Having served the club with such distinction as a player during parts of the 1970s and 1980s, George Burley was appointed manager of Ipswich Town in December 1994 following the departure of John Lyall.
The Scot was somewhat of a managerial novice upon his return to Portman Road with only brief stints at Ayr United and Colchester United under his belt.
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But, despite the fact that he was unable to keep the club in the Premier League during the 1994-95 season, there were signs that progression was being made in Suffolk under Burley's stewardship.
The Tractor Boys reached the First Division playoffs in three consecutive seasons between 1997 and 1999, but on each occasion they fell at the semi-final hurdle. However, it was a case of fourth time lucky in 2000 when a return to the top flight was sealed courtesy of a 4-2 win over Barnsley at Wembley.
Most Ipswich supporters would have been content with survival during the 2000-01 campaign, but Burley and his players were having none of that. They qualified for the UEFA Cup thanks to their fifth-placed finish, which was their highest position since the days of Sir Bobby Robson when Burley was a player.
Yet, rather than building on that momentum, Ipswich instead slumped at an alarming rate. Twenty defeats were suffered during the following term as the they dropped back down into the second tier and although another promotion charge was expected next time around in 2002-03, Burley was unable to inspire it.
Just three victories were collected from their opening 10 fixtures, which prompted the board to act 13 years ago today.
Upon learning that his contract had been cancelled, Burley said: "It has been pleasing to see supporter levels grow from an 11,000 average in my first season to an average of 25,000 fans.
"I am proud of bringing through some of the best young players in the country such as Kieron Dyer, Richard Wright, James Scowcroft and, this season, Darren Bent and Darren Ambrose."
Meanwhile, chairman David Sheepshanks added: "It is with great sadness that the board of directors have taken the difficult decision to relieve George Burley from his position as manager.
"I would like to place on record our immense thanks to George for his outstanding service and many tremendous achievements throughout his tenure. Wembley 2000, finishing fifth in our first season in the Premiership and competing in the Uefa Cup are highlights in our history of which George can be justly proud.
"The board still took the view that George Burley was the right man to lead us back to the Premiership, but this season, even though retaining a Premiership squad, performances have not improved. Given our single-minded ambition to gain promotion this season the directors have decided that it is time to draw a line under a frustrating 12 months."
Ipswich eventually hired Joe Royle to replace Burley, who went on to have spells in charge of numerous sides, including Derby County, Southampton, Hearts and the Scottish national team.
Liam Apicella
