 The club was founded on 16 October 1878 as an amateur side known as Ipswich A.F.C. , under the presidency of local MP Thomas Cobbold who had played football at Charterhouse School . George S Sherrington & J M Franks were elected joint Captains . Ipswich A.F.C. ' s first match was a 6 – 1 home victory over Stoke Wanderers at the Broom Hill ground on 2 November 1878 . This was followed by a 2 – 0 victory over Harwich in the club 's first away match . Losing only one game in 17 in its second season , the club was able to build enough interest to enrol players for a second team . Ipswich recorded their biggest ever victory during the 1880 – 81 season , a 15 – 0 defeat of East Stamford with one player , John Knights , registering a treble hat @-@ trick ; both achievements remain club records . The team moved to Portman Road , the current ground , in 1884 , and would share , until 1936 , the facilities with the East Suffolk Cricket Club who had played there since 1855 . The Cobbold family involvement continued when , in 1885 , Nathanael Fromanteel Cobbold was elected as a vice @-@ president of the club . Following his sudden death the following year , the position was then held by his nephew John Dupuis Cobbold . 
