David Johnson, Mark Venus and Richard Naylor, three of the players who were part of George Burley’s squad which won promotion in 2000, were inducted into the Town Hall of Fame at the Former Players Association's Hall of Fame Reunion Dinner at Portman Road this evening, while Frank Brogan, who was in the side which won the Second Division in 1967/68, was inducted posthumously.
Johnson was with Town from 1997 to 2001, signing from Bury in a deal worth £1.1 million which saw Chris Swailes move in the other direction.
A key man in George Burley’s side, Johnson scored 62 goals in 155 starts and 10 sub appearances for the Blues.
Having played such an important role over three seasons, the former Manchester United trainee was unlucky to be forced off injured in the 2000 play-off semi-final.
Having failed to find the net in the first half of the first Premier League season, he departed for Nottingham Forest for £3 million in the January window, where he enjoyed similar success and where his son Brennan, now with Spurs, made his name.
Venus joined Town as a makeweight in the deal which saw Steve Sedgley move to Wolves in August 1997.
The defender played a big part as the Blues won promotion via the play-offs at the fourth time of asking with his powerful left-footed free-kicks a familiar sight and the source of plenty of goals. In 2001/02 carried off the club's Player of the Year award.
Overall, Venus, who subsequently has worked as assistant to Town teammate Tony Mowbray at numerous clubs, currently West Brom, made 187 starts and four sub appearances for the Blues, scoring 19 times before joining Cambridge in the summer of 2003.
Naylor came through the Town youth ranks, starting out as a central defender before moving up front and it was as a striker that he broke into the first team.
The scorer of the second goal in the 2000 Wembley play-off final having come on as a substitute for Johnson, Naylor made 261 starts and 118 sub appearances - a club record - for Town, scoring 42 goals.
Under Joe Royle, Naylor moved back to playing at centre-half, where he stayed for the rest of his career, joining hometown club Leeds in 2009 and captaining them to promotion from League One.
In addition to Johnson, Venus and Naylor, Glasgow-born winger Brogan, who died aged 78 in 2021, has been inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously.
Brogan joined Town from Celtic in 1964 and stayed with the Blues until 1971 when he left and joined Halifax Town.
In total, Brogan, who was in Bill McGarry’s team which won the Second Division title in 1967/68, made 220 starts and three sub appearances, scoring 69 goals.
The annual dinner is attended by players from across Town eras with many of them staying overnight to watch Saturday’s game against Nottingham Forest.