| New turnstiles! on 21:44 - Jul 9 with 3171 views | Benters |
Pre painted always a good sign of quality. |  |
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| New turnstiles! on 21:58 - Jul 9 with 3080 views | tetchris |
Thought there was a no photo rule on these sites unless taken from the road. You think town would put up a wooden site fence to stop prying eyes! |  | | |
| New turnstiles! on 21:59 - Jul 9 with 3069 views | jasondozzell |
👀
What's the raised bit for? |  | | |
| New turnstiles! on 22:00 - Jul 9 with 3044 views | Freddies_Ears |
| New turnstiles! on 21:59 - Jul 9 by jasondozzell |
👀
What's the raised bit for? |
Extending the concourse of the West Stand. | | | |
| New turnstiles! on 22:01 - Jul 9 with 2987 views | Benters |
| New turnstiles! on 21:58 - Jul 9 by tetchris |
Thought there was a no photo rule on these sites unless taken from the road. You think town would put up a wooden site fence to stop prying eyes! |
I remember a time working on a town site in Colchester, they would put up a view point for people who were interested to have a look and watch what was going on. | |
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| New turnstiles! on 22:10 - Jul 9 with 2908 views | jasondozzell |
| New turnstiles! on 22:00 - Jul 9 by Freddies_Ears |
Extending the concourse of the West Stand. |
Looks like it will extend quite a long way out. And then will they open bigger gates on the perimeter to let crowds straight in? | | | |
| New turnstiles! on 22:23 - Jul 9 with 2783 views | SitfcB |
| New turnstiles! on 22:10 - Jul 9 by jasondozzell |
Looks like it will extend quite a long way out. And then will they open bigger gates on the perimeter to let crowds straight in? |
Yep, you not seen the plans??
This picture from earlier in the works gives an idea how far out it’s going to be.
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| New turnstiles! on 22:38 - Jul 9 with 2627 views | backwaywhen |
| New turnstiles! on 22:23 - Jul 9 by SitfcB |
Yep, you not seen the plans??
This picture from earlier in the works gives an idea how far out it’s going to be.
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Not 100% but I think in between turnstiles there are putting double sided bars / kiosks for those that sit in Pioneer for New concourse, as well as those that use fan zone if that makes sense ? | | | |
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| New turnstiles! on 22:41 - Jul 9 with 2606 views | SitfcB |
| New turnstiles! on 22:38 - Jul 9 by backwaywhen |
Not 100% but I think in between turnstiles there are putting double sided bars / kiosks for those that sit in Pioneer for New concourse, as well as those that use fan zone if that makes sense ? |
Yeah there’s gonna be a few of them, good idea. | |
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| New turnstiles! on 22:43 - Jul 9 with 2583 views | jasondozzell |
| New turnstiles! on 22:23 - Jul 9 by SitfcB |
Yep, you not seen the plans??
This picture from earlier in the works gives an idea how far out it’s going to be.
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I saw them briefly but I think I thought it was just gonna be turnstiles added to stand not building out this far!
Blimey. When was the last summer without extensive work at PR? Can't knock the ownership for putting money where their mouth is.
Ta for sharing the photos! | | | |
| New turnstiles! on 22:45 - Jul 9 with 2562 views | jasondozzell |
| New turnstiles! on 22:38 - Jul 9 by backwaywhen |
Not 100% but I think in between turnstiles there are putting double sided bars / kiosks for those that sit in Pioneer for New concourse, as well as those that use fan zone if that makes sense ? |
Got you.
And this will ease crowds on Air Alf Ramsey way - that's the idea isn't it? | | | |
| New turnstiles! on 22:47 - Jul 9 with 2535 views | SitfcB |
| New turnstiles! on 22:45 - Jul 9 by jasondozzell |
Got you.
And this will ease crowds on Air Alf Ramsey way - that's the idea isn't it? |
Yeah won’t have the 15 or so long queues that block the whole ‘walkway’. | |
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| New turnstiles! on 22:49 - Jul 9 with 2505 views | jasondozzell |
| New turnstiles! on 22:47 - Jul 9 by SitfcB |
Yeah won’t have the 15 or so long queues that block the whole ‘walkway’. |
😎👍🎉🎉🎉 | | | |
| New turnstiles! on 23:04 - Jul 9 with 2379 views | le2blue |
| New turnstiles! on 22:47 - Jul 9 by SitfcB |
Yeah won’t have the 15 or so long queues that block the whole ‘walkway’. |
It’s all about the Egress buh |  | | |
| New turnstiles! on 08:09 - Jul 10 with 2036 views | NthQldITFC |
| New turnstiles! on 23:04 - Jul 9 by le2blue |
It’s all about the Egress buh |
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| New turnstiles! on 12:10 - Jul 10 with 1613 views | SE1blue |
Hope none of those workers are talking to the players. |  |
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| New turnstiles! on 12:28 - Jul 10 with 1507 views | EssexBloo |
The plans said most of the new building will be pre built off site so I assume we will see fairly quick progress now? | | | |
| New turnstiles! on 14:05 - Jul 10 with 1245 views | hoppy |
| New turnstiles! on 22:45 - Jul 9 by jasondozzell |
Got you.
