Paul Jewell in Profile
By TownFans.co.uk
October 25 2012
Paul Jewell was appointed to the role of Manager of Ipswich Town FC on 13th January 2011. He spent 21 months as manager before parting from the club by mutual consent on 24th October 2012.
The Scouser signed a two and a half year contract at the club with the aim of returning Town to the Premiership within this time after a period of underachievement since the relegation from the Premiership back in 2002.
Jewell's first job was to save the club from relegation, having took over with the club in 19th position in the Championship after a poor first half of the season under the guidance of former manger Roy Keane. This was achieved with Town sitting in a more healthy mid-table position of 13th come the end of the season
Town were expected to press on in the next season with Jewell adding a number of experienced Premier League players such as Lee Bowyer, Ivan Ingimarsson, Mark Kennedy and Nathan Ellington. However the strategy did not pay off and instead of challenging for promotion, Town could only manage a 15th place finish in the league.
A very disappointing start to the 2012/2013 season saw Jewell part company from Town on 24th October 2012 with the club laying bottom of the Championship.
Playing Career
As a player Jewell represented Wigan and Bradford City whilst also spending time on loan at Grimsby Town towards the end of his playing career. Jewell hung up his boots during the 1997/98 season, but started to try his hand at coaching alongside former boss Chris Kamara in 1995/96 whilst at Bradford.
Bradford City
In January 1998 Bradford chairman Geoffery Richmond sacked Chris Kamara and appointed Jewell as the new manager of the club. The next season Jewell led the Yorkshire side to promotion to the Premiership against the odds but managed to survive on the last day of the season on 1999/2000 when the majority of pundits had them down as relegation certainties.
After a disagreement with Richmond at the end of 1999/2000 Jewell left Bradford and took up the vacant managers position at recently relegated Sheffield Wednesday. However it was to be a torrid time spent at Hillsborough, with Jewell fired in February 2001 after just eight months in charge with the financially stricken club struggling near the bottom of the English second tier.
Wigan Athletic
Four months later Jewell made a return to management with Wigan Athletic, a club he represented as a player. In the 2002/3 season Jewell led the Latics to the Championship in the third tier of English football and just missed out on a play-off place on the last day of the season in the second tier the following campaign. In 2004/5 however promotion was clinched on the final day to take Wigan to the top tier of English football for the first time.
In their first season in the top flight, Jewell managed to steer Wigan to an astonishing 10th place in the league against all the odds for a side which had been playing two divisions lower just three years earlier. 2006/7 proved to be much harder however, and the club survived on the last day of the season by a single goal, having finished level on points with relegated Sheffield United. A day later, Jewell tendered his resignation.
Derby County
In November 2007 Jewell was unveiled as the manager of Premier League side Derby County who were at the time, regarded as one of the worst sides in the history of the Premier League. Jewell was unable to save the Rams from relegation, and failed to win a single game in the rest of the season as his side finished the season with just eleven points. His first league win as Derby manager finally came after 10 months in charge in September 2008. Jewell resigned from his last job before taking charge of Town at the end of the 2008 calendar year with Derby in 18th place.
Town's Former Bosses
Click here for a list of former Ipswich Town managers since the club turned professional.