Chief executive Simon Clegg says Blues owner Marcus Evans takes regular soundings from people throughout football, not just those with links to Town. Evans was reported to have spoken to Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp and other high profile figures in the game before appointing Paul Jewell as boss a year ago.

Former Blues coach, player and scout Charlie Woods, who also worked at Tottenham and with Sir Bobby Robson at Newcastle, meets with Evans and is amongst those with ties to Town with whom the Town owner talks.

While not commenting on the Redknapp link, Clegg confirmed that Evans does canvass opinion from a wide variety of sources: “Marcus sounds out people in football to a level you wouldn’t believe, not just people here in Ipswich.

“Marcus is familiar with a lot of people across the football world and takes regular soundings from many people.

“Ultimately, it’s his viewpoint because he is the owner of the club, but he is a very thorough individual who will do lots of research and will get as much information as he can before coming to a decision.”

Both Evans and Clegg have come in for criticism that they aren’t ‘football men’ in the recent past with the chief executive fully aware that the buck stops with him when things are going badly at the club: “It comes with the job.”

He says some of the dissent is due to not everyone knowing the ins and outs of his role at Portman Road: “First of all, few people understand what a chief executive of a football club actually does.

“This is really a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week job. I can be dealing with everything from disciplinary matters relating to youth or senior players, through to meeting the media, to trying to sign commercial deals, trying to sign new players, working through what the future of the Academy’s going to be or trying to work out how best to get some competitive advantage on Financial Fair Play.

“Ultimately it’s trying to run the business of the football club from a philosophy of passionately believing that every person here has got a contribution to make to what happens on the pitch.

“People see that you have lunch in the boardroom and you sit in a smart seat in the directors’ box but they don’t actually see the volume of work which goes on behind the scenes on a day-in and day-out basis.”

Clegg — who revealed that Town have completed 47 loan or permanent deals during his time at the club, 44 different players plus Jack Colback, Daryl Murphy and Jimmy Bullard who have all been signed twice - says he personally addresses some fans’ concerns but can’t give all issues the same attention: “I was on the phone to a fan at 8 o’clock in the morning because he couldn’t call me during the working day and I couldn’t call him the night before.

“He’d sent me an email about something and I felt that it was of sufficient importance that I rang him up. I think he was gobsmacked that I rang him and we were on the phone for 20 minutes.

“And at the end of it he was grateful for the phone call, but people don’t see that. I try to respond to every single fan but I can’t give that level of personal service or I’d spend my time doing nothing else.”

He says he also attends the club’s regular fans’ forums and liaises with the Supporters Club: “Every forum I go to. I’m not there for the whole meeting but I’m normally there for a good 20 minutes and I talk for 10 and they ask me questions for 10.

“I go to Supporters Club branches and do whatever I can because at the end of the day, the fans are the lifeblood of the club.”

Town recently announced that season ticket prices would be frozen for the 2012/13 campaign, something Clegg felt fans wouldn’t have been expecting: “I think people were quite surprised at that but we felt that it was the right thing to do, given performances on the field and the general economic environment that we’re living in at the moment.

“We have to live in the real world. What does that mean? That means I’m not getting any more income from season ticket sales. Therefore, in terms of Financial Fair Play, it means I’m going to have to cut back even more.”

Town also announced the introduction of new ticketing initiatives, some of which came out of the meetings with the Supporters Club: “The under-20s tickets in the Sir Bobby Robson Stand are a new thing this year, as are spreading payments over 12 months and allowing people to apply online.

“The spreading of the payments is something which has been discussed at Supporters Club meetings and I thought it was the right thing to do.

“But again, that costs us more money as a club because it means we don’t get the money up front and whilst people might say that’s much easier for us from a cash flow point of view, it isn’t. It actually means I’ve got less money to play with through loss of interest or whatever it might be.”

The cost of buying tickets on a matchday basis is an area where Clegg is well aware that the club has received criticism with next season’s prices still under consideration: “It has been a bone of contention. I’ve made it very clear that my number one priority is to protect the season ticket holders. But I’m looking at every possibility at the moment.”

Photo: Action Images

ozzydog added 14:33 - Mar 13 Amazing how they have managed to cock it up so well really.
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GusPoet added 14:38 - Mar 13 So there is a piece in the paper from a bloke offering to swap jobs so that we can get an understanding of what you actually do and then you come out a few days later and explain what you actually do! If you were half competent surely we'd know without you needing to take guidance from the fans! Last newsflash was you didn't know people criticised you! There once was a man called Simon Who got me so worked up I briefly stopped rhymin'

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PhilTWTD added 14:46 - Mar 13 GusPoet I actually did the interview before the piece you're referring to. Didn't have time to write it up last week.
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cooper4england added 15:10 - Mar 13 Do you think PR have had a PR company in?
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Surco72 added 15:11 - Mar 13 44 different players in just over three years .In that lies the main problem ,need some player continuity
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Garv added 15:13 - Mar 13 Across the football word?
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itfchorry added 15:15 - Mar 13 Clegg Out
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jas0999 added 15:28 - Mar 13 I seem to remember reading somewhere that Redknapp did NOT suggest PJ for manager. 16th in the leaue would suggest overall that Harry was right.
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JewellintheTown added 15:31 - Mar 13 It seems the less you know the more you think you know - and I'm not talking about Clegg or M.E. either. Cheers Phil for enlightening us, as some so called fans on here are as dim as a 1 watt bulb. Let Clegg get on with his job I say. ITFC's doing well at the moment, on and off field, so stop being so miserable.
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TractorTrog added 15:47 - Mar 13 Whatever your thoughts are in relation to Cleggy this kind of story isnt all made up to appease fans its an actual working insight of what really goes on in the back rooms and board rooms....I really do believe the SC has actually had to hit the ground running yes there has been times where I questioned the reasoning behind some of the stuff going on but in actual fact I really do believe just like PJ who made some mistakes Cleggy has had a huge learning curve too but look at it this way the learning curve is now on the up ... and remeber no one club is the same they all have there own issues Cleggy has done extremely well to be honnest hes starting to understand the fan base and how very proud we are of our history and how much we want to be that again. I believe next season we will be going up and its because the men in the background Maruc Simon Clegg and team the manager PJ and all the boys on the pitch,bench ,training pitch etc... are all going in the right direction ....sometimes I dispair at some of the comments on this site about ITFC beleive me they want the very very best and that menas top flight football next season...I for one cant wait to see this site this time next season PJ will be a God and Cleggy and Marcus our Saivors...all it now needs from us in beleif....we are miles better than QPR, Wigan,Bolton,Blackburn etc... who are all under finnacial pressure I would not like to be at any of these clubs next season either if I were a footballer Town have done it right weve cut our cloth accordingly and are well within our means now to sign some more quality players and I bleieve when we do get up we will stay there for mANY many years to come.

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Urchin added 15:48 - Mar 13 jas "I seem to remember reading somewhere " - typically factual as usual
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righty added 16:38 - Mar 13 tractor trog I suppose one day you will wake up dreamer or what
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Crock added 17:00 - Mar 13 And who did he speak to before sacking Magilton??
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not_a_witty_name added 17:31 - Mar 13 Give the bloke a break, your personal persecution is becoming boring. He's got the toughest job at PR
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WarkyWonderLand added 17:42 - Mar 13 Jas, and the person who harry recommended was Steve cotterill. I know who I would rather have! Harry doesn't get everything right. Coyb
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Bleedingblue added 18:03 - Mar 13 not_a_witty_name - That's been our goalie until recently! Agree though, clegg's doing his best and learning as other people say. Things will come good eventually, think some need to drop the negativity and get behind the lads in order for this to happen. Cheer up and cheer for the Town!
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walberswick added 18:10 - Mar 13 Perhaps we would do better if we stopped listening to these experts.
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Gazelle added 18:26 - Mar 13 No matter what the subject is on here, someone comes up with a prattish comment. It's sad but you don't get many football men at the helm these days because football is big business and i'm afraid that most football men are not bright enough to run a business. I just hope that we do well next season and shut a few people up because it's getting boring.
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StowTractorBoy added 18:38 - Mar 13 It seems to me that whatever Clegg does he is slated unjustifiably on here. He did make a gaff by speaking to the media about the rearranged Middlesbrough ticket prices too soon. Had he waited 48 hours I am sure he would not have had such a poor reception. Apart from that, yes we will never all be happy but I think he does a good job and is a decent enough chap. There is no doubt you have to be clued up in his position and he has to keep abrest of of all new legislation and rule changes etc. He has always been very approachable and I for one back him 100% and as others have said we could have worse personnel in charge of our Club. Things look more rosy now than for a long time but some people will always have something to moan about - lets support the Club from top to bottom as you never know what can be achieved.

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jabberjackson added 18:55 - Mar 13 Surely the reason behind freezing season ticket prices is to increase sales and revenue, thereby improving our financial fairplay situation You can't kid a kidder Do you expect me to believe that he has frozen ticket prices out of a sense of moral fair play...No He is trying to maximise profits, which is absolutely right and what he is paid to do. Let's not pretend there is any altruistic motive...Come on Horry you are better than 2 word positngs, what would your father say?

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alfromcol added 19:17 - Mar 13 Some people will moan whatever he says.
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Dissboyitfc added 19:39 - Mar 13 Many times in life, you think something, then something happens to change your mind. I was never a Simon Clegg fan and felt like many of you, the club should be run by football people. I have had a change of mind towards Simon Clegg, he has made mistakes, as we all have. If you are wondering why the change of mind? I was the fan whom Simon Called at 8am( actually was 7-50am). Had just finished my bacon sandwich:) Yes i was gobsmacked. Our conversation was private, but i will say this much he is very hardworking,intelligent, dedicated, enthusiastic and i truly believe an itfc fan (now). I also believe that we are in good hands and slowly we will move forward in a sustainable manner. We enjoyed a period of success under sheepshanks, but at a very big price, we must never go there again... give Simon Clegg a chance, he has a massive job, thats going to take patience, something i have nt always got, but something i think i need to practice on....coyb

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itfc1981 added 20:13 - Mar 13 No wonder he has to take advice from others with Clegg as a CEO!
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h32 added 20:27 - Mar 13 Gazelle - bit of a 'prattish comment' if you ask me - your words ' most football men are not bright enough to run a business'. DISGRACEFUL statement to make whatever your opinion. Not much thought (if any) went into that before printing.
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h32 added 20:33 - Mar 13 Dissboyitfc - obviously amazing what a call from Clegg (at 7.50) can do to win some people over ------------ does 'whatever way the wind blows' spring to mind ?........
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