Blues' US director Berke Bakay says Saturday’s promotion-confirming 6-0 victor over Exeter City and was the most meaningful event he has ever been a part of.
Bakay was joined in the directors’ box for Saturday’s match by fellow Three Lions Brett Johnson and Mark Detmer, as well as Ed Schwartz from the CEO of ORG, the US investment firm which manages funds on behalf of the Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS), which owns more than 90 per cent of the club.
"It has been over 48 hours and I am back home with emotions still running high,” Bakay wrote on Twitter. "Since I was a little kid I cared so much for this sport and it meant everything to me.
"I had the honor of talking to many supporters that told me ‘You will never understand how I feel today’ and ‘Thank you’.
"I was at one point the kid that was in tears on his father’s shoulder because of happiness and emotional overload.
"When I got back home I told my family that this is the most meaningful event I have ever been part of during my entire life.
"I put it up there with the day that i got married and birth of my four children. To see in the eye of thousands of Ipswich Town supporters the sparkle and to see them so happy meant the world to me.
"How lucky I am to have a life experience like this and play a part in it! It is a very humbling experience. Thank you!
"A massive thank you to all of our supporters, coaching staff, our players, every single member of our front office, our management team and our board! I can’t wait for the opening match! Our journey is just starting!”
Detmer added, also on Twitter: "We are going up! Days like these don’t just happen, they take focus, dedication and relentless hard work.
"Thank you to every Town supporter, player, coach, staff, and fellow board member for believing we could do it.”
Johnson vowed to make good on an earlier promise should the Blues win another promotion, while Schwartz spoke to TWTD after the match.