Town to Announce New West Stand Sponsor
Tuesday, 10th Dec 2024 14:35
Town are close to naming a new sponsor for the West Stand and are continuing discussions with replacement shirt sponsor with Ed Sheeran stepping down from that role at the end of the season after four years.
The West Stand - for many years the Pioneer Stand following its mid-1980s rebuild - has been without a sponsor since the Magnus Group went into administration just over a year ago.
But, speaking at last night’s PLC AGM, chief financial officer Tom Ball revealed the club now have a replacement on board with an announcement set to be made soon.
“We’ll reveal once it’s all signed and documented on the West Stand,” he said. “But, yes, we’ve got a sponsor.”
Turning to shirt sponsorship, chairman and CEO Mark Ashton reiterated that the Blues are some way down the line regarding a deal on that front.
“On sponsorship, we’ve talked about this in the national press and it’s important to talk about it here because it fits in with out culture, our vision and our values,” he said.
“We’ve worked hard to build a relationship with Ed Sheeran and I can’t speak highly enough of him. Local man, global superstar, asks very little from us but wants to support community activities.
“He has been an incredible sponsor across the shirt and been part of our huge shirt sales, which will probably break 100,000 this year, by the way. And we thank him so much for that.
“He’s now moved to become a shareholder but he will then relinquish the front of shirt. We’ve made a public statement that we will not go down the gaming route, we will not put a gambling company on the front of the shirt because we don’t think that fits our values or our culture.
“The commercial team are working hard on that a we’re down the line with an opportunity in particular that we would like to try and get done.
“I’m not saying this to be disrespectful, I don’t want us to be like other clubs, I’m not interested. I want to do it the Ipswich way. I want us to be unique. Everything about this football club is so special.
“It’s a one-club county and I don’t want us to try and replicate others, I want us to be unique in how we appoint a manager in [Kieran] McKenna, who anybody could have appointed but wouldn’t give him the chance. We did, and look where it’s taken us.
“I want us to build an academy so special it’s not just like anyone else’s. I want us to have a Foundation that blows away everything that everyone else does. I want us to have a home that we’re really proud of and commercial revenues that not only give us the money, but stick to the values of this football club. Our values are our integrity.”
A TWTD live blog covering the question and answer session can be found here.
Photo: TWTD
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