Mick McCarthy says it’s up to him and his team to encourage supporters back to Portman Road with positive results like Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Middlesbrough. The attendance of 15,276 was the lowest home crowd for a league game since 14,712 watched George Burley’s Blues beat nine-man West Brom by the same scoreline in December 1999.

Asked whether he believes football in general costs too much, the Blues boss said: “Well, it’s expensive, of course.

“I don’t know about season tickets at our place, I don’t look at the price of tickets anywhere.

“I think it’s up to us to try and capture the attention and imagination of supporters, their desire to come to watch football matches by playing like that.

“If they do, great, if they don’t, I understand, they’ve all got families, they’ve all got bills and it’s not at the forefront of their thoughts, I would imagine.

“I’m not one that sits and starts getting at the supporters. I love the ones who come and we’ll try and get some more in and try and love them as well.”

He added: “It is the working class sport, it certainly is from my point of view, where I came from and where most of us came from. And I think it still is, in terms of who plays the sport, without a doubt.

“Then there are the higher echelons who go and watch the Champions League clubs and pay loads of money to watch it, but it’s big-style entertainment that.

“But that’s not us, I think we’re a bit more grounded. I think we should be thanking the 15,000 for turning up, it could be 12,000. I’m not going to bemoan the fact, let’s get some more good performances and do you know what? I think they’ll turn up and watch us if we’re playing well.”

Photo: Action Images

leroy2488 added 11:35 - Sep 17 I had a season ticket for over ten years and I still get to as many games as I can, I went to the Millwall game and am going tonight. I agree with the comments regarding the ticket office closure costing the club more than it saves. At the Millwall game I took my unfolded ticket printed having purchased the seat online, I'd already seen several people in the shop who had been refused entry because their bar code would not scan and was fearing the worst when I got to the turn styles, as feared my ticket did not scan and they wanted me to go to the shop to get it validated, I'd just spent half an hour queuing in the shop buying goods and it was getting close to kick off, I had the ticket and the receipt and I refused to move. This is not something I wanted to do and I found it very embarrassing that I had to do it with loads of people queuing behind me, but this is a problem with ITFCs new system, I just wanted to get in with the ticket I had bought and could prove I had bought? The bloke at the kiosk disappeared several times, I don't know whether to get security or advise and after what seemed like forever he had no choice but to let me in. It has certainly put me off, why should you have to suffer that. After all the tickets cost a fortune and it would not surprise me if others have suffered this embarrassment, that they would stay at home and listen to it on the radio instead. I contacted the club about this via email many times and have received no response whatsoever?

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ChrisMakin2012 added 11:52 - Sep 17 This is total tripe from MM. Everyone knows it's the hefty ticket prices people are NOT willing to pay. Sort it out Evans.
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Tiggs added 12:29 - Sep 17 The pricing at PR is outrageous, but having said that it is true in general for all English professional clubs, especially for Premiership and Championship clubs. I have personally turned to non-league football for my entertainment at £10.00 per match, with the added bonus of being able to consume whatever drink you want in sight of the field. Entertainment levels are very often much better than what I saw during my last league season at PR and the players at the club actually care about the club they are playing for! I know what I prefer. As an aside I also follow a team in Germany and the entrance ticket for a Bundesliga game at Borussia Moenchengladbach is as low as €15.00 with local travel to the game included!!! Wake up Ipswich!!!!!!!

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Paulc added 12:30 - Sep 17 Wow leroy2488, that is appalling if you have contacted the club that many times with no response. Don't give up, keep harrassing until you get the response you deserve as a paying customer. I would email again giving them a deadline for response of say, 1 week, if still no reply write daily uniti you do, then go to the directors. Good luck
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leroy2488 added 12:42 - Sep 17 I spoke to someone through the phone system today who appologised but said they had received very few problems? Clearly a pre- advised response, I had a moan, but they are not allowed to agree and tried unsuccessfully to convince me that what was wrong, was right.
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Lennyboy added 12:47 - Sep 17 This is my pet subject this season and I've posted numerous comments concerning the boards lack of foresight with regard to crowd attendance and ticket prices. I watched a program on TV recently about a couple who went to live in Germany to experience the type of life a Germany has. During the documentary they went to a top Budsleaga match ( Bayern Munich v Dortmund). They had really good seast and it cost just 15 euros (about £10). The stadium was full to capacity and the noise out of this world. Thats what we need here........... SIMPLES.

