New Town co-owner Brett Johnson has vowed to have a tattoo of the Blues badge if and when the club make their return to the Premier League.

Johnson is one of the Three Lions who own five per cent of Gamechanger 20, Town’s new owners, and who are also co-chairmen of USL side Phoenix Rising.

The new ownership have made no secret that their ultimate aim is to take the Blues back into the top flight for the first time since the 2001/02 season.

"Yup. Ipswich. Premier League. That is a tattoo,” he told the ¡Qué Golazo! podcast. “I just have to figure out a way to break it to my wife. I can't wait for the day to explain that to my wife on your show, I made that commitment.”

Johnson says he is firmly behind manager Paul Cook and is delighted that new CEO Mark Ashton will be running the club day-to-day.

"I think we have the right man in Paul Cook. That's the right start,” he added. "We're very pleased to have added Mark Ashton, relative to his pedigree, background and experience, certainly what he did with Bristol City.

“I think he's going to bring a difference in terms of hands on. With the utmost respect to Marcus Evans, you know, it's not a secret that he was fairly an absentee owner. You really have to live, breathe, eat this stuff 24 hours a day, and it's a team effort.

“I feel very fortunate with the success I have seen in Phoenix Rising. The credit goes to other individuals, but I think having Paul Cook and his experience and Mark Ashton and then really looking into making some fairly dramatic wholesale changes over the summer window, and put a team that's going to fight every single day for the honour to kind of restore Ipswich back to its former glory.”

Johnson stresses the importance of the club to the locality and the local people, something which has been key to the success the Three Lions have enjoyed at Phoenix.

"These teams ideally live and thrive because of the community support," he continued. "The supporters in Phoenix that were behind the predecessor days of Phoenix Rising, it got me through some dark periods of time and I'll never forget it, and I'm grateful to them.

“So by extension I am grateful to the global community of Ipswich supporters. I'm going to work with the extended team, tirelessly to reward them and get this club back to a point of pride, for the broader community, because it's where it deserves to be.”

Regarding the ill-fated European Super League, he added: "It's not a bold statement to say that collectively, clearly they [the Super League clubs’ owners] were tone deaf and I think rightly so, the response was appropriate.

”I'm glad it died a quick and painful death and I think some of the American owners deserve a lot of criticism relative to their role and naivety associated with that.

“One of the many things I love about owning a club in England - and I've owned a club through my partnership with Jordan Gardner in Denmark with Helsingør - is that I am a huge advocate of promotion and relegation.

“I believe strongly in that model. I wish we had it in the US. You can't make a broad indictment of American owners because the reality is that we all come from different places and balance sheets, certainly different leagues, and I also view our partnership as very much an Anglo-American partnership.

“But all that said, we take our role with absolute reverence and humility and look forward to hopefully making good things happen.”

Photo: TWTD

Radlett_blue added 09:37 - Apr 24 If Town get to the Premier League, he can have "MORON" tattooed across his forehead for all I care.
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timmy2guns added 09:52 - Apr 24 Could be argued a true fan who wants a tattoo of their club would get one regardless of the division they are in...
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spanishblue added 10:11 - Apr 24 Was going to say you don't just become a fan but I think it just gets up and grabs you, I became a supporter simply through taking my son to his first match, he'd been a town for 5years he was 10 , we went to all home games away 12-15 matches away 38 years later he got his tattoo,funnily enough the only other professional matches I'd been to was Norwich(didn't like it)and the FA cup final in 68,we're still supporters, 38 years later, watching from afar spent 700€ getting a way to watch games on tele thanks to I follow, hoping Brett gets his tattoo-sure says the right stuff don't he,