And this will ease crowds on Air Alf Ramsey way - that's the idea isn't it? |
Although they'll still be there for the turnstiles into North Stand, so Sir Alf Ramsey Way will still be congested. |  |
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| New turnstiles! on 14:15 - Jul 10 with 1215 views | grow_our_own |
I don't see any massive piling. A lot of work if we're going to knock it all down again to ready the foundations to support an extension and new roof. Either that or extension/roof aren't going to be built any time soon, and it's Ashton BS/spin. | | | |
| New turnstiles! on 14:21 - Jul 10 with 1193 views | SheffordBlue |
| New turnstiles! on 14:15 - Jul 10 by grow_our_own |
I don't see any massive piling. A lot of work if we're going to knock it all down again to ready the foundations to support an extension and new roof. Either that or extension/roof aren't going to be built any time soon, and it's Ashton BS/spin. |
Don't think Ashton/the club have ever said anything other than they've looked at the option of expanding the West Stand. | |
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| New turnstiles! on 14:33 - Jul 10 with 1145 views | grow_our_own |
| New turnstiles! on 14:21 - Jul 10 by SheffordBlue |
Don't think Ashton/the club have ever said anything other than they've looked at the option of expanding the West Stand. |
Well the architects who Ashton appointed pitched this scheme as "The West Stand expansion at Portman Road": https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/
It's more like "The West Stand expansion impediment development at Portman Road", but I guess that doesn't have the same ring. | | | |
| New turnstiles! on 14:40 - Jul 10 with 1109 views | SheffordBlue |
| New turnstiles! on 14:33 - Jul 10 by grow_our_own |
Well the architects who Ashton appointed pitched this scheme as "The West Stand expansion at Portman Road": https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/
It's more like "The West Stand expansion impediment development at Portman Road", but I guess that doesn't have the same ring. |
It is just that though - it's an expansion of the West Stand - not in terms of seat capacity but in other facilities.
Below is a fairly detailed list of statements about the West Stand. People will read different things into these statements which I think are deliberately left vague. My reading of it is that that they've looked in quite a lot of detail at expanding the seating capacity but I don't think there's ever been an explicit statement saying that's what they are going to do.
## Ipswich Town West Stand Expansion: Staff Statements & Quotes
Below is a chronological account of statements made by Ipswich Town staff about the potential to expand the West Stand at Portman Road.
***
### Mark Ashton — The Blue Hour, BBC Radio Suffolk (November 2024)
The most-cited early statement came from chairman and CEO Mark Ashton during an appearance on BBC Radio Suffolk's *The Blue Hour* programme in November 2024. Responding to listener questions about the long-planned Cobbold Stand redevelopment, Ashton raised the West Stand as a sequencing solution: [bbc.co]( https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/art
> **"There's a train of thought that says 'no', the next development there is the West Stand. This sees an increase in capacity in the West Stand, of surprise, surprise, circa 4,000 people. So, when you take down the Cobbold Stand, people don't lose their season tickets and they could move across."** [coliseum-online]( https://www.coliseum-online.co
He contextualised the comment with a broader vision for the ground:
> **"The stadium has never been designed with an estate strategy in place. We need to give the supporters the best matchday facility and the best matchday hospitality and experience that we possibly can."**
Ashton was careful to add that there was no firm timescale, citing the Playford Road training ground redevelopment as the immediate priority — noting a planning application for that project would be submitted to the council within "the next 10 to 14 days". [bbc.co]( https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/art
***
### Mark Ashton — Fans' Forum, November 2025
At the club's annual Fans' Forum on **18 November 2025**, Ashton returned to the West Stand question in the context of the wider Portman Road estate strategy. When asked about a potential naming rights sponsorship for the West Stand, he deflected, suggesting the longer-term structural plans were the higher priority: [twtd.co](
> **"It's not really a focus for us at the moment... Tom Ball's leading on the project now to really look at the estate strategy for the football club. So, rather than do something in isolation, we're looking at all of the property. We're looking at the practice pitch, we're looking at the car parks, we're looking at the Cobbold Stand, we're looking at the space behind the Cobbold Stand."**
He also outlined the commercial imperative behind any West Stand development:
> **"The stand, whilst it's going to house 20-plus games a season here at Portman Road, it's got to operate commercially 365 days a year. It's got to drive revenue because again, to be a sustainable Premier League football club, to look at the levels of your Brightons, your Aston Villas have done, we have to drive revenues."**
On the Cobbold Stand rebuild — directly linked to sequencing West Stand expansion first — he confirmed the club had an agreement with the local authority to build towards the back of the stadium:
