Kieran McKenna needs to end dire 12-year record if Ipswich Town are to beat Birmingham City

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Ipswich Town kick off their Championship season with a clash against Birmingham City on Friday.

The Tractor Boys are among the favourites to win Championship promotion according to Opta’s supercomputer.

But they are coming up against a Birmingham City side with great financial power.

As well as gearing up for an on-field clash, the duo have been battling on the transfer front, with Ipswich and Birmingham eyeing Chuba Akpom, who scored 28 goals for Middlesbrough during his last campaign in the second tier.

It remains to be seen if Akpom’s final decision will have been made before Friday’s game, where Kieran McKenna will be looking to put to bed an unfortunate record.

Ipswich Town unwanted record vs Birmingham City

Despite being backed for promotion, one Sky Sports pundit has suggested that Ipswich will lose to Birmingham on August 8.

That prediction comes amid the recently relegated side having a pretty dire record at St Andrew’s.

Ipswich have won just one of their last 19 away league matches against Birmingham.

That was a 1-0 victory during the 2012/13 season when Mick McCarthy was still in charge.

The remaining 18 matches have seen Ipswich lose 10 and draw eight.

Ipswich need to end their unwanted streak

Should that record against Birmingham in the Midlands continue, so will a more recent unwanted streak.

Ipswich were, of course, playing Premier League football last term and suffered relegation.

They were arguably the best of the three teams that have now dropped down to the Championship.

But even still, in 2025, they picked up just seven points in the top flight.

Southampton were the only team to earn less (6), out of every single side in the top four divisions of English football.