Blues owner Marcus Evans has written an open letter to fans regarding recent developments at the club, including Paul Lambert's departure, Paul Cook's appointment and the proposed takeover, insisting that there is no offer "currently acceptable to me or the club" and revealing that he received a different enquiry a fortnight ago.

Dear fellow fan

I would like to start by welcoming Paul Cook to the club as our new manager. When it became apparent that I needed to look for someone new to lead our challenge for promotion over the rest of the season, Paul was always at the forefront of my mind.

I sought opinion from inside the club and spoke to a number of experienced football people outside as well and when we discussed the potential list of options and what was needed at the club - experience, a track record of getting clubs promoted, knowledge of League One and the Championship, a reputation for playing a brand of football that is in alignment with our ethos. It was agreed that Paul fits them all.

The process saw a first for me, having to recruit a prospective manager over Zoom however the medium did nothing to dampen Paul’s obvious passion for the role.

I have had to move quickly since the weekend but Paul has already met the squad and staff and has impressed a lot of people with what he has said and his clear desire and determination to take this club back to the Championship.

I’m delighted - but not surprised - that his appointment has been so well received by supporters and the media. In many ways, it has been the same with all the managers I have appointed but as we know in football, results always dictate opinions on whether an appointment was right or not.

It will be the same with Paul no doubt. That’s football but I firmly believe that Paul has all the credentials to take Ipswich Town forward and he will receive all the support I can give him to help him achieve that.

As Paul has said, promotion to the Championship is the goal for us this season and I know he believes with the squad we have, a top two position is within reach.

Gary Roberts - who many of you will remember from his time here as a player - has joined the coaching squad and he will work alongside Matt Gill as one of two first-team coaches, with Jimmy Walker as our goalkeeping-coach. Welcome back Gary!

Contrary to what you may think, Paul Lambert and I parted on good terms. Yes, we had a difference of opinion on a number of things at the end and that made it right for all concerned that we went our separate ways, but I wish him and Stuart Taylor every success and I told him that in our last series of Zoom conversations as owner and manager.

I’m not going into detail about what those disagreements were - other than to say that we have a squad as good as any in the division and a training ground that is equal, if not better, than some in the Championship.

There were some points raised by Paul that I will take on board and look at when the time is right but while it pains me to say it - and hopefully not for long - we are a League One club playing football in the middle of a pandemic and we have to operate accordingly. The time is not right to fiddle while Rome burns.

We have no non-matchday revenues and no matchday income, which amounts to around £175,000 in lost revenue every game but we still have extensive costs to cover in terms of running a football club and that doesn’t just include those associated with the first-team and you will already be aware that we were operating at the maximum allowed by the salary cap that was introduced at the start of the season. I could not have spent another penny on the squad without breaching EFL rules.

The academy costs £2 million a year to run, every year and from the start of the pandemic I ring-fenced that spending to ensure no reductions in the investment.

We have recently spent significant figures on improving the training ground, upgrading the ticket system, improving the CCTV coverage at Portman Road to provide fans with a safer environment and providing an improved payment system for supporters on matchday - which I hope you will see the benefit of when you return.

Plans are also in place for cosmetic surgery at the stadium as well, including the possibility of having a giant screen in the FanZone, more branding around the ground including recognition of the club’s history running along the ‘windows’ of the Cobbold Stand and an upgrade to the PA system.

Please be assured your club has a cohesive and continuing infrastructure improvement plan in place to improve both the fan experience and support to the first team.

Yes, Covid has put some of those changes on hold just as it has presented each and every one of us with massive challenges in our personal and business lives. For all of us it’s been the most challenging year and it’s the same for me as owner of this football club. I’m sure every owner will say the same.

I am, however, hugely proud that we are coming through it without having to lose any staff. The Government’s Job Retention Scheme has helped in that respect but it has always been our ambition to keep job losses to an absolute minimum.

I also must point out the tireless efforts of the unsung heroes at the club who through the pandemic have strived to ensure that every aspect of the club’s infrastructure has remained entirely fit for purpose whilst where possible continuing with the improvement plan.

A ‘£10 million black hole’ figure has been mentioned if no supporters were allowed into the stadium this season and while every EFL club in our division has received a payment from the Premier League, that gets nowhere near covering the losses we will face and I do believe that if football comes out the other side of the pandemic with all clubs intact, then that will be remarkable.

It won’t just be this season that clubs have to survive, they will need to operate next year as well with some resilience built into their business models against future shocks, though hopefully the vaccine can be the magic bullet to normality returning to our matchday.

