Soccer: Burley leads Ipswich to 'double'
Ipswich have landed an awards double following the team’s impressive return to the Premiership.
George Burley has been voted manager of the year by FourFourTwo magazine, while Town supremo David Sheepshanks was voted chairman of the year by his Premiership counterparts.
Ipswich - tipped by many to make an immediate return to Division One following their promotion via the play-offs a year ago - currently lie fourth in the Premiership.
They have already booked their place in the UEFA Cup and - following Liverpool’s draw with Chelsea at Anfield last night - still have genuine chances of playing Champions League football next season.
FourFourTwo editor Mat Snow said: "Nobody can deny that Ipswich have had a stunning first season in the Premiership.
"For George Burley to secure European football at Portman Road is a wonderful achievement, particularly as he works with a limited budget compared to many of his counterparts in the Premiership."
On Sheepshanks, Snow continued: "He has long been considered a forward-thinking and progressive chairman and it is refreshing that his peers recognise his qualities as much as the fans.
"This double success for Ipswich personnel is well deserved and shows that sometimes the little guys do come out on top."
Steven Gerrard has followed up his PFA young player of the year award by landing FourFourTwo’s best Premiership player of the season, ahead of Manchester United captain Roy Keane and Arsenal striker Thierry Henry.
And PFA player of the year Teddy Sheringham picked up another award becoming FourFourTwo’s icon of the year.
Louis Saha (Fulham), Neil Harris (Millwall) and Bobby Zamora (Brighton) landed the player of the season awards in Divisions One, Two and Three respectively, while Henrik Larsson was voted the pick of the Scottish Premier League players.
