Ipswich Town 1st, the Town supporters trust, is looking for more fans to get involved as it plans a relaunch ahead of the start of next season. Having held their AGM on Wednesday, they have scheduled another meeting for July 5th.

In a statement following this week’s meeting, the trust said: “With the club at a crossroads after a difficult season where the relationship with supporters has been sorely tested over the performances and entertainment value, season ticket pricing and caustic comments from the manager towards supporters and vice versa, the Ipswich Town independent Supporters Trust met to reinvigorate the organisation.

“Several new people were co-opted onto the committee to join some of the existing members, while others stepped down to allow new blood and new ideas to take the trust forward.

“Last weekend three clubs faced relegation, Nottingham Forest, Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers and many feel that the problems that exist at these clubs are also prevalent at Portman Road, such as distant ownership and lack of leadership.”

The trust cite four main areas it will be looking to pursue, communication, ticket pricing, club leadership and community.

The statement adds: “Communication with supporters is strained and supporters feel disenfranchised. Supporters want to be involved, it is their club. Owners, managers and players are transient but supporters are always there, they are the backbone of any club.

“The 2017/18 season tickets announcement was poorly handled and created much bad feeling with a significant number of supporters not renewing their season tickets as a result.

"This is a downward spiral that needs to be reversed. With a half empty ground it is ever more difficult to create a positive atmosphere.

“With the owner taking a back seat there appears to be a lack of leadership. We would like to understand how the current leadership is going to lead to a successful football club.

“Following the closure of the Charitable Trust a few years ago the club has gone from having one of the best community operations to one that is poorly resourced. Ipswich Town is an important part of the community and we want to see it reclaim that role.”

The trust, which will be launching a new website soon and will be lobbying the club for a meeting the close season, says it welcomes the views of all supporters. For details of how to join email Alasdair Ross via alasdairross@hotmail.com.

Photo: Action Images

Suffolkboy added 15:28 - May 12 There's not much to enthuse about in this statement,which casts a negative shadow over everything ITFC.The aims ,I'm sure are laudable, but a determinedly positive pitch would go a lot further in every respect. It's a sour start which bodes ill,and probably mirrors some of the unfortunate 'drivel' we've read throughout the season following disliked match day performances. I wish the Trust well,there's lots to be achieved,but I think that a more optimistic outlook and approach will be needed !

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ArnieM added 16:01 - May 12 What's the point in joining this? The owner/ manager has absolutely no interest in what us fans think.
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woohoo added 16:11 - May 12 Sadly I agree with Arnie - the current management may pay some lip service to the trust but will just view it as an annoyance,
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OldClactonBlue added 16:41 - May 12 Surely it is up to us to make them take some notice. If we don't then the club will die.
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Bluetone added 16:48 - May 12 Is it true that if McCarthy is still here (god forbid) he wants to change our initials from ITFC to ITHC?
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Freddies_Ears added 17:42 - May 12 So, who stood down and who was co-opted on?I Are the accounts available to Trust members? Will there be an election of committee in due course? It would be good to have the Trust reinvigorated, with the kind of size of membership that gives them some clout, as historically was the case.
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bluehook added 19:21 - May 12 Toothless and pointless. The Trust will never have any sway over this owner and his cohorts.
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blueboy1981 added 19:45 - May 12 ArnieM and Woohoo .......... totally agree with your comments - HOWEVER, there's some good points raised in this topic. The stronger The Trust - the more chance there is of getting change. We need about 15,000 people to join to prove the point that such Membership will out strip season next seasons Season Ticket sales - no stronger point could be made. Don't join - and we potentially let the Club die slowly. Who wants that ? - other than perhaps the following two people ..... one couldn't care less, the other, who knows the motives ? There's strength in numbers - whoever the Owner or Manager is.

