Crystal Palace assistant boss Mick Jones has admitted that financial considerations played a part in his club allowing Stern John to join the Blues on loan. Earlier in the season the Eagles were handed a transfer embargo after failing to make a payment due to Town as part of the £600,000 they agreed to pay for Alan Lee in the summer of 2008, and were unable to pay their players at the beginning of this month.
Writing in his blog on the Palace official site, Jones said: "I am not going to insult anyone's intelligence by saying it was not about money, because a part of it was.
"But the other part of it is that it is going to give Stern some really good games. So far this season he only played a bit part role, which is not good for Stern. Half an hour here and there won't benefit someone of his experience and age.
"What we need him to do is go to Ipswich and get right back into what I call 'cutting edge fitness'. "
John himself has said he would be interested in extending his stay if all goes well at Portman Road, as has Town manager Roy Keane, but Jones says Palace are looking at the loan setting him up for a return to Selhurst Park on December 29th: "We hope that Stern will come back to us in really good condition so he is ready for his chance when it comes, and I think he will because he is going to get regular football there.”
Meanwhile, Town defender Damien Delaney, who has shaved off his increasingly impressive beard, has backed keeper Arran Lee-Barrett to make the most of his surprise elevation to the Town first team: "Arran's a fantastic young keeper who's really impressed me in training.
"Since he came in he's grown in confidence. He's a good communicator and a good, strong keeper."