The New Wolsey Theatre has launched a fundraising campaign to help cover the costs of staging Our Blue Heaven, next year’s musical celebrating the 40th anniversary of Town’s 1978 FA Cup victory.

The theatre is looking to raise £45,000 from public sponsorship to assistin funding the production, which will chronicle the Blues’ run to the final at Wembley where they beat Arsenal 1-0 via Roger Osborne’s goal to carry off the trophy for the first and only time.

Sponsorship packages are available via crowdfunding site Indiegogo with the theatre having created 12 levels of pledge packages, each named after one of the players who started the final and manager Bobby Robson, from a £5 donation for the Cooper package to a £10,000 contribution for the Robson.

Each package includes gifts such as premium tickets to the show, limited edition prints and signed memorabilia from the 1978 team.

At a fundraising launch on Tuesday, Peter Rowe, the artistic director of the New Wolsey Theatre and the writer of Our Blue Heaven, said: “2018 will mark 40 years since Ipswich Town’s historic FA Cup victory - a moment when Ipswich united to celebrate success as the underdog became victorious.

“We are working to commemorate this anniversary by producing a brand new musical production, using the stories and memories of the people of Ipswich and Suffolk at the time.

“The production is planned to open at the theatre exactly 40 years on from the Wembley final and will really be a show drawn from the local community, for the local community.

“This production can only happen with your support. Help us to relight that fire and ignite the town in celebration again, 40 years on from Ipswich Town’s historic FA Cup victory!”

The show has been created by collating stories from those caught up in the events of 1978, from the third round victory at Cardiff in January to the final in May, as well as the euphoria of the victory parade.

The Ipswich Town Supporters Club has coordinated the collection of the reminiscences, which will also be used as part of the ITFC Heritage Project.

Town’s supporter liaison officer, Elizabeth Edwards, added: “Our Blue Heaven provides a chance for one of ITFC's greatest achievements to be immortalised on stage.

“It is not just about what happened on the pitch, on the day of the final though - fans have provided their stories of the whole cup run, that wonderful four-month period of our lives when Town worked their way through to Wembley glory from the mid-winter third round.”

For more details on the sponsorship packages, visit the Our Blue Heaven Indiegogo page.

Photo: Contributed

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