Ipswich Town Ist, the Town Supporters Trust, has welcomed Bryan Klug’s confirmation that the academy will look to upgrade to Category One status in the future. The Trust strongly believed that the club should have opted for Category One when the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) was introduced last summer and presented former chief executive Simon Clegg with a 5,000-signature petition backing their position.
In a statement, which can be read in full here, Ipswich Town Ist say they believe that a greater understanding of the implications of the Financial Fair Play rules (FFP) is behind the Blues’ proposed switch: "The Trust foresees a greater emphasis on youth development, something that has always been close to the hearts of Ipswich Town supporters.
"For many fans the sight of homegrown talent such as Luke Hyam is a far bigger boost than buying in expensive talent not schooled in the ‘Ipswich way’.
"We also anticipate that the average age of sides in the Championship may reduce because younger players are often less expensive than older more established players.”