Clearly, with no supporters allowed into the stadium this season - I will need to look at compensation for season ticket holders who have spent a lot of money and missed out on live football. I am in the process of doing that now and full details will follow as soon as we are in a position to make that public.

We are waiting to see if we qualify for any additional ‘rescue’ payment from the Premier League. We may do but there are stipulations on how that payment is made and also it may well have an impact on our ability to add to the squad in the summer transfer window so there are decisions to be made on whether we even apply for that financial help.

That brings me neatly to more talk of financial help in the form of a takeover! I’m sure you are aware of the media stories that have been swirling around over the last week or two suggesting that I am about to sell the club.

Let me put on record that in my 13 years plus as owner of Ipswich Town, I have never looked to sell the club. That is still the case.

In that time I have received approaches to see if I would sell - some credible - some not so. I received another new enquiry only two weeks ago (not the one reported in the media) and in each case, I have looked first and foremost at whether that investment would be in the long-term best interests of the club and also not to forget the interests of the army of small shareholders, whose equity I have never diluted, by looking to turn my debts into club equity.

They still remain as just over 10 per cent shareholders in the club through their shares in ITFC PLC and I would always want to ensure they are fairly treated.

There are many examples of clubs that have gone for risky short-term fixes or sold out to investors who found it all too easy to walk away when the going gets tough.

I am fully supportive of foreign ownership of English football clubs and many have been great additions to the UK club landscape, however, football is not a normal business, with much beyond financial pressures on owners, and one needs to take that into account when judging the long-term commitment of possible investors with no personal roots in the community.

The clubs that got it wrong paid a heavy price, sometimes very quickly. I have invested too much time, energy and funding to put this club at risk.

I am not going to deny there has always been interest in Ipswich Town, ours is a great club with great history and a potentially great future, but please don’t take everything you read in the media as ‘the state of play’.

I have had detailed offers for the club past and present but there has been nothing brand new in the last 12 months, though a number of those with historic interest come back from time to time and there is nothing that is currently acceptable to me or the club and I reiterate that any decision that needs to be made by me will be based on what is right in the long term.

I have said for the last few years that, as new football investors with potentially greater investment pain thresholds than me appear on the scene, if I feel someone is in a better position than me to carry the club forward with sustained investment, I will step aside. If
I have my concerns having had unique access to look behind the mask of interested parties, I won’t sell, end of.

One thing I can confirm, if I feel there is something to say officially on the matter, you the supporters will be the first to hear from me.
But for now, the only focus I have is supporting our new manager and the players in what promises to be an exciting conclusion to the season.

Thanks as always for your support for the club and let’s get right behind Paul and the team - albeit sadly from afar!"

Photo: Matchday Images

bluechelmsford9 added 01:51 - Mar 4 I have been quick to criticise Marcus recently but he has gone some way to redeeming himself as far as I'm concerned. He made a mistake giving Lambert a 5 year contract, probably by his own admission, but he has owned his mistake and paid for it. You can tell from his message that he still cares for the club and I am impressed with how candid he has been about his disagreement with Lambert and giving the detail around the numbers. We have a good enough squad to get out of League 1 if managed correctly and I am going to stop moaning about Marcus, continue to support the club by watching every game on IFollow and get behind the team for the rest of the season. COYB.

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osborne1nil added 05:50 - Mar 4 Good. Give me a UK based Millionaire with the Club at heart over any US based consortium or the like. Our problem has been poor managers in the main, hopefully this is now sorted. I still believe ME very much has the Club at heart and my only piece of advice to him is to speak out more often about what is happening with the Club and plans etc, perhaps at least once a month. I know LON is the spokesman for you, who compared to some of his predecessors, does a decent job, but to hear from ME more often I think would increase his support. Let's hope Paul Cook can finally bring what ultimately all ITFC fans want, success on the pitch!

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spanishblue added 06:21 - Mar 4 I struggle to believe a man who is a ticket spiv, is the arrest warrant still active,his words are there's not an acceptable offer on the table to me meaning no doubt he's trying to squeeze more money out of the buyer, by the way is as hard a bargaining man around the next few days weeks will be nail bitingly exciting I hope with a good outcome who knows I might get to Wembley

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Sospiri added 06:34 - Mar 4 I know this is an unpopular viewpoint on this site, but I don't think Evans is the problem. He has picked the right manager each time, but for one reason or other, they didn't work out. We are a small-town club who missed the Premier League big money years, and like many many others, have struggled to get into that lucrative club. Paul Cook is the right choice. He has been successful with other clubs in our situation, is liked by the players under him, plays to a good style, and has good motivating, man-management skills. All the best to him, and our beloved club. Evans has made the right decision.