> **"We have an agreement with the local authority to go to the back of Portman Road so we can just extend the base of the stand out, we can then cantilever further. I think one thing is for sure, it will be a big stand."**
***
### Mark Ashton — November 2025 (post-Fans' Forum interview)
Later in November 2025, speaking to TWTD, Ashton elaborated further on the West Stand's role in the sequencing of the overall Portman Road rebuild: [twtd.co]
> **"We looked at, and we continue to look at, whether we do something with the West Stand first, increase capacity there before we do [the Cobbold Stand]. We're also looking at the practice pitch and how developments could take place behind the West Stand, linking to the West Stand."** [twtd.co](
> **"We've upgraded a number of facilities in the West Stand, but the big development then is the Portman Road site."**)
He also stressed the importance of an integrated approach: *"It's really an estate strategy now for Portman Road that we're focusing on, again in conjunction with key partners and stakeholders, that make a home future-proofed, fit-for-purpose and drives revenues."*
***
### Tom Ball (CFO) — PLC AGM, 16 December 2025
Chief Financial Officer Tom Ball made the most detailed technical statements about West Stand expansion at the **PLC Annual General Meeting on 16 December 2025**. He confirmed the 40,000-seat ambition and specifically named the West Stand as a key variable:
> **"How big do we want or how big do we see as practical? Forty thousand is the aim. It's one of the things we're starting to look at now — how do we expand and replace the Cobbold Stand? Is there anything we need to do to the West Stand in terms of expanding that and putting another tier behind?"
He acknowledged that architectural studies had been ongoing:
> **"We've had architects look at this on and off now for the last couple of years. Filling in the corners has been suggested, we've had various people look at various things."**
Ball also addressed the central challenge of avoiding displacement of season ticket holders, and the cost implications of building behind the existing stand structure to mitigate that:
> **"There are plans which could see us develop behind the existing stand in order to move everybody who is there behind whilst we develop the front. But as with anything, that just adds time, cost and complexity. When you're looking at something that could cost around £100 million, by the time you've put 10, 15, 20 per cent on the cost to do that, you're talking considerable sums of money."** [twtd.co]
He closed with a reassurance to supporters:
> **"Rest assured, anything that we're doing on that stand, isn't from a revenue-of-current-ticket-holders point of view, it's what is the right thing to do, what's the best thing to do, what's going to put this club in the best position in five or 10 years from now."**
***
### Planning Application Design & Access Statement — May 2026
In **May 2026**, the club submitted a planning application to Ipswich Borough Council for an expansion of the West Stand *concourse* — a near-term infrastructure improvement rather than a capacity-adding rebuild. The application's Design and Access Statement, which represents the club's formal written position, included the following: [footballgroundguide]( https://footballgroundguide.co
> **"The proposal submitted represents a progressive development for Ipswich Town Football Club. The additional concourse area and amenity provision will make for a more comfortable and safe experience on match day."**
> **"The new turnstile locations will alleviate pressure on the surrounding streets and welcome the community into the Fanzone. Accessible access has been made a priority and the Fanzone will be able to cater for a more developed community programme going forward."**
The statement also explicitly acknowledged urgency, noting **"a tremendous time pressure on the development of the West Stand"**. The proposals would roughly double the concourse floor space from 864m² to 1,759m², alongside upgraded kiosks, automated turnstiles, a refurbished Fanzone, hospitality improvements, and additional parking.
***
### Contextual Note
The TWTD report covering the May 2026 planning application noted that *"In November, chairman and CEO Mark Ashton said the club would be looking at developments at the back of the West Stand and also on the practice pitch behind it, while adding additional seats at the back of the stand has also been under consideration for the longer-term ahead of the rebuild of the Cobbold Stand"* — confirming that the concourse expansion is positioned as a precursor to, rather than a replacement of, the longer-term seat-adding expansion. [twtd.co](
[Post edited 10 Jul 14:43]
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| New turnstiles! on 14:41 - Jul 10 with 1096 views | grow_our_own |
Summarise, don't copy-paste from AI. [Post edited 10 Jul 14:47]
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| New turnstiles! on 14:44 - Jul 10 with 1076 views | SheffordBlue |
| New turnstiles! on 14:41 - Jul 10 by grow_our_own |
Summarise, don't copy-paste from AI. [Post edited 10 Jul 14:47]
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My point was that there's never been a direct quote stating that they'll expand the West Stand - they've looked at it as an option but never committed to it. | |
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