Copa Football Maillot Copa

The 1999 - 00 season saw Ipswich finally return to the Premiership, the level the club considered to be its natural home. George Burley's team stayed close to the top of the table all season but ultimately finished just two points short of automatic promotion, leaving the daunting prospect of another play-off campaign hanging over them.

Ipswich had already contested the play-offs in the three previous seasons without managing to secure that third promotion spot, but the fourth attempt was the right one. Barnsley was the opponent in the final at Wembley, and Ipswich turned the tide to win 4-2 thanks to goals from experienced centre-back Tony Mowbray, substitute Richard Naylor, prolific Marcus Stewart, and Martijn Reuser.

The moment's hero for Ipswich, and one of the season's great figures, was goalkeeper Richard Wright. After already saving a penalty earlier in the match, he made a stunning save to stop Barnsley from scoring what would have been a late equaliser.