FA Cup Final Referee Nippard Dies - Ipswich Town News

Derek Nippard, the man who refereed Town’s 1-0 1978 FA Cup final victory over Arsenal at Wembley, died on Friday aged 87 after a long illness.

Nippard, who was taking charge of his last match after 11 years on the Football League list, and his linesmen famously took part in their own lap of honour after the game.

The former gas board employee, who BBC commentator David Coleman noted took care to wear two watches during the final, was subsequently a member of Hampshire FA Council for 26 years.

Nippard attended the FA Cup final reunions organised by Town in 1998 and 2008.

His funeral will be held on 1st August at Bournemouth Crematorium, commencing at 2pm.

What to read next:

U21s Win at Leicester
Town’s U21s beat Leicester City 2-0 at their Seagrave Training Ground this evening to claim their first Premier League Cup victory of the season.

Over to Replace Finbow as PLC Chairman
Roger Finbow is set to stand down as the chairman of the Ipswich Town PLC following its AGM at Portman Road on Tuesday 16th December - where chairman and CEO Mark Ashton and chief financial officer Tom Ball will answer shareholders’ questions - with Peter Over set to take over.

Taylor: We've Got Incredible Players, You Don't Know How High the Ceiling Is
Jack Taylor has had an eventful international break, but the midfielder returns to Town determined to go on a run through a busy spell of fixtures between now and the turn of the year.

McKenna: The Challenge is to Recapture the Energy From Swansea Against Wrexham
Town boss Kieran McKenna says it’s important his team start their run of seven games in 22 days positively when Wrexham visit Portman Road for the first time in their history on Saturday.

McKenna: O'Shea Has Fantastic Qualities as a Defender and is an Outstanding Leader
Blues boss Kieran McKenna has praised Dara O’Shea both for his captaincy and his role at the heart of the defence.

McKenna: It's Going to Be All Hands on Deck
Saturday’s home game against Wrexham is the first of seven matches in 22 days for the Blues, a run which manager Kieran McKenna says will require all hands on deck for the next few weeks.

McKenna: It Will Be Good to See Them Both
Blues boss Kieran McKenna says he’s looking forward to being reunited former Town pair Nathan Broadhead and Kieffer Moore when their Wrexham side visit at the weekend but hopes he doesn’t see the best of them on the pitch.

McKenna Happy International Players Had Brilliant Experiences
Town boss Kieran McKenna says the players who have been away on international duty have unsurprisingly come back in a positive mood given the results some of their sides have achieved.

McKenna: We're All Happy Leif Has Signed New Deal
Town boss Kieran McKenna is delighted that left-back Leif Davis has signed a new contract with the club, which runs to the summer of 2029, and says there’s plenty more to come from the 25-year-old.

McKenna: Squad in Really Good Health
Blues boss Kieran McKenna says his squad is in really good health ahead of Saturday’s home game against Wrexham as Town go into a run of seven games in 22 days with Alex Palmer and Sammie Szmodics close to returns and Wes Burns having played a behind-closed-doors match during the international break.