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Dolphinblue added 06:43 - Mar 4 Evans is our clubs Saviour SIMPLES. Thankyou Marcus Evans for all you have done for our great club and please stay....This American investment would mean RIP ITFC COYB
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ITFC_95 added 08:00 - Mar 4 Am surprised but have to agree with some of the comments on here. We've been in decline for years under ME. However, the club loses millions every year and evans has consistently shown he will at the very least keep us afloat. The proposed investor is a US based (pension fund) consortium who also own a tiny football team in America. Apprehensive to say the least.
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Dissboyitfc added 08:03 - Mar 4 Very mixed about the thought of this takeover, one minute i think great the next it feels me with me fear! I would rather we found a little success this under ME this season in all honesty! Looking at the table and referring back to previous tables from seasons past and it looks at least as though a play-off place is very manageable, another 25 points from 16 games could do it. I say and of course this we be knocked by some, lets just support the team and see how this season ends! COYB's

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Dissboyitfc added 08:34 - Mar 4 Fills me with fear and will be knocked, it should say.
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Ipswichbusiness added 09:30 - Mar 4 A priority search is a means of protecting a potential purchaser of land from the registration of an adverse interest for the priority period (30 business days). It does not necessarily mean that someone is going to buy the whole Club, nor is it “due diligence” in the sense of being about to buy a business.
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MonkeyAlan added 09:34 - Mar 4 Interesting on all the down votes to those dissing Marcus. He is the master of spin it would seem. He fools an awful lot a lot of the time with one statement. However, l did say last weekend and at the beginning of this week there was no truth in him leaving. I even had a thread locked down by a moderator because it wasnt liked. But, l had already heard what wasn't happening. No one chose to believe me.

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Bert added 09:50 - Mar 4 The clue is in the words “ as new football investors with greater investment pain thresholds than me appear on the scene”.....”if someone is in a better position than me to carry the club forward....I will step aside “ Whether fans are for or against Evans, surely nobody with any sense can argue that whoever takes takes over our club will have financial pain to bankroll until the Premier League is in sight. To deny this is denying reality for the sake of posturing on here. Get a sound, credible “investor” and Evans will sell. Why would he want to hang onto something that gives him pain ?

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tones_cones added 10:07 - Mar 4 To be fair to the man, there's not really much here that anybody can grumble about - although i'm sure some fans here will find a negative spin to it all. Everything he says is just sheer common sense - with very little money coming in and expenses still the same, the debt that the club has is only going to go up - the same as every other club in the land apart from the Premier League. As for the takeover by a US Pension Fund, the more i think about it the more i hope there's nothing in it as it makes me feel uncomfortable - and certainly not a long term solution.

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Cheshire_Blue added 10:08 - Mar 4 Time will tell. Mick McCarthy heading for the Premier League !
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Gilesy added 10:23 - Mar 4 But this is the thing I'm learning about Evans. Everything he says makes sense. I can't argue with anything he says. The results on the pitch and the state of the stadium and the standing of the club however....the two things do not align.
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dirtydingusmagee added 10:28 - Mar 4 personaly i think too many people have gripped the speculation of takeover out of shear desperation, they want Evans gone [as i do ],and believe its a done deal. On anything else rumoured in press the same people would probably be dismissive ,saying its paper talk,poor journalism, .I have been sceptical all along ,perhaps i'll be proved wrong,but at this stage the way things are i remain very doubtful a sale is immenent . I just hope now we have replaced Paul Lambert, we can push on and somehow get promoted, still some hope but we cant afford to slip up now .

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Razor added 10:30 - Mar 4 I am not sure I trust this guy and it is only the local media and TWTD that have flushed him out and forced him to make a statement. I really hope the takeover happens, new money in to the club plus people who actually understand football and care----Americans never like coming second and that philosophy suits me fine. Think this is a smokescreen but some people will buy it.

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BobbyBell added 10:45 - Mar 4 At the moment we have an owner who is a town fan. Although things have not gone well he does want the best for our club and he says, not for the first time, that if he feels that someone else could do more for the club than he can then he will step aside. The American consortium are investors not fans of the club. If their investments don't produce gains they will move them as any investor would. Just think about all the clubs that have had big investors in the past and achieved nothing. A fan at the helm must be preferable.

