By Aston
November 18 2004

Ipswich Town manager Joe Royle and his assistant Willie Donachie have both been offered contract extensions at Portman Road.

Royle Set For Deal

Ipswich Town manager Joe Royle and his assistant Willie Donachie have both been offered contract extensions at Portman Road.

Royle and Donachie have put up with a lot since they arrived just over two years ago, not being given the warmest of welcome by the Portman road crowd and having to sell some of the clubs best players due to administration, but having finished 7th at the end of his first season 5th last year and with Town currently second in the league behind Wigan on goal difference the Town board announced they intend to offer him a new contract at last nights AGM.

Town Chairman David Sheepshanks has said: “Joe Royle and I are in discussion concerning an extension to his contract which I hope will be agreed shortly.

“Our investment in Joe Royle, not forgetting Willie Donachie and our excellent staff and players, has restored our future in a most remarkable way, I would say virtually against all odds.

“In common with nearly every relegated club, and as a direct consequence of relegation, Joe has had to see most of our top stars of Premiership days sold, to re-inspire those that have stayed.

“He has had to carefully blood the young stars emerging from the Academy and wisely recruit five free transfers, encouraging and blending them into an effective winning Ipswich Town team once more, playing attractive attacking football in the best traditions of this club.

“In my opinion Joe is one of the best managers in English football. He joined us to lead us back to the Premiership and to lead us in the Premiership and that is just what I believe he will do.”

Town boss Royle has also said: “I am very happy here at Ipswich Town and we are close to agreeing the new contract for myself, Willie Donachie and one or two other members of staff.

“There are some I's to be dotted and T's to be crossed but there are no financial problems. I appreciate I am lucky to be paid as much as I am doing what I enjoy in football but previous experiences have taught me just to check the finer details and I will let my advisers look over the contract before anything is signed.”

Source: EADT.

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