Decision to Turn Professional Taken 90 Years Ago Today
Friday, 1st May 2026 11:11

It was 90 years ago today that the decision to turn Town professional was taken at a Special General Meeting at Ipswich Town Hall.

In March 1936 a new rival club, Ipswich United, had been formed with a view to the town having a professional football club with plans to play either at Portman Road or the Suffolk Stadium, which hosted greyhound racing, on Yarmouth Road.

The following month, Ipswich United proposed the two clubs coming together and turning professional, but at an April 17th meeting Ipswich Town, amateur since its formation in 1878, instead opted to remain amateur and separate from the new venture.

However, Town president Captain John Murray Cobbold had been away in Canada during this period and on his return was lobbied by Ipswich United and he wrote to the local press backing their aims: “Being interested in the game in general and particularly in this endeavour to introduce better football at Ipswich, I shall certainly be pleased to give the scheme my utmost support.”

Discussions, sometimes fractious, then took place between the two sides and the Special General Meeting on Friday 1st May, 1936 rubber-stamped the arrival of professional football in Ipswich.

“That Ipswich Town FC amalgamate with the proposed Ipswich United FC Ltd and Ipswich Town Football Club Ltd be formed to run a professional team in the Southern League and an amateur team in the Eastern Counties League at Portman Road, Ipswich,” a statement read.

“And that if this suggestion is approved, a combined committee be formed without delay with a view to working out the necessary details; and the consent of the Ipswich Corporation and Ground Syndicate be obtained as soon as possible.”

The new club was formalised over the summer and the Blues made their professional bow on Saturday 29th August, 1936, beating Tunbridge Wells Rangers 4-1 in front of what was a record Portman Road crowd of 14,211, Jackie Williams, Bobby Bruce, Jack Blackwell and George Dobson scoring the goals for the team managed by Mick O’Brien.

Photo: Action Images via Reuters

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MVBlue added 12:13 - May 1 If Ipswich became a City would they look to the past and consider Ipswich United as the new name? I do wonder sometimes what the club name would be in the event Ipswich becomes a city. Can't really change from ITFC easily though can we?
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Freddies_Ears added 12:23 - May 1

At the Suffolk Show, the main club tent will have a heritage section celebrating the 90th anniversary of being professional. We also expect to celebrate 20 years of friendship with Fortuna Düsseldorf (Friedie Schacht is planning to come; he is now their club archivist and is Very Knowledgable). I am sure we'll also celebrate one year of ITFC Women starting their professional era.

Jammas_Volley added 13:01 - May 1 @MVBlue - interesting question. Swansea Town became Swansea City after the town gained city status, but I doubt whether we would. There’s too much heritage attached to the “Town” suffix- and seeing that our biggest rivals are “City”, even less likely.
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AbujaBlue added 13:51 - May 1 I would love it if some money could be set aside for a permanent museum o showcase our history. One model to follow would be Genoa, which has a brilliant football museum near the waterfront away from the stadium.
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Europa added 14:11 - May 1 I always find it incredible that (subtracting the war years), it only took them 20 years as a professional club to rise to the summit of English football. As for the name, personally I see nothing wrong with keeping Town. Clubs are still called Wanderers and, say, Wednesday, even though those suffixes have long outlived their literal meaning.
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Jammas_Volley added 17:45 - May 1 Can we have a function to change up or down votes please? Just fat fingers a down vote for Abuja’s excellent comment!
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armchaircritic59 added 18:02 - May 1

My, and what a journey we've been on! And I've been around watching it in some form or other for 63 of those years. The highest of highs and some pretty depressing lows, though never as depressing as supporters of some other clubs have seen. What this club has achieved over it's 90 years of professional football for a club of it's size is amazing. Many others would be proud of it.

Hopefully tomorrow, we will add another chapter to the history book. One thing I know for sure if we do, apart from 19 other professional clubs in the country, they will all look on in envy.