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.

Photo: Action Images

armchaircritic59 added 00:04 - Mar 15 Remember Frank Brogan well, saw him play quite a number of times. Really decent winger with an eye for a goal. Also victim of one of the most horrific challenges I've ever seen on a football pitch, still, after all this time. Chest high, studs up assault by Alan Gilzean of Spurs, any higher and he might have been decapitated! Amazingly if I remember correctly the " challenge " went unpunished. Today it would be a straight red and almost certainly a multiple match ban. As you can tell, I'm one of the more senior posters on here! Congrats to DJ, MV and RN too.

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Terrystowel added 05:52 - Mar 15 Horrendous challenge by Gilzean which made me wonder at the time if there had been history between the two Scots. Frankie was a great penalty taker too. COYB.
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SpiritOfJohn added 07:47 - Mar 15 No disrespect to David Johnson, who was a super player for us, but his injury in the first half of the play-off final led to one of the best displays of 'Bam-Bam' Naylor's career. In the absence of James Scowcroft, and with Johnson's withdrawal, we could have been out of options, but Naylor caused havoc up top scoring one and creating another. And we still had another attacking player in Reuser to come off the bench to wrap things up!

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Blue_badge added 07:56 - Mar 15 I too remember the Gilzean tackle on Brogan, but let's remember him for the speed and skill he showed on the left, a major contribution to that excellent side of 67/68. Brogan with Danny Hegan on the right, a perfect pair - unless you were an opposition full back!
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flykickingbybgunn added 08:29 - Mar 15 I remember Frank as our penalty taker. He was a "placer" of the ball as opposed to the Ted Phillips approach were his run up started somewhere near the centre circle.
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Somersettractor added 09:27 - Mar 15 I remember Frank Brogan as a rangy winger in the mould of Anthony Gordon. He was one of the Jackie Milburn NE/Scottish buys post Alf Ramsey's aging squad. I agree with Blue badge he worked well with Dany Hegan whose long cross field passes out to Brogan on the left wing were a delight and wouldn't be out of place in today's game. Brogan was quite a contrast with his predecessor Jimmy Leadbetter, one of my all time favourites. I'd also like to remember here one of Mark Venus's screamers at Southampton in the new St Mary's stadium back in the Burley era. It was a 3-3 draw if I remember correctly and Gordon Starchan was Saints recently appointed manager. Venus was, I believe, underrated and played a significant role in Burley's successful side not just for his defensive reliability but also the odd outstanding goal. Richard Naylor (one of our own) was outstanding in that play-off final and never let the side down whether playing up front or in defence while David Johnson's career was short but he was exciting to watch with great pace and skill and also very significant in the Burley era. All excellent choices for the Hall of Fame

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noel added 12:55 - Mar 15 Loved Frank Brogan. He was a really fast left winger who could score goals. That Gilzean tackle was horrendous even by the standards of the day.
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fifeblue added 12:56 - Mar 15 Frank Brogan - a true Town legend. He was a great penalty-taker. However, my main memory of him was in a pre-season friendly in 1968 against Arbroath. Town were 0-3 down at half-time but a Frank scored a second-half hat-trick to help in a 4-3 victory.
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Suffolkboy added 15:00 - Mar 15 Memories !— wonderful ones ,too ! COYB
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Suffolkboy added 15:04 - Mar 15 FORGOT to say “Sticks “ Leadbetter — how on earth he’d get on today with his relatively ‘frail’ build and stature ,but how he caught th eye ! COYB
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DifferentGravy added 17:56 - Mar 15 Bam Bam! Came on for Johnson when he got 'injured' in play off final. Showed him how to step up and be counted when it mattered. Him and Rolls Reuser tore them a new one.
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Crinkle59 added 21:38 - Mar 15 * yes i loved Frank Brogan, those were the days when we passed and ran maybe lower leages but always exiting
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Crinkle59 added 21:42 - Mar 15 Ramsey , a brilliant 1st team coach BUT left aging teams and no real hope for poor Jackie Milburn who at least got the youth policy going
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