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Ipswich Town F.C. Player of the Year

Local football award From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Ipswich Town Player of the Year award is voted for annually by Ipswich Town's supporters in recognition of the best overall performance by an individual player throughout the football season. Towards the end of each season, fans are invited to cast their votes for this award either on-line or with one of the volunteers outside the stadium prior to a home game. The winner is the player who polls the most votes. The recipient is awarded a rosebowl trophy, presented at an awards ceremony immediately after one of the last home games of the season.[1]

SportAssociation football
First award1973
Editions53 (as of 2026)
First winnerEngland Kevin Beattie
Quick facts Sport, History ...
Ipswich Town Player of the Year
SportAssociation football
History
First award1973
Editions53 (as of 2026)
First winnerEngland Kevin Beattie
Most winsScotland John Wark
(4 times)
Most recentNetherlands Azor Matusiwa
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The inaugural award was made to Kevin Beattie in 1973 and he retained it the following season. Since then, four other players have won the award on more than one occasion: Terry Butcher and Matt Holland have received the honour twice, goalkeeper Bartosz Białkowski has won it three times, while John Wark has been presented with the award a record four times. Only one winner has gone on to manage the club full-time, George Burley,[2] who won in 1977, although John Wark did act as joint caretaker-manager of the club with Paul Goddard for three matches in 1994.[3]

Winners

Kevin Beattie wearing a dark jacket, a white shirt, and black-and-white polka dot tie
Kevin Beattie was the inaugural winner of the award.
John Wark, wearing a dark suit, a white shirt and a dark-blue tie, standing on the pitch at Portman Road
John Wark has won the award four times, the most of any Ipswich Town player.
Four men standing on a grass football pitch. The man second from left, wearing a grey top, white shorts and white socks, is holding a trophy above his head. Spectators wearing blue or black tops are visible in the background.
Fabian Wilnis, winner for the 2005–06 season, with the trophy.
Bartosz Białkowski won the award in three consecutive seasons from 2016 to 2018.
More information *, ‡ ...
* Ipswich Town Hall of Fame Inductee[4][5][6]
‡ Player still on the playing staff of the club[7]
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More information Season, Level ...
Recipients of the Ipswich Town F.C. Player of the Year
SeasonLevel[nb 1]NamePosition[nb 2]NationalityInternational
caps[nb 3]		Notes
19731Kevin Beattie*Defender England9[nb 4][8]
19741Kevin Beattie*Defender England9[nb 5][8][9]
19751Colin ViljoenMidfielder England2[nb 6]
19761Allan Hunter*Defender Northern Ireland53[nb 7][10]
19771George Burley*Defender Scotland11[11]
19781Mick Mills*Defender England42[8]
19791Arnold Mühren*Midfielder Netherlands23[nb 8][12]
19801Frans Thijssen*Midfielder Netherlands14[13]
19811Paul Cooper*Goalkeeper England—
19821Alan Brazil*Striker Scotland13[14]
19831Paul Mariner*Striker England35[8]
19841Trevor PutneyMidfielder England—
19851Terry Butcher*Defender England77[8]
19861Terry Butcher*Defender England77[nb 5][8]
19872Romeo ZondervanMidfielder Netherlands1[nb 9][15]
19882Frank Yallop*Defender Canada52[nb 10][16]
19892John Wark*Midfielder Scotland29[17]
19902John Wark*Midfielder Scotland29[nb 5][17]
19912David Linighan*Defender England—
19922John Wark*Midfielder Scotland29[nb 11][17]
19931Mick Stockwell*Midfielder England—
19941John Wark*Midfielder Scotland29[nb 12][17]
19951Craig ForrestGoalkeeper Canada56[18]
19962Simon Milton*Midfielder England—
19972Mauricio TariccoDefender Argentina—[nb 13]
19982Matt Holland*Midfielder Republic of Ireland49[19]
19992Jamie ClaphamDefender England—[20]
20002James Scowcroft*Striker England—[21]
20011Marcus Stewart*Striker England—[22]
20021Mark Venus*Defender England—[23]
20032Matt Holland*Midfielder Republic of Ireland49[nb 5][24]
20042Ian WestlakeMidfielder England—[25]
20052Shefki KuqiStriker Finland62[26]
20062Fabian Wilnis*Defender Netherlands—[27]
20072Sylvain LegwinskiMidfielder France—[28]
20082Jonathan WaltersStriker Republic of Ireland54[29]
20092Richard WrightGoalkeeper England2[30]
20102Gareth McAuleyDefender Northern Ireland80[31]
20112Jimmy BullardMidfielder England—[32]
20122Aaron CresswellDefender England3[33]
20132Tommy SmithDefender New Zealand56[34]
20142Christophe BerraDefender Scotland41[35]
20152Daryl MurphyStriker Republic of Ireland32[36]
20162Bartosz BiałkowskiGoalkeeper Poland1[37]
20172Bartosz BiałkowskiGoalkeeper Poland1[nb 5][38]
20182Bartosz BiałkowskiGoalkeeper Poland1[nb 11][39]
20192Luke ChambersDefender England—[40]
20203Not awarded[nb 14]———[41]
20213James WilsonDefender Wales1[42]
20223Wes Burns‡Midfielder Wales10[43]
20233Conor ChaplinForward England—[44]
20242Sam MorsyMidfielder Egypt9[45]
20251Liam DelapForward England--[46]
20262Azor Matusiwa‡Midfielder Netherlands—[47]
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Wins by playing position

More information Position, Number of winners ...
Ipswich Town F.C. Player of the Year winners by playing position
Position[nb 15]Number of
winners[nb 16]
Goalkeeper6
Defender20
Midfielder18
Striker8
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Wins by nationality

More information Nationality, Number of winners ...
Ipswich Town F.C. Player of the Year winners by nationality
NationalityNumber of
winners[nb 16]
 England22
 Scotland7
 Ireland5
 Netherlands5
 Poland3
 Northern Ireland2
 Canada2
 Wales2
 Argentina1
 Finland1
 France1
 New Zealand1
 Egypt1
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See also

Footnotes

  1. [1]
    The official "Level" of competition in the structure of the English league system.
  2. [2]
    For a full description of positions see Football Positions.
  3. [3]
    If blank, uncapped at full international level.
  4. [4]
    Beattie was the inaugural winner of the award.
  5. [5]
    Second award.
  6. [6]
    Viljoen was born in South Africa.
  7. [7]
    Hunter was the first non-English winner.
  8. [8]
    Mühren became the first winner from outside the United Kingdom.
  9. [9]
    Zondervan was born in Suriname.
  10. [10]
    Yallop was born in England.
  11. [11]
    Third award.
  12. [12]
    Fourth award.
  13. [13]
    Taricco was the first non-European winner.
  14. [14]
    No Player of the Year award was given due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the early curtailment of the 2019–20 season, and the cancellation of the Supporters' Club annual event.
  15. [15]
    Stockwell and Zondervan have been classed as midfielders.
  16. [16]
    Multiple winners are counted multiple times.

References

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