 The club won their first trophy in the 1886 – 87 season , triumphing 2 – 1 against a team representing Ipswich School in the final of the Suffolk Challenge Cup . In 1888 the club merged with Ipswich Rugby Club to form Ipswich Town F.C. In 1890 , the club entered the qualifying rounds of the FA Cup for the first time and was knocked out in the final qualifying round by the 93rd Highlanders . The club experienced scant success in the Cup during the 1890s but won a number of local cup competitions , including the Suffolk Senior Cup and the Ipswich Charity Cup . Having received invitations to join from both the Southern League and the Norfolk and Suffolk League , Ipswich joined the latter in the 1899 – 1900 season , finishing fourth in their first league season . 
