(

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Keaneish added 17:21 - Apr 21 Crystal Palace, Watford, Doncaster, Nottingham Forest and now Millwall... We're the new Coventry of this division and dropping points against teams like this at home will keep us in the division for a long, long time... While there was an upturn in form, we've now squandered any momentum we may have built up for the new season ahead. Sadly PJ, you now have an even bigger task in the summer. Today's result is not acceptable. Conceding 7 goals against Millwall and 9 to Peterborough is far from acceptable... I will now judge this current management under the signings in the summer and the first 10 games of next season. It would have been far easier to attract players if we could point to a 15 game good run of form at the end of a campaign. Why have we faltered picking up only 1 point from 9 in our last 3 home games!? You have until late September for me now PJ...

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TractorRoyNo1 added 21:28 - Apr 22 looked like it was neither on saturday, the ground was nearly empty and the players were not interested - during or after the game
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Wickets added 10:31 - Apr 23 He now sounds more like Bullard than Bullard.
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