"Is that Chelsea?"
"How did that happen?"
"Massive own goal"

The initial response from some Liverpool fans I know upon seeing Nigel Farage's tweet of him holding up a club shirt and laughing whilst sat in the club changing rooms.

I could answer the first comment but was and remain at a loss to address the next two. "How did that happen?" does indeed remain unanswered and the "Massive own goal" is hard to challenge.

Let's be clear what has happened, Farage came to the club, used our facilities for publicity shots and the club facilitated this. It then spent a day and a half obfuscating and then released a statement that did nothing other than claim political impartiality whilst confirming the club's stance on inclusion.

Happy? I doubt it. Unless you think PR disasters are the way forward. When the club statement is endorsed by Rupert Lowe, for whom Reform are too woke, then you know you're on a different page from the majority of fans.

But does it matter? Club dropped a rollock, headline news (we weren't but it felt like it), Twitter storm and life carries on. "Yesterday's chip paper" as someone posted? To a point that's true, but trust between fan and club takes years to develop and undoubtedly for many this has been damaged.

Being duped by a political PR stunt is the minor charge, I don't think anyone genuinely thinks the club appreciated what Farage and Reform were planning on doing. It was naive, gullible and unprofessional. It has brought division and derision and I am sure plenty at the club are shaking their heads at how this was allowed to happen.

But the club response is far less minor. When you mess up, you own it. You take responsibility for what's gone wrong, you establish the facts, who did what, and you take appropriate actions. One of which is you apologise. Properly.

Most of that will have happened behind closed doors and it's not my place to guess the who did what. That may or may not come out in the coming days/weeks. But what is clear is the tone-deaf club response that failed to address the issue of the club allowing itself to be used by Farage for his PR stunt.

Simply reaffirming the club's political independence and commitment to inclusion whilst not accepting or apologising for allowing Farage to use the club's facilities doesn't cut it.

It leaves a foul taste in the mouth and the suspicion that the failure to properly apologise and take ownership of the mess is because those involved did what they did with the knowledge of those at the top of the club.

Which brings us to Mark Ashton, a man who has achieved an awful lot at Ipswich through the inspired recruitment of Kieran McKenna and the much-needed off-the-field developments in infrastructure, who bangs on about 'elite' levels and standards at every opportunity. Nothing wrong with aiming high.

But the same 'elite' standard of PR has been rather lacking. The buck stops with Ashton and if he endorsed the visit he has personally overseen a breakdown in trust between club and many fans (not all, obviously).

If he didn't himself endorse the visit then his communications have been woeful.

Losing the faith of the fans will make his position difficult, yet many will support him absolutely in view of the excellent progress the club have made.

What damage to his and the club's reputation will be for debate but no one can seriously argue the club's standing is enhanced. No sponsor will be happy being associated with a divisive figure like Farage. I doubt any foreign or ethnic minority player will be seeing the news and thinking, "Ipswich is the place for me and my family".

Supporting Reform is a choice and I am cool with that. Many Town fans will vote for them, as is their right. I make no comment on people's choice of party, nor should I. But platforming a divisive figure absolutely is a choice. It's a choice the club made and now they have to own it.

And by not apologising and accepting it shouldn't have happened, the club will be seen to be endorsing Farage and Reform.

Hardly 'elite' level PR from Ashton or the club. Do better.

EdwardStone added 09:40 - Mar 25 Good blog Mr Lagos I reckon someone at the club is a Fartage fanboy and have allowed Town to be be used in this shoddy manner.
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Guthrum added 09:48 - Mar 25 This is very much how I feel about the whole affair. Particularly sad at a time when ITFC are struggling to build a "feel-good" atmosphere ahead of the tricky and tight run-in which is vital to our promotion hopes.
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Jamiebed added 09:49 - Mar 25 Absolutely, bang on. And Ashton's absense now is so telling, no longer running along the stand at Sincil Bank.
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Meadowlark added 09:53 - Mar 25 Ashton: "The Foundation, as the Trust did, will sit at the forefront of everything that we do." After Saturday's well received Foundation day, who the hell thought that inviting Farage was a good idea?
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NederlandseBlue added 09:57 - Mar 25 Well written. As the club has been vague (which implies guilt), it makes saying what should or should not have happened very difficult. Should any group be able to take a tour? I would say yes. Should anyone taking the tour be able to publicly talk about it? Potentially, depending on the terms and conditions. In my view, what should not have happened was an invite (which the Atlantic says they have seen evidence happened) and/or a deviation from the standard private tour that anyone else could have (which plenty have said has happened, including a meet and greet from the head of media, the multiple football shirts etc.). Inviting any politician just as purdah is about to start is a mistake. Doing so with a deliberately controversial group which seems at odds with what the club says it stands for is even more misguided. Lying about it is a complete breakdown in trust, I suggest.

