Ipswich Town supporters may never see repeat of Alan Judge, EFL moment: View | OneFootball

Referee Darren Drysdale squared up to Ipswich Town's Alan Judge during a fixture in February 2021

After 22 years in the EFL, Ipswich Town will return to the Premier League next month, and it's fair to say the two decades they've spent outside the top-flight have been eventful.

Whether it's been relegations, play-off woes, controversial sackings or consecutive promotions, Ipswich have seen it all, and their time in the Premier League next season will feel a million miles away from the four seasons they spent in League One between 2019 and 2023.

However, during the 2020/21 season, arguably the most forgettable season of the lot, thanks to their ninth place finish and games being played behind closed doors, they saw one of the most infamous EFL moments in recent history, and something that will likely never be seen again.

A drab 0-0 draw between Ipswich and Northampton Town at Portman Road on a chilly Tuesday night in February usually isn't anything to write home about, but the actions of referee Darren Drysdale that night certainly won't be forgotten in a hurry.

Ipswich Town fans will never forget Darren Drysdale squaring up to Alan Judge

With 90 minutes on the clock, Ipswich Town were chasing a late winner against Northampton to bolster their play-off hopes, and midfielder Alan Judge went down in the box as he looked to win a penalty.

Referee Drysdale went over to Judge to brandish a yellow card for simulation, but the player, who was clearly unhappy with the referee's decision, walked towards him to dispute the non-penalty call and pointed his finger at him, before the referee appeared to square up with the Tractor Boys midfielder and the pair butted heads.

Drysdale was pushed away from Judge by the Ipswich Town players, before he finally brandished the yellow card. It was a surreal moment, and the drama wasn't done there, as the then 49-year-old referee would show Ipswich Town midfielder Flynn Downes a red card deep into stoppage time.

It was an incredible moment that hasn't been forgotten, and it's certainly something you don't see on a regular basis.

Drysdale clearly wasn't happy about what Judge had said to him in the aftermath of the non-penalty decision, and a moment of madness from the experienced referee saw him lose his cool.

Ipswich boss at the time, Paul Lambert, was clearly shocked by what he'd seen, and he told talkSPORT the following morning: "I've texted Mike Jones (EFL head of referees) this morning to say, 'Have a look at the footage of the head thing'.

"To me, in my opinion, it looks as if the referee went in there and I said to him after the game, 'Did you put your head in my player?

"He couldn't answer it and that's the reason I spoke to Mike. I haven't seen that in a long, long while."

Darren Drysdale was given a backdated ban in the aftermath of the Alan Judge incident

In the aftermath, Drysdale was handed a backdated ban for improper conduct after his clash with Judge, and he was suspended between 19th February and 10th March.

Following the incident, he was removed from officiating at two EFL matches, while he missed a further three fixtures he was expected to be appointed to as either a referee or fourth official.

The commission stated that by missing these games he had "experienced direct punishment already" for his actions, and that it was disproportionate to give him a further punishment.

Drysdale stated that the abuse he received from Judge was the "worst he'd experienced as a referee" and that he had been described as "cheating" and "bald" along with being sworn at.

Judge denied this and said: "I've got a decent reputation in the game and I won't stand by and be accused of saying something I didn't and not responding.

"I said the matter was finished and it was but I have to make it clear now that I totally dispute what has been said by the referee."

It was a fiasco that certainly won't be forgotten in a hurry, and it'll be remembered as one of the most bizarre things to happen in the EFL recently. Ipswich Town may be a million miles away from League One fixtures against Northampton Town behind closed doors, but this incident will live long in the memory.