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trncbluearmy added 10:49 - Mar 4 Someone mentioned common sense and his statement does sound sensible, trouble is he never applies it to the football club. The Evans deal is a cracking one for the club, ITFC are protected from the accumulated debt we may never get that again. But that just makes it all the more frustrating and the longing for a take over, any takeover. If Evan could just delegate the running of the club to an experienced board with a good degree of local influence and then sit back and pay the bills making no football decisions whatsoever that would be the perfect scenario, but he fails to see the bloody obvious.

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grumpyoldman added 10:50 - Mar 4 Cheshireblue who cares MM is part of history, whether he could ever get this club into Premier league playing the style of football he kept using is highly debatable.
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braveblue added 10:58 - Mar 4 Please just leave. Your leadership is non existant. The money lost is down to your own dreadful decisions.
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oldegold added 11:09 - Mar 4 Evans should subject himself to an open forum online with Town supporters rather than relying on scripted missives, which sound like he is reading from a balance sheet then maybe we would get nearer to the truth. With Evans, we will continue the slow decline, of this I am sure. What he wrote is a meandering expose of his tenure and doesn't speak about investment but steadying the ship which if we want to get out of this division then we need a substantial boost. The general feeling amongst the fans is that we want a change at the helm so maybe he is playing down expectations. The majority want him gone like me as he is not comfortable in the football sector and he will not lead us to the promised land but prolong the decline. I believe he should open up regarding what is happening but considering that he makes Lord Lucan seems an everyday present figure, he will continue with this stance of stuttering missives.

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midlandblue54 added 11:28 - Mar 4 Evans is no fan of town he bought the club to make a quick buck by getting us to the premier league, when we go up he as got spend a hell of lot money to keep us in championship. He has balls everything up so he can go back and follow his beloved chelsea
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SonofSonner added 11:41 - Mar 4 The very handy financial breakdown of Marcus Evans' time at ITFC back on page 2 provided by shortmarine1969 (many thanks) convinces me that it's also in Evans' own interest to sell up soon. If he retains a stake he could recoup a big chunk of his 50 ish million (net loss) if/when the club is sold on. Square business. It's also good business to insist there is no impending deal until he actually gets a signature. Hence his denials and comforting words about only having the club's best interest at heart. Meanwhile if Town continue to look like real promotion prospects under Cook the asking price could rise. Evans must and will go unless he can magic up some mega money from somewhere. If not, more stagnation, more fan alienation, and yet another manager unemployable after his time at Town ends in failure.

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TractorClarke added 11:52 - Mar 4 How quickly mindsets change, i have seen some on here say how Evans still has the best at heart for the club and that this was a good address etc etc. You dont even need to have a short term memory problem to highlight the issues that have arisen with Evans at the helm. We are in league 1 and a lot of that is to do with Evans and until he has gone i dont see how we move forward without him accidentally getting it right, that might well be the case with Paul Cook, and for the record i am happy with the appointment, but people seem to quickly forget all the scenarios that have put us in this position. We have no devine right to be anywhere just based on history, but we are where we are because we deserve to be there based on decisions made, too much money given to the wrong managers, not strengthen the squad to get us over the line and push on when we needed it or when we get rid of out top striker and not replace him, im sure names dont need to be given. When you allow the sale of most of the best players at the club and replace them with L1 or L2 players and wonder why we end up in the same league we got those players from. It may have turned sour with McCarthy at the end but if that man had the funds made available to him and replaced players we sold that clearly need replacing then i think we have already been in the prem if not regularly challenging up there. I will say i dont regret us getting rid but that time is a prime example of our owner Evans not using funds when it is needed but allowing players like lee martin and the like to be bought for silly money. The manager is at fault too because as an owner you have to trus the man in charge as they are supposed to be the clued up people, but even sales like wickham, roahdes, cresswell, mings, where did all that money go because it certainly wasnt put back into the playing squad. Im sorry but i for one dont see progress until Evans is gone, we know exactly the direction we go with him in charge because all he has achieved in the 13 years is us being in the lowest position we have been for many many years. Whilst new investors may not be long term and of course the situation can get worse but we have been going slowly backwards under Evans, why are we happy with that all of a sudden.

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coolcat added 12:13 - Mar 4 Talks sense in the email. imho. Truth is nobody knows what's happening. I for one think this much talked about US consortium is a bad idea for Town. Short term gain only for the investors & smacks of asset stripping. I always felt it was largely media driven. Evans has never made a secret of the fact he would sell if the right buyer came along which would benefit Town in the long term, which he reiterates in the email. He must get interest all the time & he cites few examples of this in the email. Clearly a consortium like this wouldn't benefit us. Burnley a good example of this as mentioned by tetchris earlier on here. For me the main focus is on the new manager and the club going forward. Looking forward to seeing

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