Town chairman David Sheepshanks has backed the Football League's controversial league name changes. From next season Division One becomes simply 'The Championship', while Divisions Two and Three are will go under the names 'League One' and 'League Two'.

Sheepshanks says he is behind the rebranding: "No one is short-sighted enough to believe that we will close the gap on the Premiership but the long-term aim is to build revenue.

"It's not a sell-out, not at all. You've got to start somewhere. We've got a top sponsor, as well as the Carling Cup and the LDV competition.

"It's a whole new world, we've got to get out there and try and make some money for the clubs."

Football League chairman Brian Mawhinney is also a fan of the change: "The Championship is a term steeped in the history of the League. It will place a new emphasis on its status.

"Not only is it a gateway to the Premiership, it is one of Europe's leading league competitions, in terms of the standard of football, the stadia and the numbers of supporters attending.

"We want our games to become ever more attractive, not only to our core audience, but also to a new generation of youngsters on the brink of discovering the game.

"We also want a commercial audience to be encouraged to re-evaluate its perception of the League."

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls