Joint-managing director Ian Milne believes most Championship clubs are adhering to the Championship’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules. Last week, a number of unnamed Championship sides and one from League One were reported to be threatening to launch a legal challenge against FFP.

Speaking on Saturday’s Life’s a Pitch on Radio Suffolk (1hr 10mins 20secs), Milne (pictured above on the left) said: “[Those who ignore FFP] will suffer the penalties, that’s the view of the majority.

"The latest view that we’ve got is that the majority of the Championship clubs are very much backing Financial Fair Play."

Clubs who overspend and transgress the rules will face transfer embargoes or, if they have been promoted to the Premier League, fines.

FFP was agreed back in April 2012 with 21 Championship clubs, including Town, voting in favour and three against.

Milne doesn’t believe the legal threats will come to anything: “We think this is a bit of bluster from one or two clubs, we don’t think it’s that many. They can’t get rid of Financial Fair Play, it was all democratically brought together.

“There may be ways the accounts can be looked at or smoothed in a way, but nothing’s been decided. Financial Fair Play is here to stay.”

Milne says the Blues are on track to reduce their annual loss, £9.8 million in the year to June 2013, in line with FFP: “We’re on target, we are where we need to be. People do say ‘Why can’t we buy this [player] and what have you’ but we are stuck with Financial Fair Play.

“Where we can manoeuvre around it but within the rules, we will do so. That’s a continued discussion and review we have with Marcus.”

Meanwhile, he revealed that the audit which will determine whether Town’s academy reaches the standard to be given category one status for next season will take place next month: “The audit is in April and we’re all on target, we’re putting everything together for that and it’s extremely exciting.”

Elsewhere, Milne says talks are yet to begin regarding a new contract for manager Mick McCarthy with his current terms up in the summer of 2015: "I think it's a little bit early to find out what Mick or Marcus wants to do."

Photo: ITFC

Photo: Action Images

arc added 13:23 - Mar 3 It only takes three teams to ignore the rules and get promoted for the whole thing to be a joke.
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Smithy added 13:30 - Mar 3 The biggest joke in football at the moment are the parachute payments, how can anyone compete with a club rewarded for getting relegated and then having more clout than those they have just joined. The Premier League is the biggest farce in Britain, and ruining football in this country, all about greed and not about football at all. Shame this club isn't offering fair play to the fans trudging through the gates, which is dwindling season on season, open your eyes we are losing fans week by week and nothing is being done.

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olimar added 13:32 - Mar 3 And for those three clubs to be heavily fined, making the financial risk of gambling to win promotion even more risky. Leicester were being estimated to be due an £18m fine. If QPR get fined anything near that amount, but stay in the Championship, it will be an enormous issue for them.
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Robbie12345 added 13:34 - Mar 3 Arc- but if not- lets hope QPR, they will be bummed, having to sell and replace their entire squad! Smithy- They are already doing ticket prenotions and giving 12,000 away for free vs Doncaster?
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northernblues added 13:36 - Mar 3 smithy- your first paragraph absolutely spot on pal!
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Smithy added 13:40 - Mar 3 yep brilliant, for one game we get 12,000 extra kids into the game, how many will be encouraged to come again?? Don't get me wrong this is a good incentive, but what about the loyal supporters who follow the club every week, wheres their reward?? We have had complete drivel for a dozens seasons now, falling gates, no transfer pot for excellent new manager, poor quality entertainment, yet prices still go up, where the logic???

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blueherts added 14:18 - Mar 3 Olimar - not sure the Leicester stat is true ? they run pretty tight ship up there QPR on the other hand
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Robbie12345 added 14:21 - Mar 3 Smithy- probally 3000, with parents, thats more like 5000! They would get a better atmosphere, more points and a better performance due to more support given. The transfer money is being pumped into the accadamy and Mick, instead of picking up largue fines, and getting players no better than we have got already.
2

blueherts added 14:21 - Mar 3 Olimar - spot one mate !!! sorry last time I listen to my Leicester mate spouting his propoganda !! www.theguardian.com/football/2014/feb/26/financial-fair-play-championship-clubs-threat-football-league
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ormey75 added 14:44 - Mar 3 Not sure QPR are that bothered, they seem to be sighning someone everyweek, it will be so funny if they dont go up
4

ericclacton added 14:57 - Mar 3 One tends to do with ones one what ones done doesn't one?
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cooper4england added 16:19 - Mar 3 To be fair to ME if my wife was running up debts of 10 million every year I don't know if I would be sticking around, even if I was worth 450 million..... and that's after I've paid off her debts from her previous marriage!
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AndrewPC added 17:37 - Mar 3 Spot on Smithy ! The EPL is a monopolists' club with monopoly money being dished out to its members by the TV channel companies. Membership is highly restricted and monopoly profits are only constrained by the crony relationships with players' agents who rake off "rents" for the foreign players they market as exclusive and superior to UK based talent. It is a win - win for all those gaming the system. Meanwhile the other 99% of UK professional football clubs are in economic ruins, scraping around for "Bosmans". And at the bottom of the pyramid ? Youngster have no playfields to playon because they have all been sold off to property developers. Brave New World !