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fire4024 added 12:59 - Sep 17 back tonight to watch the game after cracking 2 ribs and breaking my collar bone at leeds games looking forward to seeing town win tonight another 3 points will be great and hopefully start seeing the ground filling up the more we win.up the town
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Hoppersblue10 added 13:18 - Sep 17 OK how about this; The club picks approx. 5-6 home games that run consecutively that they as yet have not started selling to non season ticket holders, they price these at lets say £20 each for the lowest grade seat, ramp up accordingly, all under 11s are a quid, all under 16s are a fiver. The club would then be able to see if cheaper tickets would generate more support that would then create more match day revenue, if it does not then we can all shut up & let them run the club as they see fit........IMO...this would create more revenue.

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BlueVelvet added 13:43 - Sep 17 In retailing its about two things - product and price. ITFC product to be sold in this case is seats. Waht attracts people to buy them is entertainment and price. The entertainment is pretty much designed, and just needs some in-flight adjustment, the other variable is seat price. Clearly they are not at the right price or marketed well; if they were then we'd be sitting amongst 25,000 to 28,000 fans per game. ME, you have made it now more difficult to buy tickets so what the hell do you expect - stack em high sell em cheap and make it easy to buy them

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DurhamTownFan added 13:59 - Sep 17 Cr0wman's comments (page 1) I think contain the best suggestion so far, thought I do think the club could laugh at that and think: 'well, you lot still came'. Would like to see what reaction you get it you start that chant, Cr0wman: I'll join in from up here in the north if you like!
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 14:36 - Sep 17 BlueVelvet: You're so right. ITFC have made it quite difficult for some people to buy ever more expensive tickets. I'm no businessman, but I thought that one tried and tested method of success was to sell a large number of units at a low cost. Pricing people out of the market doesn't make sense to me. Hopefully, the business brains behind the latest policy will eventually listen to public opinion - but I'm not holding my breath.

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theobald1985 added 14:53 - Sep 17 like your idea Hoppersblue10 i personally would say 22 quid cheapest tickets for all games and under 16s free. Im biased as I have 2 under 16s but i took my 2 lads to the leeds game and barely had change out of 100 quid and just feel i cant justfy taking them which is a shame because as mick pointed out its traditionally a working class sport and one of the pleasures I enjoy after a hard weeks work is taking my lads to a game

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ChrisMakin2012 added 15:15 - Sep 17 We can discuss this till we're blue in the face, the harsh reality is our tickets are extremely overpriced. We will not see high attendances until prices are lowered. Simple.
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Seasider added 15:46 - Sep 17 HOW ABOUT AN ON LINE PETITION PHIL,HOPE YOU ARE NOT TOO EMBEDDED TO ROCK THE BOAT AS LIZ EDWARDS APPEARS TO BE OR DO WE HAVE TO RELY ON THE SUPPORTERS TRUST AGAIN. PS Am writing to club as we all should and EADT/Green Un
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AlexanderFields added 15:47 - Sep 17 Re. attendance and ticket prices, etc., I cannot get to a home match very often and when I do it's usually at short notice and after a long journey. I used to buy a ticket conveniently over the phone or, more often, and better still, get my brother, a season ticket holder, to buy one on my credit card when we got to Portman Road. It worked well. The helpful ticket office staff always managed to find me a seat close to my brother's. I won't be putting myself out to get to PR to take my chance at the turnstiles at a premium price, with cash in hand. How many other fans are there in a similar situation?

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happybeingblue added 17:36 - Sep 17 get rid of the ridiculous £2.50 extra matchday charge for starters how is this ever going to encourage more people as not everyone plans their saturday in advance ...and as for the RIP OFF of replacing the replica kit every season it gives you an idea of the people running the club! this does not offer any thought for familys with children as the shirts are already vastly overpriced!! and as for the grading system in a half empty stadium well...are we or are we not an average championship team who do not get sold out!! i think the business people running the club live in another world and not in the real one...its pretty obvious its the cost why dont you do a survey on this one????? the kids are our future suppport, what about giving out some free tkts to schools in the local area..so much more the club can do to address this situation.

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