Town chief executive Simon Clegg says he hopes to forge closer links with Ipswich Borough Council now that the disagreement regarding the back rent has been settled. The Blues chief believes success at Portman Road can have a huge effect on the town as a whole.

Clegg told TWTD: “I’m pleased that has been resolved and I think it’s been resolved to the best solution we could have hoped for, bearing in mind that there was no evidence to support the position which the club had adopted.

“I’ve always had a very good relationship with [IBC chief executive] Russell Williams and also with [IBC leader] David Ellesmere, however, I have a slight bone of contention and that is that I would like to see a different type of relationship between IBC and Ipswich Town Football Club.

“I’d like there to be some recognition that we are a marketing vehicle for Ipswich and nothing will have a greater impact on the local community — and I’m talking about the local business community in particular — than Ipswich Town being promoted to the Premier League.”

In 2006 a paper jointly produced by Town and IBC estimated the economic benefit of Premier League football to be around £50 million a year and Clegg says the discussions regarding the back rent have led to talks about cultivating closer ties: “It doesn’t matter what initiatives the council come up with, nothing can match the positive ramifications for the local business community as well as the feel-good factor for the citizens of Ipswich as if Ipswich Town were promoted.

“That’s something I’m exploring with them as a part of the negotiation and the agreement that we reached over back rent.

“Part of that is an agreement on behalf of both parties to establish and develop a more meaningful relationship.”

Photo: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

Guthrum added 09:38 - Mar 8 Building stronger links with the town and local community can only be a good thing. Tho presumably he means "no *documentary* evidence to support the position which the club had adopted", rather than no basis whatsoever ...
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Greybritain added 09:57 - Mar 8 Well he can start by telling them that the present park & ride on match days is a joke. ITFC say that transport is nothing to do with them, and IBC say that they don't provide the park & ride service for the football. This refusal to accept responsibility of transportation by both parties is an affront to the fans who have to endure the service levels provided. If they truly want to forge stronger ties, both parties need to face up to their duties and stop hiding behind corporate claptrap. As ever, it is the fans that suffer.

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sotd78 added 10:06 - Mar 8 Acknowledging that a fair amount of the "support" comes in from outside the town and thus brings in wealth would be a good starting point. How about a proper transport review - routes intoand out of the ground designated around match times. Traffic police over-riding lights that work for "normal" days. Car parking that is priced for supporters only at key times. Getting away from Portman Road by car to reach the A12 and A14 is a nightmare at times - if we get to the Prem it becomes a serious issue. That would be the single most important thing ITFC and IBC could resolve.

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Stourbridgeblue added 10:08 - Mar 8 Good Point Greybritain. Southampton & Brighton show what can be acheived when needs must. A bit of joined up thinking needed.
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ian_marshall added 10:17 - Mar 8 On a different note, just seen lionel Messi at portman road with a view to joining on loan til end os season with a view of permanent signing.
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bobble added 10:47 - Mar 8 Councils are evil and money squandering bodies which destroy economies all over the world.
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wherescounago added 10:57 - Mar 8 I agree a joined up approach is needed and the joining up needs to include Suffolk County Council as well as Ipswich Borough Council as it is they who control the park and ride services and decided to shut the Bury Road site. If Bobble thinks that councils are evil and money squandering maybe he doesn't want his rubbish bins emptied, roads maintained, local housing stock keep up to date, children educated and leisure activaties provided. To name but a few services funded by councils.

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mr_bean added 11:57 - Mar 8 Are there any other cynics out there who suspect that Clegg is trying to butter IBC up so that they sell the land to Evans? KEEP PORTMAN ROAD IN THE COUNCIL'S HANDS AT ALL COSTS!
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Doctor_Albran added 11:58 - Mar 8 I think Wherescounago is a Public Sector employee! WC, everything that bobble write is completely off the wall so why get so upset? And in Bobbles defence councils can provide all of those services whilst also squandering money, not sure about being evil and destroying economies - although they did borrow along with everybody else!!! lol Whilst the club is important to the town, I don't agree with this whole thing that the club should receive special treatment - football is just an event like any other large scale event - so if the club pays for services (policing, etc) away from the ground then I'm sure the infrastructure will improve as a result.

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Moscow_Blue added 12:10 - Mar 8 Parking at Portman Road is just about the best of any Championship side in my opinion. Not only is it cheaper in the Portman Road carpark it is not too bad to get away from after the game. I have paid 10 quid at Coventry and 8 at Reading and taken an age to get out. Sure, if and when we get promoted it will be much more difficult, but at the moment there are no problems whatsoever.

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IpsRich added 13:03 - Mar 8 I totally support the club looking to pursue closer ties with IBC and am pleased the back rent issue is close to resolution. I am slightly concerned however by the condescending tone we're taking to go about forging these closer links. Its a similar feel to the club statements to supporters around the Academy debate (i.e. we're ITFC and we'll do what we think is right - whether you like it or not). Whilst the comment: "...nothing will have a greater impact on the local community...than Ipswich Town being promoted to the Premier League" is probably fair - why does it need to be brought to IBC's and the local business community's attention? It only serves to inflate the club's ego and marginalise the local authorities and businesses we're trying to integrate with. Seeking special treatment or acknowledgement for ITFC because of what promotion may bring to the community, is hardly a constructive starting point for discussions. IBC's remit extends slightly wider than the interests of ITFC.

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buryblue77 added 13:11 - Mar 8 I would say that the ultimate scenario would be that we gain promotion, stay in the Premier League for 3-5 years at least and become established then, dare I say it, purchase a new piece of Land out of town and build a new stadium,(which would be nice if it retained the Portman Road name, i.e. the Marcus Evans Portman Stadium?) which if we were an established Premier League side still wouldn't need to be much more than 35,000 or so. Our stadium is really rather run down nowadays and the parking/congestion situation isn't great at the moment whilst getting around 16,000, if we become succesful and fill out our 30,000 capacity it will only get worse. Combine this relocation with a large car park and shuttle services to and from the railway station/park and ride sites and we could have a really good, convenient set up.

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SouperJim added 13:18 - Mar 8 Much better Simon, this is the kind of real initiative I want to be reading about, not freshly painted turnstiles and uninspired spin-doctoring about project leap.
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TractorTrog added 17:20 - Mar 8 I for one want to say well done to Clegg for sorting this issue out no one seems to mention that these are the type of issues that his excellent in and under his gaze has met and achieved what was asked of him ...please give him some credit for this!!! because at best it was embarresing to recive reports on Angila News about how much discord there was (Norwich fans would have loved that Im sure) and at worst the whole thing soured and tarnished what should be the Jewl within the suffolk crown ITFC... now we can forget that nonsense and move forward together IBC and SCC are and always will be part of Ipswich Town football club and hope we can make the whole county proud next season when we get promotion and possibly some silver wear too!!.

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