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unstableblue added 09:57 - Mar 25 Thanks Lagos a good summary. The buck stops with Ashton with this one and the whole episode - Faragegate - is a PR and club reputational disaster. The press release as you confirm is where the real damage was done. It smacked of disregard for the fanbase. The way Reform and Farage have further used the event to drive attention and mocking is shameful again. Joking they were off to Elland Road for their next rally - as if Leeds United would stoop so low. Or jesting with the Norwich City socials about going on their stadium tour. You’re right to state people are entitled to their vote. But Reform and Farage are divisive and dangerous for this country. They thrive on fear, hate, division, derision of the minority and they wrap themselves in our country’s flag as yet another stunt. Political parties do not use football clubs and football clubs do not allow political rallies and stunts - that is the norm, we broke the norm. And we have given license to a man who brought us the Brexit lie (which increased South Asian immigration) and the appalling gaslighting post Southport. Below are some further Farage quotes, there are many. And for those Town fans stating that their peers who are making a stand on this are overreacting and being ridiculous - a Reform government would ruin this country, and our club has facilitated their campaign. The fanbase anger is something to be proud of. “The best world leader? As an operator, but not as a human being, I would say Putin". “We ourselves in the European Union provoked the conflict through our territorial expansionism in the Ukraine” “The RNLI is a taxi service for illegal people smugglers" “If a woman... has a child and takes two or three years off work, she is worth far less to the employer when she comes back than when she goes away." (On women breastfeeding) “I think that given that some people feel very embarrassed by it... perhaps sit in the corner." "Men are prepared to sacrifice their family lives in order to pursue a career and be successful in a way that fewer women are." "Basic principle was right": Farage said the "basic principle" of Enoch Powell’s 1968 "Rivers of Blood" Challenged in late 2025 over allegations by 20 former classmates that he used extreme racist and antisemitic slurs at school (such as "Hitler was right"), he responded: "Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter in a playground... in the modern light of day? Yes." While stating he was "unhappy" with a Reform UK MP who said seeing "black and Asian people" in TV adverts drove her mad, he defended the sentiment by saying: "adverts [are] now unrepresentative of British society as a whole." Following Trump's return to the White House in early 2025, Farage hailed him as "the bravest man that I know," Farage argued that Trump's re-election was "absolutely vital" because he is "by instinct, a peace-maker" who understands that "peace comes through strength, not through weakness". "I hope and believe that many things that will happen in America will serve as an inspiration to us". Despite over a dozen women accusing Trump of sexual assault, Farage has maintained his loyalty, stating as recently as December 2025: "For 10 years I have stood up and defended President Trump... I have never wavered in my thoughts or my views for one minute"

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LegendofthePhoenix added 10:08 - Mar 25 Good blog Lagos. There are lots on here claiming it will all blow over, will soon be yesterday's news. People who just don't get it, don't understand the damage this has done. So I will spell out some reasons why it is such a big deal. 1. Sponsors will be aghast at seeing their brand associated with Reform & Farage. Less than 25% of the electorate are saying they will vote Reform. Sponsors don't want to alienate the majority who don't support Reform. New sponsors will be reluctant to be associated with a club that is used in Reform campaigns. 2. Merchandise sales will fall. Who wants to be seen in merch that shows a tacit endorsement of Reform? Ashton loves to tell us how many shirts ITFC have sold. Well be prepared for a big drop. 3. Some fans will vote with their feet - it depends on how the club respond now, and as you rightly say, they have to own this and apologise. But if they don't there could be a significant number who stop supporting the club. 4. We will be a laughing stock at games. Opposition fans are going to have a field day, calling us bigots, racists, reformers. Its going to incite aggression and violence. 5. There may well be crowd trouble within the ITFC areas. Is anyone going to start chanting "Nigel Farage, he's one of our own"? Because if that happens, you can be sure there will be fights breaking out in the stands amongst the Ipswich fans. 6. How welcome will players and new recruits feel? If you're a gay player, or if you're from a different culture, are you seriously going to think "yeah, Ipswich looks like a nice welcoming club, I'll play my football there"? 7. The media in general are picking up on this and no other club to my knowledge has been used by Reform like this - there is a danger ITFC will become associated with Reform more generally. 8. It is pretty obvious the club have lied on their official statement. How do they think fans feel about being lied to? That alone will turn fans away. These things aren't minor, they won't blow away during the international break. The club has been incredibly foolish to get involved in politics; they have opened a can of worms, and this is really going to hurt the club if they don't come out now and explain, apologise and distance themselves from this. It's the biggest PR disaster I've ever seen at ITFC.

