Town owner Marcus Evans has apologised to Town fans in the wake of the Blues' relegation to League One and has outlined the plans for the future in a personal letter that will go out with season ticket renewals later this week, which has been published in part on the club website today.

Before I talk about the future, which I truly am positive about, I want to personally apologise to you for the position the club finds itself in at the moment. "

We tried something different at the start of the season. For one reason or another it didn’t work, and you will have your own views as to what went wrong, but clearly mistakes have been made and as owner, I have to take overall responsibility for that.

""Now my responsibility is to take this great club forwards again. Paul Lambert, as our manager, is obviously a key part of that plan and whilst results on the pitch have not been as we would have hoped for, performances and entertainment levels have vastly improved and most importantly as the manager has had time to work with the players, most of whom will be the core of next year’s team, we have recently been competitive with the best teams in the Championship.

As our young team develops and improves, this foundation has to be encouraging to all of us as a positive indication that we are now going in the right direction. We will quite rightly expect this team to carry on with this competitiveness in the lower league next season.

These players, who are still learning the game at the highest levels, all need a significant run of matches to consolidate their position in the first team and whilst there is a place for one or two loans and players who can bring vital experience in the latter stages of their careers, the majority of the squad need to be younger players who will be improving week by week. "

Where we don’t have talent in the building that is ready for developing in a particular position and it’s clear that we need to invest to improve we will do so but we will not bring in anyone who blocks our own players’ development and we will ensure we give our young homegrown players a run of games.

They will make mistakes, but as long as they learn from those mistakes we will have a team that gets better and better. ""We need players on the pitch who are the future of Ipswich for the next five or six years, not just for one or two seasons, whose development our coaches can influence and who are on the upward curve of their playing career.""

Much of this was the plan for last summer however it didn’t work out the way we planned. In Paul Lambert and his team, we have a group of excellent coaches who are completely invested in the strategy.

I cannot doubt the loyal support you have shown the club through thick and thin but now we need everyone’s support and togetherness more than ever. ""We are playing the attractive, entertaining football that I think you want to see. I certainly do. I have seen the players applauded off in many games this season, even after defeat, so I think that shows you are appreciating the way Paul is getting the team to play.

Of course, it’s about winning football matches though and that is something that we have to put right. ""Paul, our general manager of football operations, Lee O’Neill, and myself have had numerous meetings over the last four or five months to discuss the future direction of the club.""

We are all united in the strong belief that our young players need to be given a pathway into the first-team and a chance to establish themselves at that level, not just a few games here or there but over a period of time.

Developing and nurturing our own players and giving them first-team opportunities are at the core of our focus going forward. They will need patience but it’s the way forward for Ipswich Town. I want you to witness the excitement of a team developing week in, week out and see this turning this into a winning formula.

""We will still retain that balance of experienced players around them, of course. Players like Bart Bialkowski, Alan Judge, Luke Chambers and Cole Skuse will provide that guidance for our young players to progress.

""As stated earlier it’s not our intention to bring in loan players in any numbers. We may have one or two but the plan is to provide that pathway for our young players, rather than use the loan market. "

I have become much more hands-on at the club since the turn of the year and that will continue. I’m not going to hide from the fact that these are challenging times at the club but sometimes out of adversity you become stronger. That is our aim.

"I am also putting plans in place to take Ipswich Town deeper into the local community, working closer than ever before with schools, charities and local organisations. There will be more on that over the coming weeks.

""I know Paul has been amazed and humbled as well by the backing he, personally, and the team have received from you the fans and he is determined to repay that support in the years ahead.""

With Paul as our manager, we have the right man to take us forward. I will provide all the support I can to him but we need your continued fantastic support as well.

It seems strange to say this but we are not a club in crisis, we are once again already developing our community roots; we are financially stable; we have a proven management team intent on doing things going forwards in the Ipswich way and whilst the foundations have already been laid to move onwards and upwards THE REAL FIGHTBACK STARTS NOW to get back into the Championship and then on from there.

General manager of football operations Lee O’Neill will be on Mark Murphy’s Radio Suffolk breakfast show on Monday morning from 8am talking about Town’s relegation and the Blues’ future.

