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Milne: Stick With Us
Monday, 11th Apr 2016 10:26

MD Ian Milne has urged wavering season ticket holders to stick with the Blues, despite Town now looking highly unlikely to repeat last season’s play-off finish. The early bird deadline for buying 2016/17 season tickets at the cheapest prices passes at midday today.

“We’re not in the relegation zone, we’re currently eighth and hopefully we’ll get higher,” Milne told BBC Radio Suffolk’s Life’s a Pitch prior to Saturday’s game against Brentford.

“I don’t think anything’s changed in many ways. Yes, we’d love to be in the top six, but we’re still a great football club with a great following.”

Town currently have just over 14,000 season ticket holders but with anecdotal evidence suggesting that a number of fans don’t plan to renew, many citing the style of play as much as results, that figure is likely to drop, perhaps as far the 12,000s, where sales were prior a boost provided by last season's success.

“That’s a pity, we’re still up there,” Milne added. “I understand what people say about it not being attractive football, but you can play attractive football and be in the relegation zone.

“It’s a very tough league, it’s gets tougher every year. We have to play to that, play to our strengths and keep the fight up.”

He dismisses suggestions that 2015/16 has been a wasted season: “Absolutely not, we have expanded the squad, the boys are still very confident, that’s where we want them to be and they’ve all worked extremely hard. Of course we’re feeling down, we’d love to be in the top six but it’s not over yet.”

He added: “Looking at just the players’ salary bill, it’s gone up 25 per cent over the last two seasons and 15 per cent over the last season, so that shows the expanding squad.

“We could say we’ve been unfortunate with some injuries, some key injuries, and it’s really good to see David McGoldrick and Teddy Bishop back and maybe they will give us that little bit of extra creativity that we need.”

Whether manager Mick McCarthy will be handed more cash for next season will be decided in the summer.

“The budget’s gone up and there’s going to be a discussion between Mick and Marcus in the summer about players and we need to wait for that,” the Blues MD continued.

“But I have no reason to think that he’s not going to continue to invest at or above the level he’s investing at the moment. There could be more money available, as there has been this season.”

Meanwhile, Milne says there has been no contact from Aston Villa regarding McCarthy, who remains second-favourite for the vacant manager’s job at the Premier League’s bottom side, behind ex-Leicester boss Nigel Pearson, with some bookies quoting a price as low as 5/2.

“Nothing at all, it’s just a lovely rumour for certain Aston Villa fans, I suspect,” Milne added.

“He’s here to stay, I saw him on Friday and we were talking about open days and pre-season and what have you.”"


Photo: Action Images



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Spirit_of_78 added 14:54 - Apr 11
grubbyoik i am a supporter who will follow my team whatever, i WILL renew my season ticket and go to as many other games as possible because I am a supporter unlike a lot on here!!!
-19

Bluetone added 15:08 - Apr 11
Quote Mr Diddle "I don't think it's right that Mick should go, I actually don't think there is anybody who could do a better job with the restrictions he has to work with"

I bet there were some saying that when Bill McGarry quit our club.
2

NSL added 15:13 - Apr 11
Please renew your tickets as our wage bill has gone up by 25%. THAT SAYS IT ALL. I mean how the hell could the salary bill have gone up by this amount in return for a poorer squad of players?!! Murphy on 20,000 a week now I suppose is he?! This bunch of clowns have no idea how to run a football club on any level and until something changes 10,000 people will stay away. For some reason a theory has been entrenched that suggests supporters would rather the team finish 8th in return for the most abject and dull performances in the land than being entertained and risk perhaps a lower league position. THAT IS TOTAL NONSENSE. We pay to be entertained and if you come away not being entertained then you are not a happy customer are you?!!!
13

MicksZzzTactics added 15:23 - Apr 11
What an absolute "Cock & Bull (PR) Story,, by ME's glorious right-hand bozo!!!!!!!!!

