22 years have passed since the former Premier League club Ipswich was relegated from the top flight in England.
In 2024, the club, with coach Kieran McKenna at the helm, can accomplish a football feat.
Since 1992, they can become the fourth team to have moved up from level three to the Premier League within two seasons.
Triple shock
– Most impressive promotion
If the old greatness from the east of England, known as the “Tractor Boys”, takes a point against Huddersfield on Saturday, the club will be ready for the Premier League.
Ole Bernt Krogstad, chairman of Ipswich’s Norwegian supporters’ club, does not spare the superlatives when he describes what it is like to follow the club’s possible sensational promotion.
– It is completely, completely unreal. You can’t even dream about it. I have to pinch my arm all the time. It’s full of Ipswich fans who can’t sleep at night in Norway. I fell asleep at 03.30 last night myself. It is not to be believed. It makes me cry just talking about it. It’s absolutely crazy, says Krogstad to Dagbladet.
IN SHOCK: Ole Bernt Krogstad, chairman of the Norwegian supporters’ club for Ipswich. Photo: Private
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Eirik Aase, who writes for Championship Norway, believes that the achievement is greater now than in the past.
– Now it appears to be a much more difficult thing to do than it was previously. The difference from the Premier League down to the middle of the Championship is absolutely enormous. That makes the difference from League One to the Premier League even more extreme. In my eyes, it is the most impressive promotion straight from level three to the Premier League, Aase tells Dagbladet.
WRITER: Eirik Aase has followed level two in England closely for a number of years. Photo: Private
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Tried by Solskjær
McKenna did not have a great playing career. In 2009, as a 22-year-old, the Briton had to put his football boots on the shelf as a result of a hip injury.
It would pave the way for an early career as a football coach.
In 2016, the 37-year-old replaced his coaching role at Tottenham with the academy at Manchester United. Ahead of the 2018-19 season, he became part of the coaching staff of José Mourinho.
When the Portuguese was fired in December 2018, Ole Gunnar Solskjær stepped into the manager’s chair. McKenna was then allowed to continue in his role under the Norwegian.
DUO: Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Kieran McKenna sometimes did well at Manchester United. Photo: Paul ELLIS / AFP / NTB
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– Kieran was a surprise for me when I came to United. I already knew Michael (Carrick). We had been coached by Sir Alex Ferguson, from the old school. Kieran wasn’t. He is the most thorough and analytical, step-by-step, process-driven coach I have worked with, Solskjær stated in an interview with The Athletic last year.
In April, the British coach won the award for “coach of the year” in the Championship.
Interest is growing
With brilliant results and a wild season at level two in England, interest in Ipswich has also grown here at home.
– Huge. The admissions supporters have clearly woken up. In the last few weeks alone, we have received around 50 new registrations in the supporters’ club. Recently we had over 130 Norwegians at the match, and against Huddersfield there are over 100 Norwegians making the trip. Interest is clearly increasing, says Krogstad.
TOWARDS PROMOTION: Ipswich striker Kieffer Moore and his team-mates are steering towards historic promotion. Photo: Bradley Collyer / Pa Photos / NTB
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The chairman of the Norwegian supporters’ club has himself been a fan since 1978. He was five years old then. At the time, the club was a major power in the European context and beat Arsenal in the FA Cup final.
– How are the nerves ahead of Saturday’s game?
– It was worst before the Coventry game. It was absolutely horrible. I didn’t sleep until Tuesday night. We sat close to 40 supporters in a pub in Oslo and watched the match. When the match was over, people were speechless. We just thought “what is going on?”. It is not to be grasped and understood.
A lot will go wrong if there is no direct promotion for the “Tractor Boys”.
Even with a loss to Huddersfield, who are on the way down to League One, the club can go straight up. Then Southampton must pick up points from Leeds in the last league round.
STEERING FOR PROMOTION: Kieran McKenna and Ipswich will, with points against Huddersfield, move up to the Premier League for the first time since relegation in 2002. Photo: Bradley Collyer / Pa Photos.
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Aase in Championship Norway believes that the team that was relegated from the Premier League in 2002 is on the way.
– I will be very surprised if they don’t go up. They have the perfect scenario. Leeds are out of form and face a tough opponent. Ipswich itself meets a team that has actually been relegated, but which mathematically can still stay up. I can’t imagine that they won’t win the game, concludes the writer.
