 A bid for Ipswich defender Kevin Beattie fell through over concerns about the player's fitness.The club's form suffered further in the 1979–80 season as they fell to fifteenth place in the league table, and exited the FA Cup in the fourth round to Third Division Blackburn.Phil Mead retired at the end of the season and Jimmy Hill, who had also acquired significant shareholdings in the club, was elevated to the chairmanship.