Town have confirmed former Bradford, Sheffield Wednesday, Wigan and Derby boss Paul Jewell as their new manager. The 46-year-old has signed a two-and-a half-year contract.

Chief executive Simon Clegg welcomed the new Town boss at a lunchtime press conference at Portman Road: “I’m absolutely delighted to confirm Paul Jewell as our new Ipswich Town manager. The last few days have been long and eventful and we have considered and spoken to a number of people who were interested in the job.

“However, the owner Marcus Evans and I, including being one of only three managers to achieve promotion to the Premier League with two different clubs [along with Steve Coppell and Mick McCarthy], will ensure that we can achieve the goals we have set for this club.

“It’s interesting that on these two occasions promotion to the Premier League cost Ipswich Town automatic promotion and we look forward to Paul giving us automatic promotion in years to come.

“Paul respects the traditions and history of this great club, but we as a club need to be looking forwards and not backwards and I’m sure under Paul under his regime the club will achieve his own history.

“He also recognises the huge importance of the community links that we as a club enjoy, and the owner and I will fully support Paul to ensure that he can achieve the objectives that we have set for this club.”

Owner Marcus Evans added his reasons for employing his new manager: "I wanted to appoint a manager with several years of experience behind them who also had a history of promotion and then staying up.

"I have been lucky enough to find a manager in Paul who has done that twice and pertinently with two clubs who had never been in the Premier League.

"It was also important to bring someone to the club who could play the way Ipswich expect the game to be played and who will embrace the club's role in the community."

Jewell signed his contract with the Blues last night having met with Evans at his company's offices in Dublin on Friday, after he says he was contacted by the Town owner and chairman in the wake of Roy Keane's sacking on Thursday.

The new boss says current coaches Ian McParland and Tony Loughlan will pick the team for Wednesday's Carling Cup semi-final against Arsenal with the Jewell years starting in earnest from Thursday.

Photo: Action Images

bluelady added 13:30 - Jan 10 speaks much more sense than Keane, is realistic and honest and i for one am really pleased now. bluesman i think you will get just that from this guy.
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Papa added 13:31 - Jan 10 Welcome Paul, I'm sure you'll do well. Lets start with bringing the Carling Cup to town!!
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Brazilian added 13:31 - Jan 10 COYB now spank the Arse
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fifeblue added 13:31 - Jan 10 Welcome, Jimmy Jewel. Hope you don't miss the pickle factory.
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Brazilian added 13:31 - Jan 10 COYB now spank the Arse
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BlueVelvet added 13:31 - Jan 10 Lets hope he can teach ME and Oly(mpics) Clegg a bit about football, cos at the moment Clegg is way out of his depth. Under Cleggs management we have lost a few very good players - and no you can't blame RK, you and ME have the ultimate say on such things
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ElginCityBlue added 13:31 - Jan 10 Good luck Paul. Now everyone, get behind him and the team.
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La_Paz added 13:32 - Jan 10 Big Fat Paul? He's only 5ft8! Surely Short Fat Paul is more appropriate? But seriously, here's to a long and successful reign. Come On You Blues.
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Gilesy added 13:32 - Jan 10 Very impressed with him in the press conference, with a long-term view being taken, which is precisely what we need!
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sherborneblue added 13:33 - Jan 10 Jewell will have a lot of fun... the red light district in Ipswich is just behind the north stand
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Surco72 added 13:34 - Jan 10 Good appointment in my opinion, is the kind of manager a lot of our players need who will get the best out of them with an arm round the shoulder if needed . Upwards and onwards ,good luck Mr Jewell ,hopefully he will get some backing financially aswell
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PunchNoHopers added 13:34 - Jan 10 Good luck to Paul, strange that he isn't taking over until Thursday and not immediately though!
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ozzydog added 13:34 - Jan 10 No problems with Paul Jewell Full support from everyone now needed,it will take time to sort out the mess that person left us in but PJ`s Blue and White Army can do it
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TractorJed added 13:36 - Jan 10 Welcome to Ipswich and good luck - all we want is for the return of passion, pace and passing style to our game. Come on you blues!!!!!!!
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GreenwichBlue added 13:36 - Jan 10 Nowhere near my first choice but I'll give him the chance any new manager deserves. Good luck.
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petermorris added 13:36 - Jan 10 So there we have it. P Jewell. What a surprise. This means we have a boardroom leaking information like a sieve. CLEGG OUT!
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Tiggs added 13:37 - Jan 10 What a mistake. JEWELL OUT!!!!!!!!!!!
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AJblue added 13:37 - Jan 10 Welcome Mr Jewell. Never been a big fan of you, but i never was a big fan of Keanes, but i will back and support you as i did Keane. He will need a lot of luck, combined with a lot of managerial skill, and in this i wish you all the best in the world. The only worrying thing i can see is having just watched the press conference, is that PJ, would not confirm/deny that he had a transfer kitty, and all he kept saying was that he wants to work with and improve the current playing squad. I think all right thinking supporters will agrre that we need strengthening in certain areas. Lets hope that all he was doing was playing his cards close to his chest, and realises that he needs to assess (albeit quickly), his new squad, before identifying new targets. (He also said in the press conference that he had kept his finger on the pulse of football, and was aware of what players there were "out there") Once again, good luck, and....COYB

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Taricco_Fan added 13:38 - Jan 10 Welcome aboard, Paul. Best of luck. Let's give him our full support. This isn't his mess and we all need to get behind the new manager and players, forget the Keane era, and look forward to getting this club back to where it belongs.
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BlooooCD added 13:38 - Jan 10 Big Paul Jewells Blooooooooo Army! God luck PJ! Prove the doubters wrong and bring back the good times! Excellent first press meeting - Reallistic, honest and outlined how important values are and to get smiles back on faces etc. I expect changes in personnel on and off the pitch - But I offer you my full support! Come on you Blooooooooooooo's!!!
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petermorris added 13:38 - Jan 10 So there we have it. P Jewell. What a surprise. This means we have a boardroom leaking information like a sieve. CLEGG OUT!
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TractorMan added 13:39 - Jan 10 2 1/2 year deal is a good start. Now get behind him and he will bring us success. The aim this season has to be to stay in the Championship and look to build next season for a real promotion push the season after. Exactly the approach taken with Wigan and their style of football was excellent!
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BlooooCD added 13:39 - Jan 10 Big Paul Jewells Blooooooooo Army! God luck PJ! Prove the doubters wrong and bring back the good times! Excellent first press meeting - Reallistic, honest and outlined how important values are and to get smiles back on faces etc. I expect changes in personnel on and off the pitch - But I offer you my full support! Come on you Blooooooooooooo's!!!
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lunatic38 added 13:40 - Jan 10 Welcome Paul Jewell, i liked what i see and heard in his interview on Sky. Straight away You can tell he is more stable than the previous manager, i did not feel on tenderhooks at what he was going to say next, and i was relaxed with a smile on my face (nearly cracked after 20 months of the other moron) with what he said , how he said it (no giving it the biggun about "promotion in two years" and "idiots can get to half way in the championship"). He has stated everyone is going to get a new start and i personally think he hinted he will get financial support and buy some new players! For me a striker and a defensive midfielder accompanied by two good fullbacks will do the trick! Come Paul Jewell and COYB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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StortfordBlue added 13:41 - Jan 10 Best of luck PJ, let's hope you can emulate what you did at Bradford and Wigan.
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