Ipswich Central is calling on businesses in the town centre to turn Ipswich blue and white as a visible show of support for the last Ipswich Town Football Club home game of the season on Saturday 4 May!
The Ipswich Town men’s team need just one point in this weekend’s key match to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League next season as second place finishers in the Championship league table.
Terry Baxter, lifelong ITFC supporter and Chair of Ipswich Central says: “It’s been a truly incredible season for Ipswich Town Football Club in the Championship this year. The whole town and wider county can and should be rightly proud of everything that Kieran McKenna and his team has achieved.
“With the potential for back-to-back promotion firmly in our sights, the whole team really are showing a passion and drive that is inspirational.”
“Let’s show the team we are behind them by dressing shop windows and shop fronts blue and white, waving flags in support, put up bunting and balloons and of course urging staff to wear the club colours on Saturday!”
The ultimate ‘prize’ of securing promotion to the Premier League really is huge. Not just for the football club itself, but for the wider community – its supporters, local youth teams, community groups, residents, businesses and anyone connected with the town.
Research by Deloitte in 2020 found that promotion to the Premier League for the top two Championship teams can see an increase in revenue of more than £100 million for the club thanks to broadcasting rights and parachute payments, giving clubs ‘a platform to develop on and off the pitch’ and the ability to make other ‘strategic investments.’
A study by Ernst & Young in 2022 found that football clubs economic activity has grown by a staggering 840% since the 1998/99 season, meaning that there are benefits to wider society and not just the game when clubs and communities work together.
Terry Baxter adds: “Simply put, promotion means an even higher profile for the town next year, which would be a massive boost for Ipswich and its town centre businesses. Ipswich Central is fully backing the Blues and their bid for promotion to the Premier League as the icing on the cake for a fantastic season - Come on You Blues!”
Ipswich Central is the Business Improvement District for town centre businesses. Find out more about us at www.ipswichcentral.com