3

HackneyBlue added 17:43 - Mar 3 i listened to much of what Milne had to say and had to chuckle when he mentioned entertaining football especially as when entering the ground noticed a ticket in the south stand was £35-yes were making progress but at the expence of anything near entertainment-no fault of the players employed they are what they are but when Cresswell knocks the ball out for the fourth time in a row unchallenged it gets frustrating,had i just paid £35 i would have been very angry

1

Cloddyseedbed added 17:52 - Mar 3 The Premier league has ruined football in this country for any league other than the premier league. The infux of foreign players has been detrimental to the progression and coaching of home grown talent. The wages paid to premier league players has destroyed wage structures throughout football, as ordinary players now think they should be earning mega bucks too. As for season ticket prices for watching teams that are playing football that is very unattractive to watch being so high I despair, along with the majority. The whole of the football setup in England should be following the same rules and pay structures, whether the club is owned by a rich sugar daddy or not. The premier league has become far too powerful in it's voice. Hopefully the fair play rules will be implemented correctly and suitable action be taken against clubs flouting the rules - but I doubt it! As for parachute payments, there should be none, they have performed badly and been relegated. We all say bankers should not get rewarded for failure don't we? I've now stepped down off my soapbox!

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Cloddyseedbed added 18:28 - Mar 3 What Ipswich have to realise is if the football is not appealing supporters, or casual watchers of football are not keen on paying a lot of money to watch it, or they may even choose to not watch it at all even if it is for free. Sometimes I have tickets that I can't use and I can't give them away to people I know. These are old supporters who have followed the Town for years but say they don't want to turn up to watch football like that. Their words not mine. Over to you Mr Milne.

3

jas0999 added 18:35 - Mar 3 I don't think anyone expects us to spend millions, but a few hundred thousand on a player wouldn't be a miss. The problem is even in January the directors said there would be money to spend. In fact we only brought in one loanee by the close of the transfer window and lost two others, thus making us weaker! Reality is other clubs are spending ... Not millions but quarter of a million etc. we don't seem to be competitive and have been out bid on wages by significantly smaller clubs. Evans bought the original debt for a fraction of its full worth, yet we still owe him the full amount. He could in theory reduce the debt to Make us more competitive. But he won't as its a business to him, which is fair enough. The directors may as well just spell that out to fans rather than hide behind the financial fair play. We have one if not he smallest squad in he championship! Other clubs bring in players. We are being ultra cautious in my opinion ... Primarily because Evans doesn't want to spend after years of mid management.

3

BlueArmy01 added 19:20 - Mar 3 Sorry but Milne is part of the double act of Muppets that came out and said they think Ipswich have got the pricing about right. Can't listen to anything the buffoon says
3

superkevinwilson added 19:34 - Mar 3 Why arent we all appling to the same rules now. You dont change a speed limit and those who choose to drive to the limit do so and then maybe later on, those who dont might get a fine
1

superkevinwilson added 19:34 - Mar 3 Why arent we all appling to the same rules now. You dont change a speed limit and those who choose to drive to the limit do so and then maybe later on, those who dont might get a fine
0

WickedBlue added 19:45 - Mar 3 @Cloddyseedbed Well said mate have been saying similar since the introduced the Premiership. Unfortunately the younger crowd who don't remember the old first division think the premiership is the best league in world. What a joke try the Greman league far superior to tbe pr emirrship. The Spanish league and the Italian league are all better. What Ipswich did in the 70's and 80's will never be repeated us in the premiership will be a continual relagation battle year in and year out.

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Cloddyseedbed added 21:05 - Mar 3 WickedBlue. We are the lucky ones who have witnessed the most successful Ipswich team ever and seen some of the most beautiful football, so pleasing to the eye. We have seen an Ipswich team not only able to compete with the best in domestic football and Europe but win trophy's too. The European nights were just so special. Now young supporters think were playing well. I've just watched a half of Portsmouth v Chesterfield on TV and it ain't a lot different to what is served up at Portman Road. 2 years ago I had 3 season tickets, this year I have 2 and next year I will be down to 1 if I can bear to watch. I want sexy football, entertaining football, exciting football, realistically priced, as far as I'm concerned were watching div 2 football in the championship league!

1

HackneyBlue added 22:12 - Mar 3 Yes i too was lucky to see great football 30-40 odd years ago and have seen the football ever since and i can honestly say i am getting tired of watching so poor football i find it hard to motivate myself. Its not all about the premiership for me its coming away thinking yep i enjoyed that,one match only (reading) stands out as a decent game the rest are instantly forgettable,will have to think very hard when renewing ST,where i work there were 11 ST holders 5 years ago now theres 2 and when i cant attend there is no queue for the ticket ,i cant give it away.

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runningout added 23:52 - Mar 3 FFP ha bloody ha Since when??? In 4 or 5 years time the heart (supporters) will be bled dry. The man on the street will have had enough of being taken for a mug if the prices continue at the rate they are, whether in the so called top league or not.... Let alone the silly days of the week teams are made to play with success...
1

Cloddyseedbed added 08:27 - Mar 4 I do not have a problem with Ipswich operating under the FFP, what I have a problem with is all the negative players and tactics deployed by Ipswich this season. I would like to know if this is to continue next season before I renew my season ticket. Unfortunately we as fans now do not trust anything that is said out of the mouths of people put in charge to represent what Marcus Evans thinks or is going to do. Every pre season we just get empty promises to make sure season tickets are sold and we believe what we are told. Unfortunately I think we have now reached a point where the football and tactics are going to play a major role in season ticket sales and gate receipts next year. No way are you going to tempt more people to go and watch football of the standard that is being presented this year, it is not just a price thing and the club need to listen to supporters not just sprout on a load of nonsense about it being good value for money and a good experience coming down to Portman Road.

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