Town manager George Burley is expected to sign a brand new deal which willl keep him at Portman Road until 2006, The Town manager committed himself to a new deal at the end of last season but the new package is thought to be far more lucrative.

The Town board has moved quickly to tie Burley down even more securely with paper talk that he might be a target for Ramgers or Manchester United. Further details are likely to be known later today with some suggestions that the deal could be worth as much as £500,000 to the manager.

NPower have ruled themselves out of the Town sponsorship race leaving a bit of a mystery as to who the new name will be. BT and NTL are the other names frequently mentioned and now Carling and Britannia, with whom Town enjoy a good relationship, are also being also touted.

An NPower spokesperson said: "We have heard our name mentioned, but we are definitely not sponsoring Ipswich Town Football Club."

TWTD has also learnt that Danepak were interested in getting their name on Town's shirts at an early stage of the bidding. Apparently they baulked at the financial requirements from Town and have now turned their attentions to Norwich City.

There are still suggestions that there may be two sponsors, possibly one for home games and one for away. Yesterday Town's sponsors Greene King admitted that they had failed in a bid to continue their sponsorship. The announcement of the new name is expected this week some time.

The Blues have announced that the new shirts bearing the sponsors' logo will be available from August 4th, that includes the goalkeepers' kit.

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