Bristol City’s key youth game against Ipswich Town pushed back ahead of familiar faces returning

Bristol City’s key Professional Development League 2 game against Ipswich Town has been pushed back two weeks to April 12.

The top-of-the-table clash was originally pencilled in for March 29 but has been delayed for a second time after the Tractor Boys’ original trip to the South West last December was postponed at the Suffolk side’s request.

BristolWorld understands that both sides agreed to push back the date for this latest game, so as to not have the international break affect preparation.

The two teams are vying for top spot in the PDL2 South section, both on 42 points, though City have played 19 games and Ipswich 20 games.

The corresponding game over in Suffolk, last September, finished 1-2 to the Young Robins, after goals from forwards Sam Bell and Louis Britton.

Another similar result would help the West Country men close on a second successive South title, after they won the PDL2 South section for the first time in 2020/21, with Ipswich Town taking second place (and Cardiff City third).

The Tractor Boys finished top of the South section in 2019, their only South title, with Millwall, Charlton (twice) and Crystal Palace having all previously won the regional U23s title.

The teams that finish in the top two spots in the South league meet the teams that are first and second in the North section, for two play-off semi-finals. Last year Bristol City met Birmingham at Ashton Gate for a place in the final against Sheffield United, who beat Ipswich in the other semi-final.

An early Owura Edwards goal after 26 minutes put City in charge last May, but an Adan George penalty and Joe Redmond goal put Birmingham through, with the winner coming in the 119th minute, in a cruel ending for City’s U23s’ 2020/21 campaign.

Birmingham then won the 2021 national title by defeating Sheffield United 2-0 in the final of the competition that replaced the Under-21 Professional Development League 2 from 2016/17, bringing together 18 U23 sides from Category Two Academies in two regional divisions.

The competition is one academy tier below Premier League 2, where the 26 Category One academy clubs play, with no promotion or relegation. Clubs are able to play up to three outfield over 23-year-old players for each match, explaining why veteran striker Nahki Wells has been involved in some games.

The goalkeeper may be over 23 too, while clubs must host five league matches at their main stadium during the course of the season, to enhance the matchday experience for young players and fans.

The Robins will be eager for a second successive title and there is also the added narrative of several familiar faces returning to the South West.

It may be unlikely that former CEO Mark Ashton returns to Ashton Gate, although their senior side do play Shrewsbury Town - over this side of the country - a couple of days before.

But perhaps former head of the academy Gary Probert may be in attendance to see his former staff and charges in the South West, despite a change of role at Portman Road.

Probert, Ipswich’s director of football operations, head up his club’s recruitment, academy, analysis, U23s and loans programme today, and one of his tasks will be to appoint a new U23s coach after Keiron Dyer resigned from the post last week.

CEO Ashton confirmed last week that: “It has come as a surprise to us that Kieron wishes to stand down from his role as U23s manager.”

Dyer was a popular appointment at the club from October 2020, and is likely to be succeeded by John McGreal, who joined Ipswich last November and had been assisting Dyer, and who stepped up to lead the senior side briefly when Paul Cook departed and before new head coach Kieran McKenna’s appointment.

Former Ipswich, Burnley and Tranmere defender McGreal had been briefly in charge just down the M4 at Swindon Town for a month from May to June last year, where he was assisted by former Bristol City goalkeeper and coach Rene Gilmartin.

Amid ownership issues, a joint statement back then on the Swindon Town website from McGreal and Gilmartin suggested issues behind the scenes had made their positions “untenable” and the duo moved on just weeks after arriving at the County Ground.

And Gilmartin followed McGreal to Suffolk at the end of 2021, to become the goalkeeping coach at Ipswich Town.

With Dyer departing, there may now be scope for Gilmartin to assist McGreal going forward, as he did at Swindon, and to follow up his previous coaching work with the Republic of Ireland U21s and Bristol City’s womens’ team and the U23s.

Who appears in the opposition dugout on April 12 will be an interesting watch for Bristol City supporters.