Ritchie Hawkins first wore the Witch back in 2010 representing the club in the Elite League before returning to the club in 2013 when they were in the Premier League. His leadership skills saw him appointed captain during his second spell with the club before injuries forced him to call time on his racing career.

This was not to be the end of Ritchie’s association with Ipswich, as it signalled the start of a new chapter in his life as he was entrusted by promoter Chris Louis to become team manager at the end of the 2015 season, a position he would hold until the end of the 2025 season.

Since taking on that role Hawkins and Ipswich suffered their fair share of near-misses, losing in the 2017 Championship Play-Off final and Knockout Cup final. In 2019, Hawkins led the club into the Premiership as the Witches made the Play-Off final in their first season back in the top-flight. Also that year, following the retirement of John Louis, he became co-promoter at the club.

The wait for a trophy would end in 2019 as Hawkins’ side lifted the Knockout Cup in front of a jubilant home crowd at Foxhall. The Premiership title remained the big ambition for everyone in Suffolk and whilst there would be further agony in the 2023 play-off final, Hawkins and his side ended the 27-year wait by achieving their goal in 2025 on a historic night at Foxhall.

That was the rider and manager but what about the man. I first met Ritchie when he became team manager, he took on the role at almost the same time as I became press officer. His love of Ipswich was clear from the start and has only grown stronger in the last 10 years. When he started, the role of a team manager was mainly seen by many as someone filling out a programme and not having too much else to do, it was obvious that this was not going to be the way Ritchie managed and I’m sure some of my bias will come through here but I feel like he has changed the way some perceive team management in the sport, his professionalism has been second to none.

Having been a rider himself helps to garner that instant respect from the team but in time Ritchie has grown in confidence in the role and shown his qualities as a manager. Those who have spent any amount of time looking at the rulebook know it is a complex thing to understand! From day one, Ritchie made sure he knew it inside out and when I myself would be confused about something for an article I was writing, he would be able to answer instantly. You may think that is a given for the role but it isn’t, depending on how seriously you take the role. And yes, I have not forgotten the team change that went wrong when the numbers did not add up!

That mistake is not the only heat Ritchie has had to take. Like anyone involved in sport, Ritchie has had to take his fair share of criticism from fans, it is part of the job. Ritchie has never hidden from that criticism. I’m sure he would admit at times it would get him down and it would have been easy to fire back or pack it in at times but his passion for the role and Ipswich has always kept him going. Although he has fobbed me off to Chris a couple of times over the last 10 years when too angry to give his reaction after a defeat! Go back through the archives and you can work out which meetings they were!

Despite some of the flack he had to take, he always has time for the fans and is happy to chat and explain his decisions whether that be in person or online. Whilst you may not have always agreed with his decisions, they have always been taken with the aim of doing what is best for Ipswich Speedway, that is for sure. If ever there was an interview for the media that needed doing or Ipswich Speedway needing representation at an event, Ritchie would always be there. It would be easier to just do the bare minimum but he has become a great ambassador for this club.

Perhaps you might think, I’ve become his mate, of course he is going to say all these nice things. Just ask the riders. Over the years, what Ritchie has created is a wonderful team spirit. You hear a lot about ‘culture’ in modern day sport and that has been massive in Ritchie’s success as a team manager. If your personality is not right, you won’t last long at Ipswich, no matter how good you are. What he has created at the club is a place riders want to stay, in an era of riders changing clubs frequently, you won’t find many riders who don’t want to stay on at Ipswich having had a taste of it, as shown by the continuity in the side in recent years. That is down to Ritchie and Chris. Ask Jason Doyle, a world champion who has been at the top of the sport for many years, who the best team manager he has worked with is.

Ritchie and all of us have had to suffer some heartbreaking losses in his time, which I know hurt him. Whilst, like us, he thought it might not ever happen at times, deep down that hunger to deliver success for this club kept him going. He is the team manager that has delivered a Knockout Cup and Premiership title and will forever be in the club’s history for that.

Ritchie doesn’t smile much, you may have noticed. After live TV meetings when I called he would always say ‘they didn’t catch me smiling did they?’. I would always take great pleasure informing him when they did but Ritchie, when you look back on your Ipswich career, you should smile. I’m starting to make it sound like you’ve passed away, sorry. I speak to Ritchie more than anyone in my life, two previews, two reactions every week during the season and he somehow even got me writing his programme notes for him! It’s going to be very odd not having you on that pit wall and on behalf of everyone, I want to thank you for the commitment, loyalty and passion you have given to Ipswich Speedway.

An extended video interview is available on YouTube with the departing team manager