Town have confirmed the appointment of Paul Cook as manager on a contract which runs until the summer of 2023.

“I’m delighted to announce that Paul Cook is our new manager,” Town owner Marcus Evans told the club site.

“He has a proven track record in getting clubs promoted and importantly, not only knows the challenges League One presents but also has experience of working in the Championship and getting back to that level remains our primary focus.

“He took Wigan up to the Championship in his first year, kept them up and they would have comfortably finished in mid-table last season if it wasn’t for their points deduction.

“In our conversations, he has shown a great desire to become our next manager and I have been impressed by his ideas and ambitions to help take Ipswich Town forwards and I look forward to working with him as we strive firstly to return to the Championship.

“He knows he will be working with a squad of players that is as good as any in this division and I believe Paul will bring the energy, the enthusiasm and the experience that can fully enhance our promotion aspirations.

“As well as having a history - and ongoing desire - of developing a winning formula, his teams have played in a style which is totally in line with the club’s ambitions to develop an Ipswich Town playing ethos.

“I’m sure our supporters will give Paul a great welcome - albeit from afar at the moment - and get right behind him and the players as we enter what promises to be an exciting conclusion to the season.”

Cook will be in the stands at Accrington this evening to watch his new players in action against a club where he was both a player and a manager. He will take training for the first time tomorrow.

“First I want to wish Paul [Lambert] and Stuart [Taylor] all the best for the future. I know them both and it’s a hard business, football,” Cook added.

“It’s been a quick turnaround with Zoom meetings with the owner but Marcus has given me the opportunity to manage what is a great football club and that is a massive honour for me and my family.

“I’m proud to be in this position and I’ll be doing everything possible to repay the faith Marcus has shown in me.

“Winning promotion this season is the immediate target. It will be a big challenge but it’s a challenge that everyone at the club has a part to play in.”

TWTD reported in January that Cook had been spoken to by current owner Marcus Evans as he looked at his options with Paul Lambert’s position looking increasingly precarious.

Cook had been the favourite for the boss’s job at Portman Road since the end of last week with his appointment linked to the US-backed takeover.

Kirkby-born Cook was a central midfielder in his playing days, starting his career with non-league Marine before moving on to Wigan, Norwich for a short spell in the 1998/89 season, Wolves, Coventry, Tranmere, Stockport, Burnley (initially on loan), another stint with Wigan on loan and finally Accrington Stanley.

Cook moved into management with Southport in June 2006 but departed Haig Avenue the following January.

In April 2007 Cook took charge of League of Ireland side Sligo Rovers. Having guided Rovers to fourth and a European place, he left by mutual consent in January 2009 only to return 13 days later.

Despite tight finances, Cook saw Sligo to the 2009 FAI Cup final but they were beaten 2-1 by Sporting Fingal.

However, in 2010 they did carry off some silverware, the League Cup, then they followed that up by an on-penalties victory over Shamrock Rovers in the FAI Cup the same season and retained the trophy the following season via another win on spot-kicks against Shelbourne.

In February 2012 Cook took charge of Accrington but having finished 14th in League Two in 2011/12 he departed in the October when he took charge at Chesterfield.
"Cook took the Spireites to the League Two title in 2013/14 and then the following year to sixth and a play-off place in League One.

That success led to his move to Pompey in May 2015 and two years later he guided the Hampshire side to the League Two title.

In May 2017, Cook was named manager of Wigan following their drop into League One and led them to the title in 2017/18 as well as FA Cup shocks against Premier League West Ham, Bournemouth and Manchester City as they reached the quarter-finals.

He resigned in July last year following the Latics’ administration, resultant 12-point deduction and relegation to League One. Without the points deduction they would have finished 13th.

Overall at his six clubs as a manager Cook’s win percentage stands at 43.1.

After leaving Wigan, Cook had been linked with a number of jobs in the Championship, among them the positions at Cardiff City, which he is understood to have turned down, and Sheffield Wednesday.

Cook becomes the 18th Blues manager of the professional era and the fourth named Paul during the Evans era. Fans will hope Cook can bring the success which eluded Messrs Jewell, Hurst and Lambert.

As previously reported, former Blues winger Gary Roberts, coincidentally a player with tonight’s opponents Accrington, is set for a role on the staff, while ex-Town forward Noel Hunt has also been under consideration for a position with previous members of Cook's backroom team currently in jobs.

Leam Richardson, his assistant with Portsmouth and Wigan, is the caretaker-manager of the Latics, while his first team coach while with the Lancastrians, Anthony Barry, is now assistant head coach at Chelsea. Keeper-coach Nick Colgan is working at Nottingham Forest.

General manager of football operations Lee O’Neill yesterday confirmed that current caretaker-manager Matt Gill and keeper-coach Jimmy Walker are set to stay at Town.

Photo: ITFC

jdtractor96 added 12:25 - Mar 2 This is excellent news, a really exciting appointment! A much more impressive, consistent CV than Lambert & Hurst. Promotions and cup runs with his last 3 clubs! The only slight worry should be that his previous backroom staff members are now with other clubs - look how Lambert has struggled without Culverhouse. Hey maybe I've just become a pessimist over these last few years! COYB. Let's get the club moving upwards!