Hmmm ..... BTW am I the only ITFC fan who finds not only the number of facial resemblances but also very DUBIOUS code of conduct and sheer guile between the notorious AVARICE-FIXATED "Gollum"/"Sméagol" (from Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings') and our very own similar preoccupied Stoor Hobbit i.e. Ian Milne ... quite striking!!! :-)



http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/middleearthshadowofmordor7723/images/8/8d/Go





LOL!!!
2

blueherts added 15:24 - Apr 11
Many, like me on here support the club - first and foremost
If someone can come on here can show some transparency about where we are aiming , our objectives, as laid down by the club - please enlighten me
Unlike many clubs who have one owner who has a vested interest in the well being and progression of the club - ME is a faceless , mysterious company where we are a loss making uk division of its mostly off shore operation - hmmm , very current in todays news
a transparent , clear concise 3-5 year plan of where and how we plan to progress would be a start
The last two seasons since January we have been poor and remember we limped into the play offs last season
Progression was a reality but since January - yet again - we have stagnated
ME told us there was money available , MM said we didnt need anyone ?
MM says how 'surprised ' he was at the ability of Feeney - he was probably one of the players that was not deeemd 'good enough' or an improvement
MM tells us to be careful what we wish for ? what ? strange comment and very defensive - as he is .
Look at games where if we had won we would have really pushed on ( and cup games)
He comes up short as he does not set up TO WIN matches just 'Not too Lose'
That will never get you in the premiership - try and set up to win -
Form since January as well as performances speak for themselves
It gives me no pleasure to say it - as I was a supporter but his expletive ridden inane post and pre match interviews are tiresome
He is as transparent as his boss
14

Ipswichtown4life added 15:31 - Apr 11
Yenwere talking about open day and pre-season... so ye all ready decided that the form we in and the position is good enough and we shud just moved on? give us a laugh...
1

MrDiddle added 16:06 - Apr 11
Perhaps you're right bluetone. Would love to hear your suggestions on who we could replace Mick with. I could do with chuckle!
-4

DoseOfReality added 16:20 - Apr 11
Total drivel

Get Evens to back club that he wanted to buy or clear off.

If he didn't want to support club then don't buy it we didn't beg him to.

Spend some proper money & maybe fans will support you otherwise go bore someone else
5

SheptonMalletBlue added 16:31 - Apr 11
"the boys are still very confident " doesn't look like it to me!!!!! As for the comments of Spirit of 78.....pathetic! !!!
10

grubbyoik added 16:34 - Apr 11
Spirt of 78.. I'm also a supporter.. I support my team ITFC. I will always support ITFC even when they push me to distraction... I do not however support our current manager..
12

TractorBoy666 added 16:52 - Apr 11
Spirit_of_78 No of course I'm not, having a season ticket constantly for the last 12 years and going to about 6-7 away games a season!! I may not renew my season ticket, but that doesn't mean I won't choose a number of games to go to next year, I'm just not wasting my hard earned money on watching a style of football that is horrible to watch.
10

hughes1965 added 17:12 - Apr 11
Utter Crap ........either support the manager with the funs he needs or f off , this club has lost its roots with the fans since evans came here , so marcus either invest or go ......
3

blueboy1981 added 17:34 - Apr 11
....... let the 'spin' roll - as expected, from another who's only interest is to preserve his own well being.

What we see / hear now, is a million miles from OUR real IPSWICH TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB.
9

Bluetone added 17:35 - Apr 11
Quote Mr Diddle "Perhaps you're right bluetone. Would love to hear your suggestions on who we could replace Mick with. I could do with chuckle!"

Then again at that time I didn't think we would ever have a manager who could match Sir Alf I was wrong then maybe you're wrong now.

Nothing ventured nothing gained and let's face we haven't got a lot to lose on the entertainment and pride in our club side of things.
6

blueboy1981 added 17:38 - Apr 11
Count Arthur .......... cast iron evidence of the non respect for the paying public - the Club now deserves the ground to be empty.

These people haven't a clue how to run our Club - and never will have. It's all about counting the beans now for personal benefit - we should do the same, and keep ours in our pocket.
7

blueboy1981 added 18:02 - Apr 11
Our Club, in reality, is well and truly stitched up. There is no other way of seeing it.