Photo: ITFC

Tractorboy1985 added 14:49 - Apr 14 Spend some f'ing money then you tight wod!!! We aren't asking for tens of millions but you have to dig a little deeper than the 100k buys you've bought over the last 5 years!!
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Northstandveteran added 14:55 - Apr 14 Timmy Apologies if my post was read incorrectly. That is the figure being talked about next season. Loss of t.v revenue, smaller gates etc.
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raycrawfordswig added 14:55 - Apr 14 So is this part of the five year plan?
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Steve_D added 15:00 - Apr 14 As I said a few weeks ago , hope the youngsters work out , no investment and pray the happy flappy fools won't turn on the terraces
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shortmarine1969 added 15:05 - Apr 14 Saxon he has not "invested" for years , despite saying he would. So what going to change now given that he will have to pay more to cover losses ??. One line often rolled out is has put 100 (or near to) in..He has not! 1. He bought 36 mil debt for pence in the pound - so take that down to 64 mil. 2. He claimed interest in the first 4/5 seasons on the debt. 3. He has re-couped to the tune of several millions from sales - Mings , Waghorn , Ford , Webster, to name a few. 4. Without doubt he has offset some losses across the ME group - got no issue with that by the way. 5, Cheap advertising or do we think he is paying the commercial rate ?? So the 100 mil is disingenuous to say the least , i know these are fag packet figures but 100 mil??? half if that - so 5-4 mil averaged over his 11 season. On top of that he has stated he does not expect his loses back..so sell the club for a nominal fee to some one who wants to take a club foward , because he has not and looks very much like he will not , as soon as any younger players are decent they will be gone.! And before anybody says ...well you buy the club.!! i dont have the money and the people that own clubs move in the circles of people that do ,

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Pencilpete added 15:09 - Apr 14 I think we can all agree Evans has made mistakes, but as ownera go we could be doing worse, look at Blackpool, Bolton just to name a couple - At least Evans is trying to do his best and is finally seeing the right way. We have to be united in rebuilding the club from Evans down and we all have a part to play
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TractorRoyNo1 added 15:11 - Apr 14 Get off the guys back! Many of you would struggle to run a bath yet alone a multi million pound business. Face facts he has put in close to £100m from his company to keep us a float, yes you can argue he should have put in £200m but it's very easy to spend other people's money. I hated MMc with every bit of my being, so the Be Careful What You Wish For claptrap just furthered my resolve to get rid of him even if was months too late. However now I am in the opposite camp BCWYWF, do we really want to be another Hull and become Ipswich Gladiators or like Cardiff and play in Green & Yellow, or like Bolton at the court every other week or like Birmingham docked points for cheating. Evan's is far from perfect but we could have a lot worse.

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Bluearmy_81 added 15:12 - Apr 14 Saxon, don't really get the 10 year old comment? Pretty patronising. The group's aim in time will be to organise protests and demonstrations. At least I'm trying to do something about the state of the club I love, not just sitting there passively shrugging my shoulders.
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Bluearmy_81 added 15:17 - Apr 14 So we have a s.hit owner but cheer up he could be worse?!! FFS mystifying logic!! Ok there's a few who are worse than him but an awful lot that are better too!! He could also be a lot better! Stop setting the bar so low for ITFC, have some pride and belief that we deserve better!! Unbelievable
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chopra777 added 15:20 - Apr 14 Good news. It appears PL is staying. Evans has made errors but we all have at some time. Let's back to the Championship and build with intelligence and maybe the likes of Dozzel, Bishop and Kenlock could be our senior players in the future. After the playoff final in 00s we have slowly declined with management and players. Therefore let PL create something special. Let the Blue Phoenix rise from the ashes.

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Bluearmy_81 added 15:21 - Apr 14 Some of you lot take the meaning of 'conservative' to a whole new level!! Not lived in Suffolk for many years since a child, I can only think it's a local trait. Trust me it is not always your friend. Sometimes it isn't better the devil you know. Remember this in 3 seasons time if Evans is still with us..
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Carberry added 15:39 - Apr 14 Guys, what's the best way of saying I'm not going to put any more money in? Yes, that's good, we don't want any body coming in to block our own players development. That sounds like I really know what I'm doing and those punters will love it. Now pass that yacht brochure will you.
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BlueWax added 15:49 - Apr 14 Devastated that the inevitable has now happened. Whether you blame ME or PH for our demise let's just actually all agree that Itfc have some absolutely amazing fans. Yesterday's final whistle scenes were amazing and I can't stop watching again and again on you tube. On one of our darkest days I'm even more proud to be a blue!
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jas0999 added 15:51 - Apr 14 Too little too late Evans. His multiple failings are the reason we are now a League One club. This tosh - which is what we have all heard before - sounds very much like he won't be spending anything in league one. Instead, he will rely on highly encouraging youngsters who are probably not ready to play an entire season in a tough league one. Don't get me wrong, I much prefer to see our players rather than loads of loans - but has Evans really learnt his lesson? For years he has supported the cheaper short term strategy. In league one, there are seasoned teams with seasoned league one players. I fear we may end up not being fully equipped to cope. Time will tell.