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blueboy1981 added 19:50 - May 12 ....... there's strength in the people who genuinely LOVE the Club - and NOT just the people who renew their Season Tickets prepared to accept anything the Club presents to them. People need to stand UP and be counted - NOT lay down and do nothing - but renew ... !!!
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blueboy1981 added 19:53 - May 12 ..... omit the first word 'season' - before someone points it out.
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shakytown added 02:22 - May 13 This trust is a complete waste of time as our invisible owner and totally arrogant manager don't give a c..p about the fans and only care about their own egos. Until both of these compete a...holes are gone the club will continue to decline at an amazing rate. First and foremost Muck must go now.
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 07:38 - May 13 Complaining that the Trust is "toothless" and throwing the towel in before you have even started is hardly likely to achieve anything either. I applaud these people who have the future of the club at heart and can see the wider picture: ITFC as an integral part of the local community (or at least it SHOULD be!) In Sweden, there is a rule that no businessperson or company organisation etc. may own more than 49% of a club. In other words, a minimum of 51% ownership must be held by the members (aka fans). Now that would be a levelling of the playing field I would really like to see in the UK. COYB!

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blackcat added 10:19 - May 13 I totally agree as in life in general, we all need to stand up for what is right and just. Ipswich Town is the name, not Evans above. This club will live on whatever these current custodians do.
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NBVJohn added 13:39 - May 13 Great point made by blueboy1981 - if membership of this exceeds season ticket holders, it will prove if nothing else that there is interest in the welfare of the club and it isn't public apathy that is leading ITFC to oblivion. Evans and Milne are at best haphazard in communication around their plans, and at worst winding down and/or asset stripping the club - the point is that we just don't know. However toothless you may think this, it's better than the best case scenario of continued stagnation. The worst case simply doesn't bear thinking about......please consider joining this.

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NBVJohn added 13:59 - May 13 .....something else occurs to me - Based on the low number of comments posted in relation to this thread compared to a baseless newspaper story about the possible sale of our goalkeeper, I can't help wondering where some of the keyboard warriors have gone when this is potentially an opportunity to hold the club to greater account. Surely no one thinks that shouting obscenities from the lower SBR stand or displaying righteous indignation at MM's industrial language before doing the same thing themselves is a reasonable substitute for someone giving up their time to actually try and do something? I wish this initiative every success, in what will no doubt be difficult circumstances.

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bluehook added 14:46 - May 13 Steve ITFC Sweden, I was a member of the Trust for two years when it was first formed, and apart from a couple of emails I heard nowt. Unless things have changed or likely to alter next season, it'll remain toothless. ME couldn't give a flying f*** about any Trusts or pressure groups.
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Seasider added 15:18 - May 13 I joined the Trust following the Club taking the Supporters Club in house,since when it has continued raising funds for the Club whilst continuing the social events ably organised by Liz and Tim Edwards etc. Liz is however on the board,and I have never heard her raises any concerns in public at all ,about any aspects of her beloved ITFC;something which the Trust does. Suffolk Boy is no doubt of the same mindset as Mrs Edwards when he says that the Trust is being unduly pessimistic;but I would say they are being realistic. The owner of this club is basically a businessman with no ties to Ipswich or Suffolk,although he was I believe born in Walsham-le-Willows.Think he looked at taking over Southampton before he took over ITFC ten years ago. He is domiciled for Personal Tax in one of the tax havens,presumably to avoid paying UK tax,and similarly his business is based in Eire.I understand he has two properties in London,and a Mansion in the South-West of England;but I have never seen mentioned he has a place in Suffolk.His Yacht can be viewed on the internet,not in the same class as Roman Abramovich's who is always at Chelsea games., doubtless berthed at some exotic location,where no doubt he also has a pad. I agree that he shows little if any affinity with the club he owns,putting up prices substantially for 60-64's,and never having the decency or guts to attend the clubs AGM of which he is Chairman.In addition to winding up the clubs Charitable Trust,he has also outsourced the catering;where the plastic cutlery is so cheap and flimsy that it is barely capable of tackling a Portman Pie(Small point I know). Coming up to date;of the 8 Suffolk FA County Finals only 1 was allowed to be held at Portman Rd with the rest being held at Colchester Uniteds ground WHY? Steve.I didn't know about the ownership criteria in Sweden,which is very equitable,unlike here.Unfortunately it will never happen in right wing England,where money is God;andsocial equality and fairness continually on the wane.

