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.

SEASON TICKETS: Please note there will be no further sales beyond 12pm today. Tickets will remain off sale until season outcome known #ITFC

— ITFC_PlanetBlue (@ITFC_PlanetBlue) April 11, 2016

“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

grumpyoldman added 17:00 - Apr 12 Spirit of 78 I started following the blues in 1962, as I live in Lowestoft I had a choice between Norwich and the blues, I attended PR for every home game for a number of years even when unemployed I still got there when I could. Because of working a lot of weekends in the past few seasons I was limited to up to ten a season but willingly paid the money to watch my beloved blues. Even through the bad times of Duncan, Keane & Jewell I still attended more in hope than ecxpectation. But until the dinosaur has gone and hope returns I will not waste a penny on the club. I consider myself a true blue and people like you who pontificate about how because they buy season tickets are the only true supporters make me angry, remember there are all sorts of people who support this club and all of them have the right to call themselves "true blues"

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HackneyBlue added 18:13 - Apr 12 grumpyoldman Spot on ,we have cancelled our tickets and i like you have sacrificed so much over the last 45 years and had always felt wanted-not now ,never felt so unattatched.The audacity to increase prices confirmed how much they take us for granted.
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essexboy added 19:13 - Apr 12 Spirit of 78, your entitled to your views and if you want to renew your season ticket that's fine.We all have different views on the club at this time.I have been a season ticket holder for over 45 years and followed them since 1959,and I go to almost every away game as well.This season has been dire,the tactics and team changes terrible,and support from the owner is non existant.We cannot paper over the cracks and just hope everything will turn out right next season because it won't unless major changes are made,and going on the commitment from Mr.Evans the likelihood of this seems very unlikely.My point is,supporters want to see value for money and this we are not getting.Until the owner comes out and states what his intentions are I feel supporters will be turned off by this.Money does have a big factor,you cannot say it doesn't.People work very hard for there money and just won't throw it away on rubbish.At the moment I have not renewed my ticket and may well not,but that is my choice.Lets just all hope that the club we all love will sort things out in the summer with a better business plan and a sense of direction that we can all associate with.

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essexboy added 19:44 - Apr 12 Hackney blue,sorry I down marked you by mistake.👍
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Seasider added 22:01 - Apr 12 Suffolkngood,PJewell,bluebrit,hackneyblue,LordManu,Cavendish Blue,Cloddyseedbed,SheptonMalletblue,essexboy and grumpy old man.None of these will be renewing,or not coming to PR next season. For many years four of us have been coming over the border from Essex,next year only 2.Very sad as we have enjoyed their company and a drink in Legends. I have never known anything like it going back as far as Sir Alf. Mr Sheepshanks used to walk through Churchmans chatting to supporters.Unfortunately,as it turned out he persuaded us shareholders to vote for the takeover by Evans which has been a disaster. First he replaced Derek Bowden with Simon Clegg,I am convinced because of the Olympics. Jim was next to be replaced by Roy Keane,followed by Paul Jewell and now this Dinosaur. He Sacked David Sheepshanks and took over as Chairman.I have never known a Chairman who NEVER puts in an appearance. He c

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EuanTown added 22:17 - Apr 12 Mr Milne, Nothing I have read in your comments would make me want to buy a season ticket. Sound bites and a desperate plea do not make good business sense. It is what is on the field that makes the difference not anything off the field. However I do know people who have renewed their season ticket by direct debit so they can cancel it if need be.
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Seasider added 22:30 - Apr 12 Whoops!!!He currently has Ian Milne as his mouthpiece,an Arsenal supporter I thought,with Evans supporting Chelsea;but certainly no affiliation to Ipswich or Suffolk,and McCarthy still in Kent I feel that McCarthy is here simply for the money,and who can blame him,and sometimes his contempt for the fans shows through.I bet this arrogant stubborn Yorky deep down thinks Town fans are a bunch of carrot crunching yokels(I like raw carrots). As several have said that no wonder wages have gone up with a squad of 24,and it must be difficult to keep them all happy especially as some never get near the first team so are waste of money.Two of the better ones got out and soon found clubs;but it would be difficult for the rest,some of whom are way below Championship standard. What will happen next season I don't know; but I felt more part of the club before this faceless tax exile money man took over this club.

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DoseOfReality added 12:50 - Apr 13 Mr Milne, I am sorry but what a load of tosh from start to finish. McCarthy's boring selections and tactics, the drivel you speak and the lack of investment from Mr Evans (Who chose to buy the club, we didn't beg him) has lead to my families tickets all being cancelled this week. That is 5 season tickets, 3 held for over 15 years and 2 since kids could get up the stairs on their own. CLUB GOING NOWHERE & WE ALL BORED BY THE MANAGER & YOUR PATHETIC ATTEPT TO JUSTIFY THE SITUATION. We are so scared of losing we forgotten how to try and win.

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dirtydingusmagee added 17:37 - Apr 13 NO
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Wallop added 20:52 - Apr 13 My grandfather, bless him, was a ITFC shareholder. He taught me all about Sir Alf, Sir Bobby etc. My father has blue and white blood, so does my older brother and so do I. At 38 years old, I now look to my son who is 6 and he talks about football with the magic and anticipation that I once had. But, his school friends play in premier league kits, and I tell him that the only team to support is ITFC. He looks at me like I'm crazy, and it breaks my heart. 1 because I want ITFC to be his team (at present it is but the club do nothing to make him love ITFC either on or off the field), and 2 because he is right! We are average at best, we appear to have no ambition, we don't embrace the community, where will we be in 2, 5 or 10 years time? I guess mid table at best....

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Wallop added 20:55 - Apr 13 You can probably tell I've had a drink tonight, but the point remains; where are we going?
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grinch added 21:19 - Apr 13 I have decided to comment after reading all the posts by prople who have said we all have a right to our opinion. This is true in certain circumstances but to moan all the time and say the town are in decline is rediculous. Agree this season not pretty sll the time but have a look below is in the league no club had the right to be at the top town do well and the club is run well. We don't have millions to spend neither have 20 other clubs. Football is not about spend spend spend and town never have. Be realistic what we are were we are and be thankful it could be so much worse stop winning and support your team

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Spirit_of_78 added 12:46 - Apr 14 wise words from the grinch, well said mate, shame we are not all as wise as you!
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Spirit_of_78 added 12:52 - Apr 14 grumpyoldman if we all took your attitude there would be no club to support, like i said earlier, not renewing your season ticket is cutting your nose off to spite your face, no income through season ticket sales equals no money which equals no club, that what you want? wake up the lot of you!!
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