Ipswich Town’s expectations have risen sharply in a short space of time, driven largely by the smart planning and investment made by Gamechanger 20 Limited since taking over from Marcus Evans in 2021.

Before the takeover, the Tractor Boys and their supporters had become used to life stuck in the Championship after dropping out of the Premier League in 2002, with their closest push for promotion coming in the 2014/15 play-off semi-final loss to Norwich City under Mick McCarthy.

Evans’ ownership brought mixed memories at best for fans at Portman Road. Although he injected £12 million in 2007 and cleared an eye-watering £32 million of debt, a series of poor recruitment and managerial decisions eventually led him to tighten the club’s budget, leaving Ipswich operating with minimal resources in his final years.

The first major setback came in 2018 when McCarthy’s exit was followed by a turbulent season in which neither Paul Hurst nor Paul Lambert could stop the team from sinking to the bottom of the table. A bright start to Ipswich’s first of four seasons in League One was the peak of Lambert’s spell, though one more costly mistake arrived in March 2021, just weeks before Gamechanger bought the club for £40 million.

Paul Cook’s nine-month spell at Ipswich Town proved to be an expensive misjudgment. Lambert left the club in February 2021 with Ipswich sitting eighth in League One, only two points outside the top six. Cook, recently departed from Wigan Athletic, signed a two-year contract soon after. His first match was a 1-1 draw with Lincoln City and he collected his first win days later against Plymouth Argyle to keep the promotion push alive.

Despite optimism surrounding Gamechanger’s takeover shortly afterwards, Ipswich won only three more league matches and missed out on the play-offs by five points, though hope remained going into the next season. Cook oversaw a significant rebuild during his only transfer window, bringing in future fan favourites such as Sam Morsy, Wes Burns, Conor Chaplin and Cameron Burgess.

However, the new owners were not prepared to wait for improvements. A goalless draw against Barrow in the FA Cup second round became Cook’s final match, with Ipswich sitting 11th in League One. He departed with a win rate of just 30 percent.

Both Ipswich and Cook have enjoyed success since their split. Gamechanger’s appointment of Kieran McKenna turned out to be inspired. The Northern Irishman delivered consecutive promotions in his first two full seasons, scoring 193 goals along the way and returning Ipswich to the Premier League after 22 years. Even though the club could not stay up, the atmosphere around Portman Road has been transformed, helped by strong investment including the Championship-record signing of Sindre Walle Egeli in August 2025.

Cook has also revived his career, returning to Chesterfield in February 2022. In his first full season, he guided the team to the FA Cup third round and the National League play-off final, where they lost on penalties to Notts County. Chesterfield bounced back to win the National League title by 12 points in 2023/24 and reached the League Two play-offs the following year, falling to Walsall in the semi-finals.