CEO Mark Ashton said Town’s fans never cease to amaze him after almost 11,000 supporters attended this afternoon’s promotion celebration in Christchurch Park.
The free event, organised by the club in liaison with Ipswich Borough Council and hosted by club ambassador Simon Milton, was a huge success with fans turning up long before the midday start.
Ashton and Mark Steed, the chief investment officer of PSPRS, the pension fund which owns more than 90 per cent of the club, spoke from the stage before the coaching staff and then the players were brought on and applauded and cheered.
Skipper Sam Morsy, among a number of players who were interviewed along with manager Kieran McKenna, was handed the trophy for finishing second in League One and every member of the squad was given a medal. Local boxer Fabio Wardley also made an appearance on stage.
On big screens, a Town in Five covering the whole season was screened - manager McKenna leaving to stage so he could watch it - as was a message from talismanic retired Arizona police officer and motivational speaker Jason Schechterle, who spoke to the squad and on and off-field staff during pre-season.
"Just incredible,” Ashton said about another memorable afternoon. "We didn’t know what to expect, the best part of 11,000 people here. This club just never ceases to amaze me.
"Two years here, I think I’ve been at some big clubs, West Brom, Bristol City, I’ve seen promotions to all the division now, but never have I seen anything like this, never have I witnessed a fanbase like this, it just goes from strength to strength.”
Reflecting on the season, Ashton says that other than finishing first, the campaign couldn’t have gone too much better.
"It couldn’t, but seasons are built, seasons are earned,” he said. "A lot of hard work in pre-season, a lot of hard work at the back end of last season, building for this, getting Kieran and the squad ready for this and this is culmination of that hard work.
"I’m so delighted for Kieran, his staff and his players, but I’m more delighted for the fanbase of this football club.”
Town’s January recruitment of Harry Clarke, Nathan Broadhead, Massimo Luongo and loanee-from-Leicester George Hirst was vital to the Blues’ success.
"The work started for those in August, September, it didn’t start in January,” Ashton continued. "The likes of [chief operating officer] Luke Werhun, [director of football operations] Gary Probert, [head of recruitment] Sam Williams, the recruitment team, they’ve all worked tirelessly.
"We said we wanted to get our ‘A’ targets, we nailed our ‘A’ targets. I think with recruitment in mind, I think we’ve set our standards now. That’s the type of player we need to bring to this club moving forward.”
Ashton says work on the summer’s business has begun: "Already under way. Discussions have already started. We’re planning the squad out. Kieran’s having his input, as you would expect now, early.
"Thank God we’re not in the play-offs because we’ve got a three-week head start so we can get on with things.”
Reflecting on next season in the Championship, Ashton added: "It’s a tough division. I’ve spent a lot of time, a lot of years, 15 years-plus in that division trying to get clubs out. I know what it takes.
"I think Kieran’s words were perfect - we will attack it. I don’t think we’ve got anything to be afraid of, as long as we are prepared. And I think you know us well enough now, we will be prepared.”
Ashton says Town’s signings over the last couple of seasons has been made with the Championship in mind.
"Absolutely,” he said. "We’re going to need more, that’s for sure. Kieran will want to reshape, he’ll be backed in doing that. We’d like to do our business early, it’s always a little bit tough.
"It’s important they get a good pre-season with Kieran because that’s where he does his groundwork, but again, I go back to it, I think the type of player we’ve brought in have set the levels, and that what we’ve got to do moving forward.”
While the players and coaching staff will now get a break, for CEOs, the situation is rather different at this time of the year.
"We get on with it, we’ve got work to do!” he laughed. "We’ll get some time later in the summer, I’m sure. But right now, we’ve got to get ahead of the curve. We’ve got to get our work done and be prepared.”
Speaking from the stage, Steed, pictured below next to Ashton, said: "When we made this investment a couple of years ago, we thought there was an opportunity to do something special, so I wanted to make sure I came out and thanked everybody.
"I thanked Mark Ashton for his unwavering leadership, super Kieran McKenna for what he’s done on and off the field, the players especially, their tenacity, the resilience that we’ve talked about.
"But lastly, I want to thank the fans. They’ve been absolutely.. the devotion and the heart and the drive for the entire team. It’s incredible. Incredible.
"Most of all, I just want to make sure, to reiterates what Mark has said, this is not the culmination of our achievement, but a stepping stone to greater things for this town and for this team.
"From me to you, we dedicate this achievement, the trophy to all of you. This has been a rough couple of years with Covid and it’s been a rough decade or two for Ipswich, so this achievement is dedicated to you, for people that you have lost, that took you to your first match, that made you fans and excellent memories, this is all for you.
"Enjoy these moments and I hope that we can cherish this and these memories together as long as we live. COYB!”