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Block D Season Ticket Holders to Move - Ipswich Town News

Town have written to season ticket holders in Block D of the Cobbold Stand informing them that their seats will be incorporated into the increased away fans section from the start of the new season.

The 220 tickets in Block D have been the most expensive at Portman Road - renewal this year was £903 - and a decade ago were cited in surveys as the dearest in the Football League as a whole.

The premium halfway-line tickets came with padded seats, a complimentary matchday programme and access to bar facilities.

Premier League rules dictate that the club has to increase the visitors’ allocation by 1,000 to around 3,000 and therefore the away end will now stretch across into the centre of the Cobbold Stand.

CEO Mark Ashton revealed last month that the various changes needed to bring the stadium up to Premier League standard would require 750 season ticket holders to move seats with the club having no choice in the matter.

"The one thing I’m going to ask the fans to be understanding of why we’re making some of the changes,” he told TownTV soon after promotion was confirmed.

"That may mean that you have sat in a specific seat in this stadium for a long time, but you may not sit in it next season because we are going to have to move some people. There is no choice.

"So please don’t complain to the staff that you’re having to move seat, that decision has been made and it’s been made for a reason.

"Again, I would ask the fantastic way the fanbase has approached change in the past to do the same again because these are changes we have no choice other than to make.”

Photos on social media over the weekend showed the seats in Block D having been removed and yesterday holders of season tickets in that section received an email confirming their switch.

"Everyone at Ipswich Town Football Club would like to thank you for your fantastic support last season and trust you are looking forward to the new season in the Premier League,” the email reads.

"You may have seen in the media that, due to Premier League requirements, the club must undertake some significant changes to Portman Road over the summer months.

"Some of these changes directly impact the stadium seating plan, and as such the club is making contact with those affected supporters over the next few weeks to highlight these changes.

"One of the largest changes to Portman Road will see the capacity of away supporters increasing from 2,000 to 3,000 to meet Premier League requirements.

"Following an extensive process thoroughly reviewing the best way to accommodate this increase, we are writing to confirm that Block D will sadly no longer exist as an area of home seating, as this will be reconfigured for use by away supporters.

"We therefore now need to work with you to find alternative seating within Portman Road. With this in mind our premium options giving you the same benefits such as padded seating and preferable views are within Block X in the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand Upper Tier or Block Y in the West Stand Upper Tier.

"In addition, all other areas of the stadium are also available to relocate to should you wish.

"Once again thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you at Portman Road next season for Premier League football.”

Long-term, Town have plans to replace the current Cobbold Stand, which is now more than 50 years old.

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