x

Ashton: Playford Road Protocols to Remain in Place Over Winter - Ipswich Town News

CEO Mark Ashton says Town’s Playford Road Covid protocols, which among other aspects mean U18s and U23s matches are played without supporters present, are set to continue until after the winter period and have been praised by the EFL.

Asked at last night’s fans’ forum whether there are plans to allow fans back into Playford Road to watch matches, Ashton said: "Playford Road is a challenge. I’ll answer that question in two or three pieces. Covid is still rife and, no illusions, we are really nervous around it with the players.

"There is still a protective bubble at Playford Road, that means that the U18s and the U23s don’t train and are not on site at the same time as the first team.

"The way Playford Road is built, you can’t segregate and there are too many people on site and we’re risking the first team players contracting it and having to lose them for games. We’re one of a handful of teams who are still travelling away with their first team on two coaches.

"Andy Rolls, our director of performance, is really clear with the medical team, they want the protocols kept in place.

"So until we probably come through this winter period, this peak, I think those protocols will remain. Trust me, we want to get out of them as quickly as we can.

"We were actually held up by the League at a meeting around 10 days ago as the club who is doing this right.

"I can’t comment on how other clubs do it but our health and safety teams, our doctors, our medical teams, our stadium management have been really clear on working with the Safety Advisory Group on what we should do and we’re just trying to do the right thing.

"We want to protect the fans as best we can, we certainly need to protect the players as best we can and I think if we all work together to do that, we can come through this as quickly as possible because, trust me, we want fans back at Playford Road, we want you all back to normality. But it’s a difficult period and we’re just trying to manage it the best we can.”

What to read next:

TWTD Questionnaire 2024/25
There’s still time for you to fill in the annual TWTD Questionnaire, your chance to look back in judgement on Town's 2024/25 season
[Podcast] Blue Monday - New Podcast Now Online
A new podcast from the Blue Monday team is now available.
Six Released as Town Women Announce Retained List
Ipswich Town Women have announced their retained list following the 2024/25 season in which they won the FAWNL Southern Premier League title and promotion to the second tier, now known as the WSL2, for the first time with six senior players released.
Ex-Town Loanee Andrews Now Strong Favourite For Brentford Job
Former Blues loanee Keith Andrews is now an odds-on favourite with all bookies offering prices on the Brentford job, Town boss Kieran McKenna having drifted out overnight.
Hutchinson Focused on Euros
Blues forward Omari Hutchinson insists his focus is on winning the European Championship with England’s U21s rather than his future at club level.
McKenna Some Bookies' Favourite For Brentford Job
Town boss Kieran McKenna is some bookies’ early favourite for the vacant Brentford job following confirmation that Thomas Frank has taken charge at Tottenham Hotspur, but with little real clarity on who the Bees’ next head coach might be.
Hutchinson's England U21s Win Euros Opener
Blues forward Omari Hutchinson helped England’s U21s to a 3-1 victory over Czechia in their opening group game at the European Championship in Slovakia.
Valencia Linked With Burgess
La Liga Valencia are showing interest in Town centre-half Cameron Burgess, according to Spanish reports.
Hutchinson's England U21s' Euros Campaign Starts Against Czechs
Town forward Omari Hutchinson and his England U21s teammates get their European Championship campaign under way when they face Czechia in Dunajská Streda, Slovakia this evening (KO 8pm, Channel 4).
Town Fans Take Total Raised For Food Bank to £20,000
Town supporters donated more than £6,000 to Ipswich Town Fans Supporting Foodbanks in 2024/25, taking the overall total raised since the group began their monthly matchday collections in January 2023 to £20,000.