On Saturday afternoon, Ipswich Town stunned the football world by clinching promotion to the Premier League, just twelve months after they were playing in League One.
Kieran McKenna was hailed by many who worked with him, including Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United, as a fantastic coach. Now, in just a few months’ time, the Northern Irishman will have the chance to go head-to-head with some of the greatest minds in the game such as Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
The Tractors Boys had been punching above their weight throughout the campaign but managed to hold off the likes of Leeds United and Southampton – who were boosted by parachute payments following relegation from the top-flight – and ended the season just one point behind title-winners Leicester City.
This feat by McKenna’s men will certainly go down in the club’s history as one of the very best. The last time Ipswich Town were in the Premier League was back in 2002 when they were relegated from the division, coincidentally alongside the Foxes.
According to football finance expert Kieran Maguire, the East Anglian outfit generated £37 million in revenue that season, but with the Premier League’s financial earnings growing exponentially since then, the club can expect a “likely” figure of £150 million this time around, regardless of whether they manage to keep themselves in the top tier of English football.
The last time Ipswich Town were in the Premier League the club generated £37m in revenue. In 2024/25 that figure is likely to be £150m #ITFC
— Kieran Maguire (@KieranMaguire) May 6, 2024
The Premier League fixtures are announced on June 18th and supporters will be eagerly anticipating this date to see who the first team to face them at Portman Road will be.
Writer’s View
The job McKenna has done will go down in the history books. Ipswich Town are the first team to achieve back-to-back promotions to the Premier League since Nigel Adkins’ Southampton in 2012 and it is yet to be seen when another side will do so again.
However, McKenna has also helped the club off the pitch. Having languished in League One for several years, a £150 million cash windfall could keep them challenging in and around the top-flight for many years to come, even if the 37-year-old moves on in the near future.