Town keeper Arran Lee-Barrett was back at Playford Road today for some early pre-season training with the start of the Blues’ preparations for 2012/13 proper now less than two weeks away. The Town players are due back at the club on July 5th.

Lee-Barrett, currently the Blues’ only professional keeper, was joined on a run by released defender Ibrahima Sonko, who we understand was recently in the US as he searches for a new club but also has options in the UK.

One-time Town academy trainee Lee-Barrett tweeted: “Bumped into a few people at the training ground today. Sonks joined me on my run, had a chat with [returning academy chief] Bryan Klug.”

The club has given the players fitness programmes for the summer with Jay Emmanuel-Thomas amongst those who have been periodically working on their fitness at Playford Road since the end of May.

Striker Michael Chopra is spending time at a health camp in California as part of his preparations for 2012/13, while we understand manager Paul Jewell is also currently in the States on a short break.

New full-back Elliott Hewitt is set to continue his rehabilitation from the hip surgery he underwent while with Macclesfield at Playford Road having recently been at Lilleshall.

We expect French midfielder Cheick Kourouma to have signed on the dotted line by the time the squad reassembles on July 5th having recently agreed terms, while Jason Scotland, who is currently in Trinidad, is similarly expected to put pen to paper on a new deal.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswichbusiness added 18:50 - Jun 23 Those of you who criticise me for going on about a 'keeper and a centre-back just ask yourselves what happens if ALB is injured and what happens if one or both of Smith and Delaney is injured or loses form. We should be signing players now so that they have time to bed in, not leaving it until the week before the season starts.
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 19:05 - Jun 23 GibbsITFC - very sensible post ipswichbusiness - you are quite right but as others have already posted the window opens on July 1. Today is 23rd June.
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MathieandMarshall added 19:23 - Jun 23 Calm down people. Let's enjoy cheering on England against Italy tomorow and worry about any lack of tansfer activity in July. Two positive signings so far. If we can get jimmy committed he'll be like a new signing. We are not far of being a decent side. With regards to the shirts. The main issue for me is pricing. U can pick up the England away shirt for £15 in town (during a major tournament) ??!

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GibbsITFC added 19:56 - Jun 23 Langdon blue, i have tried to ignore some of the 'fans' on here but had to make an account to try and get through to these people, walberswick is one of them.
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alfromcol added 20:04 - Jun 23 GibbsITFC Welcome to TWTD - the Mad Hatters Tea Party!
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walberswick added 20:06 - Jun 23 The Championship doesn't officially start until Sat 18 August @3:00pm. So technically we can't criticise Jewellio until then.
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GibbsITFC added 20:20 - Jun 23 Walberswick.. You shouldnt critisize him at all! Ever! If you support ipswich town then you should support them, not pick holes in his work! Look at southampton, down to league one but their fans stuck by them the whole time. Now look at them! Support our team or dont. Because so far your just unfairly judging paul jewell on what effectively is still a clean up from the RK era. In PJ we trust.

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walberswick added 20:31 - Jun 23 In Jewellio we trust..
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walberswick added 20:38 - Jun 23 The Championship doesn't officially start until Sat 18 August @3:00pm. So technically we can't give a fair appraisal of Jewel's transfer dealings this summer until then.
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walberswick added 20:39 - Jun 23 And even then, we'll have to wait to see if..........
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Ipswichbusiness added 21:36 - Jun 23 Dozzells bobblehat; manifestly you are correct. However, this year why not try signing key players the day after the transfer window opens, rather than the day before it closes? At the moment, I can't discern much sense of urgency or any evidence of meaningful activity.
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 21:58 - Jun 23 ipswichbusiness - how on earth do you know that hasnt/isnt happening ? We knew nothing of the Hewitt signing until the last minute. Why do they need to be signed as soon as the window opens ? As long as we get quality in , preferably so they get a good pre-season surely thats all that matters.
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buryblue77 added 22:03 - Jun 23 GibbsITFC, welcome. I have to disagree that you should not criticise, ever! There are times when things haven't gone well and some constructive criticism is good. I am not one of the moaners, I try to take a balanced view on situations. I'm not happy with the way things are but I am a PJ supporter and as you say, he has a huge job on his hands clearing up after RK. People like Walberswick on here have their won style, you'll never change him and sometimes I even find his posts amusing, other times I have found myself in agreement. Some on here seem to think that because Sir Bobby had us punching above our weight over 30 years ago we should still be there, they forget about the circumstances that took us away from top flight football and we've never found that formula again. At the end of the day we all support (or follow) Ipswich and want the best, some of us have different expectations than others.

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Ipswichbusiness added 22:18 - Jun 23 Dozzells bobblehat; I think that you have answered your own question. We need to get key (note key) players in early in the window so that they have a good pre-season with their new colleagues. It takes planning, which I suspect is not a strong point with Messrs Clegg and Jewell. Of course it may be that they have found a way of signing Joe Hart and John Terry, but I rather doubt it.

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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 22:27 - Jun 23 ipswichbusiness - how about we wait and see before we condemn everyone.
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Ipswichbusiness added 22:32 - Jun 23 On this one there is nothing I would like more than to be proved wrong.
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