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BlueNomad added 15:55 - Apr 14 So many people financial able, and capable, of running our club. And they are all on here! Let's start a Facebook campaign and chant at matches - that's a good idea! Evans has acknowledged that he got things wrong. That shows more humility than some on here!
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Bluearmy_81 added 16:05 - Apr 14 Hi Pragmatic, not sure you've noticed but Evans has taken us down to the 3rd tier for the first time since 1957. That's the guy you're backing/supporting. 🤔 What makes you think things are going to magically change all of a sudden?!
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ITFCsince73 added 16:08 - Apr 14 After yesterday....being the clubs saddest day in over half a century, i expected the PR spin to go into overdrive....it's now started. The need to sell season tickets has now become the clubs priority. Facts are facts, there won't be any telling investment, not at a level to be serious promotion contenders. All the teams currently fighting L1 promotion,have had serious investment not only last summer but over previous years, Luton being a good example. All have competed this season in L1 on better playing budgets than we've had in the Championship. It pains me to say but our stay in L1 will be a long one, if it's short, then L2 will probably be the next destination. Regardless what the owner has to say, we will compete next season on a poor to average playing budget compared to the rest of league 1. As with this season and all previous seasons, teams fighting L1 promotion are the best backed financially. Something we certainly won't be.

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Suffolkboy added 16:15 - Apr 14 Saxon blue has it in perspective !Why oh why is this forum continuing with the most gloomy doomsters , who allow Sentiment and wasted emotion to blind them to the reality of current day Football and basic business ! Just what else is ME supposed to do or say ? If you trust in PL, as I do, then give his words and advice some credence :he quite obviously gets along very well with the Owner ,and from my brief contact with Lee O' Neill there's no doubting his competence and ability . The ONLY way is FORWARD and UPWARDS ,but ITFC will become a pale shadow if the true supporters allow the vitriolic verbal minority to spoil our smashing Club once again ! Mr Evans has it right , let's see if we can get it right too !? COYB

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GatesPerm added 16:18 - Apr 14 The last thing this club needs in it's darkest days for decades is some ridiculous 'Evans Out' Facebook campaign. We can all have views on Evan's time as owner but how exactly do the sponsors of such a campaign expect to achieve their aim. I can only assume that through their extensive commercial contacts they have an individual or a consortium lined up and ready to invest £80-100m in a League 1 football club or perhaps they have sufficient personal wealth that they have no use for other than to rescue our once great club. What is even more laughable is the assertion that Evan's should write off the debt he is owed. Seriously? Easy to say when it's not your money. There's a real paradox here. It still amazes me how many people look back at the Sheepshanks tenure at the club as a great success. The guy nearly destroyed this club and we were only rescued by Evans investing a decent chunk of his own wealth (self made) and he has continued to invest over the past ten years. Despite this, a number of people seem to view him in comparison as the devil incarnate. Don't get me wrong, I think he has made a number of mistakes during his ownership with one of the biggest being his remoteness and lack of visibility for many years. Personally, I don't think it's right to criticise his level of investment. What this club desperately needs at this time, is everybody pulling together to create unity which then needs to flow into a positive atmosphere at Portman Road that will allow the youngsters to develop and grow. We don't need internal strife and division. Evan's has a critical role to play in this by getting season ticket and match day ticket prices at a level that encourages people to attend.

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BlueNomad added 16:23 - Apr 14 Yes BlueArmy81 I have noticed. Nowhere have I said I am backing/supporting Evans. I said he has acknowledged getting it wrong. Your proposal gets the club or its supporters nowhere. Please convince me that your constant moaning, sniping and outrage is constructive.
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Saxonblue74 added 16:24 - Apr 14 Shortmarine, ME has invested in this club, hence the reason we are still afloat. Suffolkboy, take comfort in the voting on Bluearmy 81's post calling for protest currently sitting at -14. Hopefully the "vitriolic verbal minority" you refer to will continue to be just that!
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IpswichT62OldBoy added 16:28 - Apr 14 He seemed to be saying that Bart will be staying.
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Northstandveteran added 16:30 - Apr 14 If protests were to be made, the time was after the Lincoln humiliation when investing in the club may have been a more attractive proposition. Even if Evans were to write off the debt who would take over a championship club losing £15 million every season? Not any sane businessman that's for sure. Like it or not he will be here next season and beyond.
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ITFCsince73 added 16:32 - Apr 14 Why oh why are there so many with there head in the sand on this forum. Evans is the club owner, Luke Chambers is the club captain. All of a sudden we are going to be fantastic....those 2 will now be successful. More chance of pigs flying. Laughable how easy it is to get our fans onside. Or the mug majority anyway. All this talk, and interviews given is to sell season tickets....come July it's back to norm. Bargain buys and players no one else wants. There will be no investment. There will be no real playing improvement. There will be no promotion. It's Evans and Luke Chambers running the show remember. The ITFC circus.

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Northstandveteran added 16:36 - Apr 14 That should have read a division one side not championship! Perhaps the reality hasn't set in yet!
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