Ipswich Town: First-round FA Cup action features former players and loanees
In anticipation of the FA Cup’s opening round this coming weekend, Ross Halls examines which former Ipswich Town players and loanees are hoping to advance with their teams.
El Mizouni Idris – Leyton Orient
The League One team is currently playing against league rival Carlisle United at Brisbane Road on Saturday, and the Tunisian midfielder is donning the captain’s armband.
El Mizouni’s roster includes a number of former Town players, including Aaron Drinan, Joe Pigott, and Jordan Graham, who are also from the Orient.
Additionally, Tomas Holy, the Czech goalkeeper, and Joe Garner, the forward, are connected to the Town for the Cumbrians.
Panutche Camara – Athletic Charlton
Due to a hamstring injury, the midfield player is probably going to be sidelined this weekend when his loan club plays Cray Valley Paper Mills on Sunday. There are currently three eighth-tier teams competing.
Kyrell Lisbie, who plays attack for the Isthmian League South East Division team, is continuing his father Kevin’s legacy. Kevin played at Charlton and briefly attended Town.
Scott Fraser and Tayo Edun are two more Town players that the Addicks have on their roster.
Gassan Ahadme – United of Cambridge
At the Abbey Stadium on Saturday, the forward will want to help his loan club avoid a cup shock when they play seventh-tier Bracknell Town.
Of course, the Blues won the competition last year, defeating Bracknell 3-0. They compete in the Southern League Premier South and, in the most recent round, defeated Dagenham, a team with a higher ranking.
Paul Digby and former Blue Jack Lankester are on the U’s roster.
Oxford United’s Kyle Edwards and Greg Leigh
Both players signed with the U’s this summer; Edwards did so on loan, but his hamstring injury from last month makes it unlikely that he will play.
Leigh became a permanent member of Liam Manning’s team and has scored five goals in his debut campaign.
Maidenhead United, a National League team currently ranked 21st in the fifth division, will be the League One opponent.
Since leaving the Blues in the summer of 2021, the former midfield player has been a member of the League One team.
The sixth-placed Morecambe in League Two will be hosted by the Imps, who recently fired former Town defender Mark Kennedy.
Bishop made 132 appearances for the Blues in all, tallying five goals.
Martyn Waghorn – County of Derby
After being released by Coventry City in the summer, the forward joined the Rams once more.
Crewe, who are currently ranked fifth in League Two, will be visited by Paul Warnes’ team.
Scott Loach, Callum Elder, and Tyreece-John Jules are among the other ex-Town players on their roster.
Toto Nsiala – Town of Fleetwood
In January 2022, the former Town defender moved to the League One team, which is currently ranked 22nd in the standings under new manager Lee Johnson.
On Sunday, they play the National League team Kidderminster Harriers, who advanced to the fourth round of the previous campaign before being eliminated by Premier League team West Ham United, 2-1 in overtime.
Josh Earl and Jack Marriott are two more former Town players who are on the roster of the Cods.
Barnet’s Barry Cotter
After moving to the Tykes from the Irish team Shamrock Rovers in January of this year, the Irishman has established himself as a mainstay in their League One lineup.
For the fifth time in the club’s 142-year history, they will host Horsham FC tonight in the Isthmian League Premier Division.
Between 2018 and 2021, Cotter only made four appearances for the Ipswich team.
Tom Carroll, living in Exeter
After being released by Ipswich at the end of the 2021–2022 season, the former Town midfielder spent a year away from the game before joining the League One team this summer.
The 2013 champion Wigan Athletic, a fellow third-tier team, will be hosted by the Grecians. The Latics defeated the opposition 2-0 at St. James Park in their league debut meeting between the two teams.
Carroll spent one season at Portman Road and made a total of 17 appearances.
Roberts, Jordan – Stevenage
During the 2022–2023 season, the former Town forward assisted Steve Evans’ team in earning promotion to League One.
This round, the Boro will play League Two team Tranmere Rovers; both teams won the league title the previous year.
Roberts spent two years in Suffolk, but he only made seventeen appearances.
Richard Keogh and Kane Vincent-Young of the Wycombe Wanderers
After being cut from the Blues last season, the two joined the League One team this summer.
Matt Bloomfield, a graduate of the Town academy, will captain the Chairboys against 16th-placed Bradford City in League Two.
In the 2022–2023 season, Vincent–Young made over 50 appearances for Town, while Keogh made 16 appearances.
Burton Albion – Rekeem Harper
After making 19 appearances for Town, the former midfield player for the Town joined the Brewers this summer. They will play league rival Port Vale, who have advanced to the Carabao Cup quarterfinals.
Mustapha Carayol, who played eight games and scored one goal during his brief tenure at Portman Road, is also a member of Dino Maamria’s squad.
Conor Grant, who played in just seven games during his short loan from Everton in 2016, is a member of the Valiants’ squad.
Grant Ward and James Wilson of Bristol Rovers
When they take on seventh-tier Whitby Town, who compete in the Northern Premier League, the two will want to avoid a cup shock.
Luke Thomas, a former Town player who briefly played on loan from Barnsley in 2021, is another former Town player who is currently without a manager for the Pirates after Joey Barton was fired last month.
Wilson participated in 49 games for Town, while Ward made 88 appearances and scored eight goals.
Ellis Harrison and Tommy Smith of the MK Dons
This round, the pair will travel to League One Reading after joining the League Two team this summer.
Smith came through the youth system and went on to make over 250 appearances for Town.
In his lone season at Town, Harrison played in 17 games and scored one goal.
Dominic Thompson, Jordan Rhodes, Matthew Pennington, Callum Connolly, and Blackpool
The four players, who represent League One, will aim to avoid a cup shock when they play National League team Bromley.
Connolly, Pennington, and Thompson were all on loan at Portman Road at one point.
Rhodes, who is currently on loan at The Tangerines from Huddersfield Town, came up through Town’s youth system.
James Norwood, of Oldham Football Club
This season, the former Town forward has scored seven goals for the Latics after joining from Barnsley this summer.
The National League team visits Newport County, who are 19th in League Two right now and feature former Town Academy graduate Shane McLoughlin in their ranks.
During his tenure at Portman Road, Norwood scored 28 goals in 88 games, and McLoughlin participated in two Town games.
Gillingham’s Ollie Hawkins and Jonny Williams
Both players are employed by the League Two team, which is currently eighth in the standings and without a manager following Neil Harris’s dismissal last month.
The Gills will visit Hereford, a National League North team that defeated stronger opposition in Rochdale the previous round.
While Williams made 28 appearances and scored two goals during his multiple loan spells from Crystal Palace, Hawkins only managed one goal in 24 games for the Blues.
Garbutt, Luke – Salford City
The full-back was released by Blackpool this summer and signed with the League Two team.
Both teams hope to advance to the second round when the Ammies visit League One team Peterborough United.
In 30 appearances for Town while on loan from Everton in 2019–20, Garbutt scored six goals.