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Ralphinho added 10:43 - Mar 25 Very good blog Lagos. I am disgusted with how the club has handled this. You do not have to be a 'Lefty' to recognise that Reforms policies are not aligned with the values that our great club has held proudly throughout its history. Values that Ashton has boasted about in recent times. Whether they were invited or not, allowing a political party to use our ground, shirts and branding in their promotional material is NOT Apolitical and is NOT impartial. At this point - I'd almost prefer for the club to come out in support of Reform, as the excuses, lies and pi55 poor statements are more insulting than anything. The fact that the club has lied to the fans (hanging Phil, Gav, et al out to dry in the process) is unacceptable and is as much of an issue here as the Reform thing. Let me be clear - This is our club. We were here before they arrived and will be here long after they are gone. We aren't going to give up on the club but we aren't going to sit here and pretend everything is okay. Senior members of the club hierarchy (complicit or not) needs to give their heads a wobble, put their ego's to bed and own this balls up. As Lagos said: Apologise. Properly. I don't care who made the decision. I don't care if they do actually support Reform, that is their right. What I do care about is them tarring our club with their personal political preferences and letting their ego's run away with themselves. Explain what has gone wrong and who is responsible. After the lies we have heard so far, nothing other than complete transparency is going to cut it. Show some accountability and remorse for what is undeniably a huge mistake and something that has divided our fans more than any other issue in the clubs history. And then, after all of that, start trying to earn back the trust of the fans who have every right to feel betrayed, upset and tarred by this. Quite what that looks like, I don't know, but the stain that the Skidmark Farage has left on our club is not going to wash out quickly or easily. On a side note - this would be a great opportunity for the players to really connect with the fans and show solidarity. I would have the utmost respect for any player that stood up for the fans after the way the club has treated us. Now is the time to stand up and be counted - do they really want to be painted as Reform FC players? Better to stand up, speak up and move on rather than staying quiet and allowing themselves to be tarred by this brush.

5

Moggasknockdown added 11:06 - Mar 25 Great blog. I am deeply disappointed in the club- it has barely put a foot wrong in 5 years, but this is a significant misstep that risks alienating fans and sponsors and making the club a playground for division and hatred across its many platforms. If nothing else, for a club that has always been well-regarded as a family club to allow this opportunistic snake-oil salesman to peddle his wares in front of sponsors boards and the clubs emblem is reckless. Do the club behave according to their oft-purported values? Does it stand by inclusivity? I fear that a major sponsor objecting to the clubs approach will be the only thing that promotes a proper response of contrition- not a recognition that they have behaved poorly and need to have proper checks and balances to ensure that this does not happen again.

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_CliveBaker_ added 11:07 - Mar 25 Good blog. What a complete shit show from all involved. Serious questions need to be asked about a) how this was allowed to happen / ever thought to be a good idea in the first place and b) the limp response by the club. The club has absolutely no legal requirement to accept this visit if its one Reform made off their own back as initially implied. Political views or affiliation aren't protected characteristics under the Equality Act, the club could legally have refused entry at their discretion in the spirit of protecting brand neutrality. The fact (as reported in the Athletic) that the club actively made contact to facilitate this visit is even more unbelievable. However you cut it the club have been complicit in allowing this to happen. The powers that be at the club need to remember they're custodians and have great responsibility. Associating with people like Nigel Farage who overtly stands against a lot of what the club purports to support by way of inclusion and equality is a frightening misstep. How nobody had the foresight to anticipate the reaction and brand damage of this is deeply concerning. For the first time in my life I'm embarrassed to support the club I've followed up and down the country (and beyond) for 30 years. Shame on Mark Ashton and shame on his team who have allowed this to happen. The best thing they could do is pack their bags and leave.

