Town are likely to have to wait until January if they decide to sign sacked Sheffield Wednesday striker Adam Proudlock. As the Owls fired the 24-year-old for a number of breaches of club discipline after the close of the August transfer window he is unlikely to be able to join a new club until January.

Boss Joe Royle says the club are aware of the situation: "Adam will be with us for two weeks and we are aware of the problem with the registration. This even applies to a reserve game and as yet we have still not received the necessary clearance from the FA for him to play against Crystal Palace tomorrow.

"Suffice to say we are addressing this problem. It's an anomaly in the rules because there were instances of players, shall we say, arranging their sacking if it suited all parties and they moved straight to another club."

Proudlock's position isn't completely clear-cut and he may still be able to find a new club prior to January. A Football League spokesman admits that, with transfer windows a new thing at this level, they are as yet unable to give a definitive opinion on his position: "This is a unique situation for the Football League and we are seeking clarification from the Football Association as to which options are available for the player."

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls