Ipswich Town have discovered their fixtures for the 2025/26 Championship season. Stuart Watson takes a look at some key talking points....
THE OPENING DAY...
Runaway League One champions to welcome fallen Premier League outfit who have been installed as the bookies’ favourites. Those that have done v those aiming to do. Tom Brady v Ed Sheeran (yuck). Funny how the fixture computer always seems to randomly serve up these mouth-watering matches for opening day. The neutrals will be licking their lips. Town fans possibly less so.
This is arguably as challenging as it could have got for the Blues as they look to shake off a relegation hangover. Birmingham are looking to ‘do an Ipswich’. A sleeping giant reawaken following a US takeover, Chris Davies’ side have just had a record-breaking 111 points League One campaign. The 29,000 capacity St Andrew’s will be a cauldron of noise, under the lights, for the Championship’s curtain-raising Friday night fixture.
I don’t need to tell you the power of stability, momentum and feelgood factor. Then again, if you want to put a positive spin on it, maybe this is exactly the sort of start that Ipswich needed. A lot of the spotlight will be on the hosts, and that’s probably not a bad thing.
May I remind you that Birmingham played the likes of Crawley, Burton and Northampton last season, while Ipswich were facing Liverpool, Man City and co. Alfie May and Jay Stansfield are, with respect, not Erling Haaland and Mo Salah.
It’s easy to forget how challenging Ipswich found that opening day at Sunderland, or both clashes against power-packed Leeds, for example, when they stepped up from League One.
This is an opening day to get the juices flowing and, after admittedly taking an initial wince, I’ve decided I’m very much up for it.
REST OF AUGUST
Chairman Mark Ashton has acknowledged (in a comment that echoed one made by former Blues boss Paul Lambert) that the ‘hunters now become the hunted’.
How will players and supporters alike deal with that pressure? Getting off to a good start could be crucial in setting the tone.
Town registered just one home win in the Premier League, against Chelsea right at the end of 2024. The first side to visit Portman Road in 2025/26 will be Southampton. The Saints finished bottom of the Premier League with 12 points. They now have a new manager in 32-year-old Will Still taking his first steps in English football. Ipswich recorded a memorable double over the Saints on the way to promotion in 23/24, but claimed just one point from the two clashes in the Premier League. Revenge for that 2-1 home loss in February (in which Ipswich were the better side) should be a big motivator.
After that comes a 500-mile round trip to Preston, then a home game against Derby. Those two both finished a point above the drop zone last season.
Game five sees Sheffield United come to Suffolk. They racked up 90 points last season before suffering Play-Off Final heartbreak. Replacing Chris Wilder with Ruben Selles seemingly hasn’t gone down too well with Blades fans.
So that’s three of the opening five games against fellow promotion favourites. That could go one of two ways. Yes, there's potential for everyone to get a bit jittery and the pressure to grow. There is also, however, a real opportunity to light the blue touch paper.
RETURN OF THE DERBIES
You don’t need me to remind you that’s it’s been 16 years since Ipswich last beat Norwich.
The East Anglian derby returns on game nine of the season, at Portman Road (Sat, Oct 4). In December 2023, Town fans organised a raucous bus greeting for that fixture. Nathan Broadhead missed some big chances and, somehow, the dominant hosts had to make do with a 2-2 draw.
How Town have navigate the aforementioned tricky-on-paper start will determine what the overriding mood is going into this one. There’s added narrative given that Norwich, of course, now have former Ipswich youth player and coach Liam Manning in charge.
The trip to Carrow Road comes, funnily enough, at the exact same time of year as it did in 2024. Town head to Norfolk on Saturday, April 11 for what will be the start of the post-Easter run-in. Let’s hope Kieran McKenna’s men perform better than they did in that 1-0 defeat there last time.
FESTIVE FIXTURES
Ipswich have two away games over the Christmas period. Neither are long trips. It’s Millwall on Boxing Day (a Friday) and then Coventry on Monday 29th.
Both those fixtures contain happy memories from the promotion season. Ipswich won 4-0 at The Den on Valentine’s Day, while the 2-1 victory at the CBS Arena, which essentially sealed promotion, will forever be in club folklore.
The Easter weekend has served up two cracking fixtures. Town go to Southampton on Good Friday (April 3) and then host Birmingham on Easter Monday (April 6). That has the potential to make or break the season.
Facing the Saints over Easter, of course, brings back memories of that famous Jeremy Sarmiento winner. More of the same, please!
MIDWEEK MATCHES
Town have nine midweek league matches as it stands.
Charlton (Oct 21), Watford (Nov 4), Stoke (Dec 10) and Bristol City (Jan 20) will all play under the Portman Road lights.
Ipswich will travel to Bristol City (Sept 30), Hull (Nov 25), Watford (Feb 24), Stoke (Mar 10) and Charlton (22) on Tuesday or Wednesday nights.
Again, Town can call upon memories of midweek matches against Hull (3-0 at home, 3-3 away), Bristol City (1-0 away, 3-2 at home) and Watford (1-0 away) in the promotion season.
Just don’t let a 4-2 lead slip in stoppage-time at The Valley this time please...
THE RUN-IN
That epic Easter weekend rolls into the trip to Carrow Road, then the season concludes with games against Middlesbrough (H), Charlton (A), West Brom (A) and QPR (H). Middlesbrough and West Brom could well be in the top-six mix, but if there’s something riding on the final day then QPR at home is not a bad one.
Seeing the fixtures in black and white is a reminder of how relentless the Championship is. I’m certainly looking forward to the busier and more unpredictable action. Bring it on!
