The 1999-00 season saw Ipswich finally return to the Premiership, the level they considered their natural domain. George Burley's team were involved near the top of the table all season, but at the end of the campaign they agonizingly failed to finish within two points of automatic promotion, leaving the dreaded prospect of another round of play-offs.
Ipswich had made the play-offs in the previous three seasons without managing to secure that third promotion place, but this time their luck was on the line at the fourth attempt. Barnsley were the final opponents at Wembley and Ipswich came back from a goal down to triumph 4-2 thanks to goals from veteran center-back Tony Mowbray, substitute Richard Naylor, prolific striker Marcus Stewart and Martijn Reuser.
The hero of the day for Ipswich and one of the stars of the season was goalkeeper Richard Wright, who, having already saved a penalty earlier in the game, pulled off a brilliant save to deny Barnsley a late equalizer.
Ref.: IPS99_MAH_RET
