Three former Town stars inducted into the Hall of Fame
Three former Town stars inducted into the Hall of Fame
Former Ipswich Town stars David Johnson, Richard Naylor and Mark Venus were inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame at Portman Road on Friday evening.
The trio were part of George Burley’s squad that promotion to the Premier League in 2000, while Frank Brogan, who was in the side which won the Second Division in 1967/68, was inducted posthumously.
Johnson joined the Blues from Bury in a deal worth £1.1 million in November 1997, where he went on to score 62 goals in 158 games for Town.
The forward was a key player during his spell at the club. He was the top goalscorer in back-to-back seasons, including when Town won promotion to the top flight.
He departed for Nottingham Forest for £3 million in January 2001, where he enjoyed similar success. His son Brennan now plays for Spurs and the Wales national team.
Naylor progressed through the youth ranks at Portman Road, making his debut in 1996. He spent 14 years at Town, making 374 appearances, scoring 40 goals.
‘Bam Bam’, who was initially a centre-forward, replaced Johnson in the 2000 play-off final at Wembley, where he picked up a goal and assist.
He switched to central defence in 2002 before being awarded a testimonial in 2006. He left the club to join his hometown club Leeds in 2009.
Venus signed for Town from Wolves in August 1997. He featured 191 times for the Blues, scoring 19 goals.
A versatile defender, he was also part of the promotion-winning squad at the turn of the century and a central figure in the Premier League fifth-place finish in 2000/01.
He was known for his powerful left-footed free-kicks and was voted Player of the Year in 2001/02. He left Town to sign for Cambridge United in the summer of 2003.
Brogan moved to Town from Celtic in 1964, where he netted 69 goals in 223 games during his spell at the club.
The Scottish winger was a regular penalty taker and a key figure in Bill McGarry’s team, who won the Second Division title in 1967/68.
He left the Blues to join Halifax Town in 1971 and passed away at the age of 78 in 2021.
A host of Town legends attended the Former Players Association’s Hall of Fame Reunion Dinner held in the Sir Bobby Robson Suite at the stadium last week.
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