Today, October 16th, marks the 140th anniversary of the formation of Ipswich Town Football Club.
Town, then known as Ipswich Association Football Club to differentiate itself from the existing rugby-playing Ipswich Football Club, was formed at a meeting of mainly former pupils of Ipswich School at the Town Hall on Wednesday 16th October 1878.
The then sitting MP, Thomas Cobbold, the great, great uncle of later chairmen John and Patrick, was appointed the president, Mr JHH Knights the honourable secretary, while FG Bond, JM Franks - who had chaired the meeting - George Sherrington, later the club captain, and CE Fisher were elected to the committee.
Broom Hill was established as the home ground with the inaugural game, a match between ‘The Club’, featuring Cobbold who presented a new ball prior to kick-off, and ‘The Secretary’s Team’, taking place on Saturday 26th October.
The game ended 2-2, FG Bond having opened the scoring for The Secretary’s Team, before A Edwards netted an equaliser. Bunnell Burton, later the chairman of well-known local firm Burton, Son and Saunders, put The Club in front before secretary Knights restored parity.
They faced outside opposition for the first time on Saturday 2nd November when they took on local side Stoke Wanderers in a game which ended in a 6-1 victory, Burton having scored the club's first goal.
The margin of victory was little surprise as it was reported at the time that Wanderers hadn’t played association football before and weren’t familiar with the rules.
Ipswich Association Football Club’s first away game was at Harwich a week later, a match which ended in a 2-0 victory having been played in a gale.
In total, they played 12 matches, all friendlies, in that first season, winning eight, drawing one and losing three.
The name changed to Ipswich Town Football Club in 1888 when they merged with Ipswich Football Club. Town turned professional in 1936 and entered the Football League two years later.
Having also played home matches at Brook's Hall, the club moved to its current home at Portman Road in 1884.