Town’s U18s are in action against Birmingham City at Playford Road over Saturday lunchtime (KO noon).

The youngsters will be looking to get back to form after last week’s 2-0 defeat at Southampton’s Staplewood training ground.

Meanwhile, keeper Cody Cropper will be returning from Guatemala having spent three games as an unused sub at the CONCACAF U20 World Cup qualifying tournament.

Having come through the group stage, the US lost 2-1 to the hosts at the quarter-final stage.

Elsewhere, former Town youth coach Charlie Woods has revealed that club owner Marcus Evans recently paid for him and his wife Pat, who has been unwell, to go on holiday to Monaco: “It was a wonderful gesture, and a mark of the man.

“Marcus often rings me up for a chat and I have found him a very nice quiet man. He is always enquiring about Pat.”

Woods, who led the Blues to the FA Youth Cup in 1973 and 1975 also has a lot of time for chief executive Simon Clegg: “Simon has Ipswich at heart, I like him he’s a nice man.”

The 70-year-old, who recently retired, held various roles at Town having joined as a player in 1966, most recently as a consultant to Jim Magilton during his time as manager, and was also chief scout at Newcastle under Sir Bobby Robson and at Spurs, for whom he continues to do some scouting.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls