Most Town fans will be aware that the past couple of seasons have seen the highest points totals in the club's history, but where do these totals sit within all-time records in English football? Stats guru Chris Rand investigates.

First of all, let's remind ourselves that Ipswich had only ever broken the 90-point barrier once before, back in the early fifties before ever experiencing football in the top two divisions.

Recalculating the pre-1980 seasons to three points for a win, Sir Alf Ramsey's highest points total was 85 points, Sir Bobby Robson's highest was 83 and George Burley's was 87. Of course, many of the seasons under those managers were in the top division, and with only 42 matches rather than 46, but even so, the last two seasons have seen by far the highest points-per-game totals in the club's history, not just the most points:

Ipswich Town highest points in a season, 1938–2023

Note pre-1980 seasons have been scaled up to three points for a win.

So, where do 98 points and 96 points stack up in the entire 126-season history of English football? Surprisingly highly. Lincoln City (1975/76) and Reading (2005/06) hold the all-time record with a massive 106 points.

However, these sorts of totals are very rare: Plymouth's League One win in 2022/23 was only the 25th time that a club had reached the 100-point mark. Only 46 clubs in 126 seasons have reached 98 points; and only 67 have reached 96. Eagle-eyed readers may spot that Ipswich in 2022/23 became the first club in history to get 98 points and not win their division.

Highest points totals in a single season in English football, 1888–2023

Note statistics are irrespective of total matches played! Pre-1980 seasons have been scaled up to three points for a win. Of course, teams playing 46-match seasons have a big advantage over those in divisions with fewer teams, but 46-match seasons have taken place in the third and fourth tiers since 1950, and in the second tier since 1988.

It is worth taking a slight detour to account for the number of matches played and investigate the highest points per game records. It turns out that Preston's 58 points in the first season of English football, 1888/89, has never been beaten in terms of points per game, but there were only 12 clubs involved. For Manchester City to have got close to this 129 seasons later is extraordinary. Liverpool's appearances in the table 126 seasons apart is perhaps more remarkable still.

Highest points-per-game in a single season in English football, 1888–2023

Note pre-1980 seasons have been scaled up to three points for a win.

Finally, with Ipswich having got themselves onto the all-time highest points leaderboard in consecutive seasons, it's worth investigating how impressive that is. In the table below, I've looked at the highest points totals across two consecutive seasons for all clubs, ever. It turns out that 194 points in two seasons is the fourth-highest in history.

In third place was Sunderland's regrouping to get promotion to the Premiership in 1998/99 with 105 points, after having failed to go up the previous season despite getting 90 points. The top two are even more incredible though, because they were achieved in the modern Premier League in seasons of just 38 matches. They even overlapped! I'm not sure people quite realised at the time what Manchester City and Liverpool were achieving within the context of English football history.

Highest points totals across consecutive seasons in English football, 1888–2023

Note statistics are irrespective of total matches played! Pre-1980 seasons have been scaled up to three points for a win. Of course, teams playing 46-match seasons have a big advantage over those in divisions with fewer teams, but 46-match seasons have taken place in the third and fourth tiers since 1950, and in the second tier since 1988. The first tier had 42 matches until 1988, but only 38 since then, which makes Manchester City and Liverpool's achievements in heading the table even more remarkable.

One final observation about the table above: Ipswich have the highest total ever for a club moving up the divisions. This is noteworthy because getting a huge points total and then doing it again a division higher is arguably harder than doing it in the same division. In many ways, we have not only just experienced the most remarkable two-season performance in the club's history, but one of the most impressive in any club's history.

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Tommy_ITFC added 13:26 - Jun 24 Considering the financial aspect of the game now , and the powerhouses we have competed against , I'd say very very highly
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chilli added 13:50 - Jun 24 Fascinating. So that 53/54 season was on the old 2 points for a win system?
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NthQldITFC added 14:10 - Jun 24 Funny, I was thinking about this (sort of) earlier and I decided that Leicester's PL win was the most extraordinary achievement I can think of in domestic football (and by some way), but our last two seasons must be close to the next best? Of teams to do back to back promotions to Tier3 to Tier1: Watford--(1997-1999) 88+77 = 165 points Man City-(1998-2000) 82+89 = 171 points N*rwich--(2009-2011) 95+84 = 179 points Saints-----(2010-2012) 92+88 = 180 points Towen----(2022-2024) 98+96 = 190 points That step up in points total for us, along with the widely recognised advantages of Leicester, Leeds and Southampton last season make that 96 points a truly extraordinary achievement.

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Crawfordsboot added 14:55 - Jun 24 Great analysis thanks. It’s interesting to note that on a 3 points for a win and one for a draw basis Gareth Southgates record as England manager is very close to our record over the last two seasons - it appears that not a lot of people appreciate that!
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PhilTWTD added 15:31 - Jun 24 chilli Yes, but all seasons converted to three for a win in order to compare.
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WeWereZombies added 15:32 - Jun 24 Must be something wrong with those tables, I can't see Leeds United anywhere...
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MedwayTractor added 17:41 - Jun 24 62WasBest: Your comments are spot on. Only two other teams have won the title immediately after promotion - Spurs in 1950/51 (with Alf at right back) and Forest in 1977/78, but both had a long history of being in the top flight. In addition, our title winning team had 5 players (possibly more, but not in the regular side) who had been in the 1956/57 title winning Third Division side and we had just one international player (Dermot Curtis, who played just 4 league games in 1961/62) at the club. As far as I am concerned, to win the title in those circumstances must rank as the greatest achievement in the whole of football history.

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Chickenstochurchmans added 09:18 - Jun 25 Must concur with 62WasBest. Town's 61-62 triumph was far more impressive than Leicester's recent league win. If Town were to win the top division in season 2027-28 with 5-6 players who had played in the old 3rd Division in 2022-23 that would be comparable with Ramsey's side. Although Ramsey did of course win both 2nd & 3rd Divisions whereas we only came second this time round. I can only assume NthQldITFC that you are of the Premier League generation for which I have the greatest sympathy.

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ElephantintheRoom added 17:05 - Jun 26 It’s a bit suspect to scale up ye olde wins to 3 and quietly ignore the draw at half a win was much more valuable and used to be the target away from home. Nowadays even most football managers have worked out that one 3 is a bigger number than 2 ones and act accordingly. I suspect football finances in the nether regions got completely blasted by Covid - which was a happy coincidence for Town money doping their way out of division 3. Most championship clubs nowadays are utterly skint due to being in the Prem so that division isn’t as competitive as it was either. And they play more games nowadays - but yes a lot of points to win precisely nothing. Fun to watch though.

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