The Club's debt to the 'owner' increases all the time - this itself is nothing short of absurd - one season in the Premiership would eradicate the debt, however we performed. No interest shown in that ..... !!!
Progressively (already has actually) making it impossible for anyone else to be interested in buying the Club.

Quite simply - WE ARE FOOKED.

Most interested in anyone, including Mr Milne, convincing me otherwise.

3

tallguy6767 added 18:10 - Apr 11
Stick it up your arse more like!!!!
0

blue75 added 18:14 - Apr 11
I believe we once had a manager who said the best form of defence is to attack!! Something Mick hoofball Mcarthy will never be able to understand!! And Mr Milne our club is built on a history of entertaining football.
6

silkcutblue added 18:15 - Apr 11
No I don't want too
0

blueherts added 18:21 - Apr 11
Tax havens in The Bahamas , companies based in Ireland to avoid tax - Just think 'ALL that money 'saved' could be invested in , errr , say a Football club - allegedly
4

bluebrit added 18:52 - Apr 11
Too late - It felt really hard but the quality of football on show does not justify the £800+ that it costs my son and I to watch. I suspect that they will be lucky to get 12,000- no end of people have said to me that they are not renewing - people who have been supporting the team for a number of years.
2

BrettenhamBlue added 19:11 - Apr 11
On the wages front players such as Coke and Toure won't be high wage earners as they were always brought in as back-ups and weren't earning huge amounts at previous clubs. Stewart on the other hand is a completely different kettle of fish. We aren't privy to players salaries and that's a good thing. But players on high salaries need to either be playing every week or move on.
3

bings109 added 19:16 - Apr 11
This football club has now reached its lowest nadir, in my opinion.
I have supported Town since 1968, seen good times and not so good, but the disarry and despondency among the fans and the players is tangible.
Currently we have an owner that will not invest anything like enough into the club, for whatever reason, to reach the PL and clear the debt in one fell swoop. It is disgraceful that he will not face the public, and discuss plans and targets, instead hides behind firstly Clegg, and now the even less believable face of Milne, who is so out of touch with what its takes to be in football, and run it successfully.
Then we have the manager, who is also out of touch completely with what is required to be successful on the pitch, with outdated tactics last used to good effect in the 60'-70's. We know he hasnt been supported from above to any extent, with no money to be spent on transfers whatsoever, as there are a plethora of players to be had, desperate to get any sort of contract on low wages for this level. But, to then play this style of football for three years, and expect it to be a success with those players is insanity, as many have already said. All Cresswells and Mings money went on heavily-infllated wage increases for last seasons 'star' players, leaving nothing in the pot for further additions to our paper-thin quality-wise squad.
Then we have the players themselves, who are obviously sick-to-death of playing like this, and are mostly going through the motions, waiting for the Summer hols no doubt.
So where now, with who as manager, and with which owner?
If it turns out that Villa dont want MM, i think its only a matter of time before he moves to pastures new. He has a hang-dog look now, with no support, and many other clubs need saving, so he wont have to wait too long for another trouble-shooting opportunity.
I also feel time is ebbing away for Evans, why else would you not invest in your property, when hes had plenty of very good chances to enhance the product, and clear the debt?
Just look at Norwich to see what can be done with a plan, support, enthusiasm, and now with a young and ambitious manager.


9

HackneyBlue added 19:22 - Apr 11
Milne you really are on the wrong wavelength,we have cancelled our tickets for 2 reasons -HORRIFIC football(sod the result) and increasing the cost to watch that dross,its like a kick in the teeth to the loyal fans who put up with an increasingly distant club,i will be back when these issues are addressed -45 years and never seen so much inept ,dull quality missing football.
I can not give my tickets away for the remaining games.
6

RegencyBlue added 19:39 - Apr 11
To be fair there is not a lot of point having a go at Milne, he is just the monkey put forward to defend the indefensible by the organ grinder - Evans!

3


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