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NBVJohn added 15:33 - May 13 Blue hook - I agree that it's unlikely that ME or his hapless sidekick Milne are waiting and listening. Personally I haven't been involved in any previous incarnations, so cannot comment on what has happened previously. Do you have a better alternative though?
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bluehook added 16:24 - May 13 Unfortunately, no John I don't have any alternative. I honestly feel that the club is on a downward spiral, and until ME is gone, there is little point in attempting to converse with the club. Nobody is listening or cares anymore. I sincerely believe that the people behind the Trust have the best of intentions and that they're fine supporters, but I feel that they're p***ing in the wind.

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blueboy1981 added 20:16 - May 13 bluehook ............ if everyone is doing nothing against this demise of our Club - they have everything in their favour to do as they like with the Club Quite simply Supporters should make a stand of some kind - doing absolutely nothing, and continuously renewing Season Tickets is just what they want - and really shouldn't be an option. He who NEVER speaks - is NEVER heard for sure. Think about it ... !!

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Edmundo added 00:42 - May 14 The supporters club is nothing but an arm of the club''s corporate structure. We need a voice back and this is the only one on the table. There seems to be apathy everywhere at the club. If we don't do something then we will become another Coventry or Charlton. By joining you can at least vote on what IT 1ST will set out to achieve.
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 07:55 - May 14 bluehook: Since you have been a member of said Trust and not found it to be very effective, you have better first-hand knowledge than I do. Actually, I think I even joined myself a long time ago and nothing much happened, but I put that down to my own inaction and the fact that it was difficult to maintain contact because I am only in the UK a few times a year for short periods. The article does say that the Trust is undergoing some kind of makeover, so maybe we should give them the benefit of doubt for the time being? Completely agree with you that our corporate management isn't likely to take much notice, so maybe I am clutching at straws in the hope some kind of grass roots movement will emerge to get our club back, other than, as someone put it so succinctly, "shouting obscenities from the lower SBR." Finally, I would just like to put in a mention for the organisation I am an active member in: ITFC Sweden. This is a group of fantastic supporters, many of whom have been with the club for decades, and who constantly work to provide the members with events and activities (including an annual trip to PR) in a manner of which any supporters group would be proud. In these dark corporate days, I remind myself that with a following like this, ITFC is still a bit special.

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woohoo added 09:10 - May 14 I'm sorry, but the evidence suggests that the trust could have 100K members and ME would still pay it no notice. I wish it was not so, but that is my opinion. I honestly don't know why ME bought the club or what he wants to get out of it - but it certainly appears to be a corporate vehicle now. I'm not naive enough to believe that by not renewing my ST that will make any difference to ME's attitude. I did not renew because, quite frankly, I have better things to do with my time and hard-earned money than expend it on the dross that I watched at PR this season - and, as a 60+ yr old I resented being taken the p*ss out of by Evans and Milne with the price hike.

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RegencyBlue added 17:23 - May 14 The official Supporters Club is just another arm of the Evans regime in my view and its reluctance to criticise even the most ridiculous decisions which come out of Portman Road these days speaks volumes. Whether the Supporters Trust is the way to go or not only time will tell but at least there are people out there who care enough to want to try getting Evans attention! Good luck to them.

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Razor added 10:19 - May 15 It seems to me that that the TRUST is possibly the only INDEPENDANT arm through which supporters can express their views and if this is correct should be cherished and encouraged. This is even more important than ever now that we are run by a dictator who does not give a damn about what the views of supporters are and continues to watch as the club spirals downwards and does absolutely nothing.

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