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TractorWood added 10:13 - Apr 24 Sounds like he should be playing at the moment with this level of enthusiasm!
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Jonaldo added 10:35 - Apr 24 As much as admire the positive talk this investment is a hedged bet! They have a decent sized plot in Kesgrave on a prime location that will recoup their outlay if it all goes belly up.
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galacticoblue added 10:50 - Apr 24 Jonaldo- if any business fails there will be attempted recoup of outlays.
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Kickingblock added 10:52 - Apr 24 A very noble gesture. Especially if he's not into tattoos.
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Europablue added 11:08 - Apr 24 timmy2guns how is a guy who just bought into a club going to be a real fan? He's not a Town fan, but he is a football fan and he knows what he is doing. He is laying the ground work of a good relationship with the fans. He would be held in great affection by the fans if he got us to the Premier League and kept us as a community club.
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andehpandeh added 11:15 - Apr 24 This is a great touch. Might look like a random gesture to some but it's a sign of commitment to the club's success for me.
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WonTheCupin78 added 11:39 - Apr 24 Shows commitment. Good on him.
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1RWR added 11:48 - Apr 24 Radlett & timmyhalfshoe....... Lighten up lads, this guy is just oozing enthusiasm and trying to pass it on. We've got a great chance to go up the football league, how about trying to embrace it, enjoy it, even participate in it eh? Lord above, fancy meeting you two guys at an 80's music night!😒😒😒
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BeattiesBackPocket added 11:57 - Apr 24 ‘I think he's going to bring a difference in terms of hands on. With the utmost respect to Marcus Evans, you know, it's not a secret that he was fairly an absentee owner. You really have to live, breathe, eat this stuff 24 hours a day, and it's a team effort.' Exactly! Enough said!
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Cakeman added 12:29 - Apr 24 Excellent to have this great enthusiasm from our new owners. I don't understand the negative comments as we have all been craving for a massive change for years. Now we have got it, enjoy it for however long it lasts.
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Bluearmy_81 added 12:35 - Apr 24 Agree Cakeman, I don't understand the negativity either. This guy has passion, optimism and commitment and the club now has hope. He's great for the club and the future, get behind him!!
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midastouch added 12:45 - Apr 24 It feels like Brett has has genuinely shown more enthusiasm and interest in Ipswich in a matter of weeks than Evans did in over a decade. The proof will be in the pudding but I like the early noises he's making.
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itsonlyme added 12:48 - Apr 24 Good on you Brett. At least someone high up the pyramid is taking us serious unlike the previous owner.
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Marcus added 13:19 - Apr 24 (tongue firmly placed in cheek) All good, as long as they don't mess with our identity ;)
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bluesteal74 added 13:44 - Apr 24 Some people on here just love to moan all the time it does my head, we are meant to be sticking together as fans with our new owners, doesn't matter if he gets a tattoo or not but I hope he does because that would mean we would be back in the premier League again, who wouldn't want that?
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Blocker123 added 13:46 - Apr 24 Wow, wow, wow... seems like we have some passionate, positive and forward thinking owners! I'm soooooo excited for the future I get butterflies! Up The Towen!!!
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istanblue added 14:00 - Apr 24 ''With the utmost respect to Marcus Evans, you know, it's not a secret that he was fairly an absentee owner. You really have to live, breathe, eat this stuff 24 hours a day, and it's a team effort'' And yet some deluded fans still think Evans was not so bad after all. Even our new owners are saying he was inadequate.
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mike added 14:06 - Apr 24 Bluesteal74. Agree entirely with your comments, what is wrong with our fans!! The future looks bright, lets embrace it and get behind the team and fill Portman Road when we can!! Coybs
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Gforce added 14:41 - Apr 24 NEW OWNERS NEW CHAIRMAN NEW CEO NEW MANAGER NEW PLAYERS All music to my ears!! 2021/22 The Start of a fantastic NEW ERA Big Thanks to the new owners for giving us hope. Raise a glass tonight, whatever the result today, Here's to IPSWICH RISING!!!
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mhowley1 added 16:01 - Apr 24 The way things are at the moment, I'm getting a tattoo if we score.
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Normandyblue added 20:32 - Apr 24 I'll raise you a price Albert with no anaesthetic
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armchaircritic59 added 23:44 - Apr 25 Podcast is a must listen, enthusiasm pours out of it, humourous too, in parts. No these guys aren't the Cobbolds, but time moves on and on, and i really hope they can bring at least some of the glory days back. Would love our younger supporters to experience the "good times", they're probably tired of the likes of my generation banging on about them! It's an old cliche, but no less true, just remember, "Rome wasn't built in a day", give these guys a chance and some time, and that little bit of luck that every enterprise needs along the way, and i've a feeling we will all have something to get excited about!

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