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Dolphinblue added 12:26 - Mar 2 This man has won league two twice and league one once, not promotion, won the league....Great appointment...welcome Paul Cook....COYB
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BaddowBlue1 added 12:28 - Mar 2 Welcome aboard and Good Luck Paul.
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Len_Brennan added 12:29 - Mar 2 As good an appointment as we could have expected given the league we are in & our recent history. Welcome Paul,; now let's get ourselves back into the top 6 & start improving our goal difference, which could yet be a factor. Big game tonight & coming up against a well oiled Lincoln, outside of that we only have 1 other difficult game, on paper, in our run in. Promotion is still achievable.

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Beattiesballbag added 12:30 - Mar 2 His favoured formation is basicaly what we have been playing the last couple of games....wonder if he had that arranged so he could assess what he has available ?
3

daisy1234 added 12:30 - Mar 2 3rd Paul lucky 😀😀
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daisy1234 added 12:31 - Mar 2 So happy all the best Lambert. Buzzing now Paul cook in charge top 2 not out of reach itfc
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Northstandveteran added 12:35 - Mar 2 I must confess to not being overly excited about this but I'll be delighted to be proved wrong. Hopefully he'll have the balls to give some of our players who have been freeloading a rocket and drop those who continue to underperform. A new manager often has a positive effect on a club so he may be able to get a few wins together and get us in the promotion mix which I had personally given up hope on. Good luck Paul Cook and team.

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d77sgw added 12:35 - Mar 2 Feels like there is often a good correlation between having an average playing career and succeeding as a manager, especially at this level. May be something to do with empathy - the problem with having managers like Keane and Lambert was that their playing pedigree didn't translate into being good managers. Even at the top eschelons - Klopp, Mourinho, Wenger - some of the best managers were very average players. Of course you have your Peps etc, but somehow I feel like they might struggle as a manager of a League 1 side. Getting the best out of a journeyman player, in tightly fought matches on sh*t pitches in front of 5000 fans, on a tight budget, is a specific talent - one which Paul Cook has shown he can do. I just hope we give him the time to do it. COYB!

3

ringwoodblue added 12:36 - Mar 2 Welcome Paul! Please bring success back to our club and give us long-suffering fans something to cheer about and be proud of again. Hopefully the players play out of their skins tonight to impress and get another win.
4

Bergholt_Blue added 12:45 - Mar 2 I hope he's the right person for the job I'm not so sure
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higgistockwell added 12:45 - Mar 2 Welcome Paul to our great football club,my dad comes from Sligo in Southern Ireland so follow them from afar but try to get to a few games when I can and met Paul and his assistant Gerry carr(Sligo legend)in a cafe in Dublin on the day of the fai cup final,I said hello and he insisted I sit with them and chatted with them for some time and I said shame he played for that lot up the road and he just smiled,he then asked me if I had a ticket for the game which I didn't and gave me a ticket which was just behind his wife and kids, nice guy but more importantly for us more than ever a good manager

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tones_cones added 12:53 - Mar 2 Interesting appointment. Not totally convinced by Mr Cook if im honest - hopefully i am proved wrong though. Be interesting to see where we go from here. A couple of bad results early on and no doubt his honeymoon period will be rather short...........
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Taricco_Fan added 12:54 - Mar 2 Good luck, Paul. We're lucky to have him after being linked with various Championship jobs. Now, onwards and upwards!
3

buzbyblue added 12:54 - Mar 2 As per others can't get over excited about this, but prove me wrong please Paul! I should think the managers chair is still warm! Still waiting to hear Evans has left the building for good though......
3

hadleighboyblue added 12:54 - Mar 2 Welcome to ITFC , please bring back some good times so players and fans can enjoy things again . Really great signing
0

Woodbridgian added 12:54 - Mar 2 This is a really top appointment so well done to Evans. Welcome Paul to ITFC
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Europablue added 12:55 - Mar 2 Let's hope that too many Pauls don't spoil the broth!
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sospier added 12:55 - Mar 2 Excellent choice with a very good track record.Just the person we have been crying out for.Welcome Paul.
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jollyroger added 12:55 - Mar 2 hello hello Ipswich are back Ipswich are hello hello . good appointment good luck Paul
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bluesteal74 added 12:58 - Mar 2 Welcome Paul and we wish you the best of luck. Buzzing great appointment, onwards and upwards
0

dangerous30 added 12:59 - Mar 2 Welcome and good luck Paul
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DifferentGravy added 13:02 - Mar 2 Welcome and best of luck. All pulling in the same direction, onwards and upwards COYB!
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sixx added 13:03 - Mar 2 Best of luck PC
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Cakeman added 13:03 - Mar 2 Welcome to Portman Road Paul. I am very pleased by this appointment. From the little I believe, Paul will not suffer fools gladly and this is a massive plus because over the past five or six years we have experienced to our detriment some players being too comfortable and seemingly all but guaranteed of their place in the squad. I also hope Paul can ignore what may be going on behind the scenes and is able to concentrate on just the playing side. He will need to be thick skinned too because as pleased as I would imagine most supporters will be by his appointment the club is far from alright. Paul Lambert may not have been a good manager at times but I do think he was spot on by saying it how he saw it with the structure of the club being wrong. We don't know what that exactly meant but until this is addressed I fear we shall be trying to progress with the handbrake still on.

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