5

grow_our_own added 11:10 - Mar 25 Nice blog, but asking the club to "do better" in future doesn't even touch the sides. At the very least, the Communications Director must go.
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muccletonjoe added 11:29 - Mar 25 Agree entirely with this. Whilst a proper and truthful statement from the club would not have completely doused the flames, it certainly wouldn't have fanned them.
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GlasgowBlue added 11:54 - Mar 25 Well said Lagos. I hope the club realises the hurt, anger and disappointment felt by many lifelong Town fans and they strive to do better in th future. Lessons to be learned.
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Rowski added 12:00 - Mar 25 You are all overreacting, whether you want to hear that or not, needs to be said. The hysterics are too much. You want to continue to rage over this, go ahead, you are wasting your time and energy. More political figures will come and go I'm sure, lets see if you screech as much about them or if your principles are all surface level. Again, for the record I'm not a fan of Farage, he's a snake but I'm not a left wing cry baby either. Why not just focus on the football and supporting the team, rather than adding to the furore. Like you have complete ownership of this club and only your opinions are the ones that count, excluding all others. Why have the club got to castrate themselves before your baying mob??? Why has Ashton got to go...because you say so LOL He's fine with me, he's done a good job and I don't blame him for this. If you want to be taken seriously, stick to your principles of inclusivity and diversity or continue to sow your division. Choice is yours Record down votes incoming...bring it!

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tractorboy100 added 12:53 - Mar 25 Rowski, I so completely agree with what you say! Let's stick to football! Ashton and McKenna are a good team and Ipswich town FC needs us (Fans) to get behind them and roar them on to victory in these last 8 matches!!!! COYB!!!!
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BlueArmy999 added 12:54 - Mar 25 Rowski - spot on, nicely put.
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Bazza8564 added 13:35 - Mar 25 Good blog, but the reaction from fans has been out of context and driven by personal hatred of Farage (which I share) rather than what has happened here (which we don't yet know). If this visit went ahead on this basis with MA's knowledge and permission I would be incredibly surprised, as he is the ultimate professional who prides himself on his, and the clubs, reputation. That being said, he will be taking appropriate action behind the scenes and will, as ever, let us know what he wants us to know, and when he wants us to know it. That will either be holding his hands up and accepting he made a poor call, or (more likely) explain this was done with a degree of naivety, and that someone has been held accountable. Don't expect it soon though, the news cycle will evolve before he explains

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Ferguson added 16:01 - Mar 25 If the club enabled this I'm appalled. He's not fit to wear the shirt.
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Blahblah added 16:46 - Mar 25 The people that think Farage is anything different to Trump needs to read up on 1930's Germany. He doesn't have the right in a Democracy to speak his vile bigotry. A Democracy needs to stand up to people like him and stop him. I am beyond disgusted by this. We are not a friendly inclusive Club again, until something is done about this.
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DropCliffsNotBombs added 19:22 - Mar 25 Cracking stuff Lagos, the silence after the initial tone-deaf response is deafening.
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armchaircritic59 added 19:23 - Mar 25 LegendofthePhoenix, whoever it was who first said " Sport and Politics don't mix ", have their justfication writ large here now. I'm surprised someone high up at the club hasn't already come forward and given an explanation. I expect someone in a minor position will get the push, while others who should front up hide away, hoping at least most of it blows over. We all wait to see what happens with some interest.

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sohamblue74 added 08:21 - Mar 26 Great blog Nick. Thanks for summarising the hurt, confusion, anger, and embarrassment that many of us are feeling. Bad mistake and an even worse non apology by the club. Ashton and co have got so much right over the last few years. But this is a total sh1t show and a massive OG.
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TGblue added 05:41 - Mar 27 Excellent blog. The only way forward is for Ashton to apologise to the fans and staff. If he doesn't, all that you highlighted in your blog comes into play. ITFC is a great institution for all the community of Ipswich and Ashton has disrespected it. He must apologise.
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Hunterblue added 07:10 - Apr 7 I think that no one can possibly know the real truth of everything behind the scenes on this subject and even if Mr Ashton has made a mistake or two that he had enough credit in the bank to be forgiven. All this "trust" thing is nonsense as in my opinion all I need for the person in charge is someone who gets things done not someone who is perfect in every way. The difference since he has come in with the backing given the club was unimaginable and people here and else and else where are sounding very pompous. Saying that he needs to go is ridiculous. Running as successful football club is a difficult job and we have needed someone !one him for many years now so o drive him out makes no sense.

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