Ipswich Town Women will play their home games at Colchester United’s JobServe Community Stadium for the next two seasons, while the men’s U21s will also host matches at the Essex side’s ground.

Joe Sheehan’s side won the FAWNL Southern Premier League in 2024/25 and were promoted to the second tier, which from new campaign onwards will be known as WSL2.

The Blues have played their home games Felixstowe & Walton’s Martello Ground for more than a decade but the WSL2 requires facilities at a higher level.

Town have been involved in upgrading the pitch at the JobServe Community Stadium ahead of the new campaign.

“It was fitting we secured promotion at the Martello Ground given how much hard work has been put in there over the years and we are supremely grateful for the hospitality and support we have been shown by everyone at Felixstowe & Walton United during our time there,” Rachel Harris, Town’s head of women’s football, said.

“With the additional requirements and challenges following promotion to the second tier for the first time, it sadly wasn’t possible to maintain the Martello as our home.

“We're excited to be playing our WSL2 games at Colchester and we can’t wait to welcome our fans to the stadium as we make the step up next season.”

Town chairman Mark Ashton added: “Everyone at the club is extremely proud as our women’s team prepares to step up to the second tier for the first time in our history, with such brilliant scenes following promotion at the end of last season.

“We’re excited for the possibilities available to us at Colchester and look forward to seeing as many of our fans there as possible supporting Joe Sheehan and his team.”

Town add that the women will again play at Portman Road during the season ahead following successful games in the previous two campaigns, while they say that over the course of the two-year agreement with Colchester they will be “working towards securing a permanent home for the Women’s team within the Ipswich area”.

In the plans for the training ground submitted at the end of last year and given approval in March, “a show pitch with associated covered seating” was mentioned as a medium to long-term aim.

We understand the club has held talks with Ipswich Wanderers over use of Humber Doucy Lane over the last couple of seasons but as it stands there are no current plans to play games there.

The men’s U21s games at Colchester are likely to be Premier League Cup games with Needham Market’s Bloomfields having staged ties in the previous two years.

It won’t be the first time Town have hosted a match at Colchester with the senior side playing a friendly against Luton at the League Two club’ stadium in pre-season two years ago.

Photo: Action Images

Freddies_Ears added 12:19 - Jun 23 Sad to have to leave Felixstowe, but inevitable given the WSL2 requirements. ColU is a similar distance for many (sadly, twice as far for me...), and has a vast car park / easy access to the A12. Stadium will give us room to grow, more shelter & seats. If only the sweet shop could operate a pop-up. And, the big news, is our intent to build our own 2nd stadium!
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Mark added 12:20 - Jun 23 I have enjoyed going to most of the matches at Felixstowe over recent years, as it is always a nice day out with a lunch and a walk along the promenade. The north of Colchester does not have the same appeal and it feels wrong to play in Essex, so sadly I will not renew my season ticket. I will go to any matches played at Portman Road, where we perhaps could have staged the 11 WSL2 matches a season. There is an established fan base in Felixstowe, including adults, children and a few dogs! I wonder how many willl travel to Colchester and what the attendances will be like. The Women's Championship matches were all on YouTube last season, so I guess the WSL2 games will be too.

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STATMAN added 12:23 - Jun 23 I don't agree with this decision. Surely the Women could play at Portman Road on a Sunday. They don't play many home games in a season as it is. Portman Road could open 1 stand. How does this encourage girls to take up playing football. Twice the distance Away from Ipswich and I suspect many will not go again to Colchester after having to pay to park near to the ground unlike Felixstowe. At least Portman Road is on Sunday bus Routes. Many top teams in England are having their Womens Teams switch to their big Stadiums why not us???

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ArnieM added 12:37 - Jun 23 Why not Portman Road?
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Cavendish_Blue added 12:41 - Jun 23 Strange decision. Aren't they worthy?Just open one stand like we used to for Reserves. Embarrassing choice from a management team that gets it right most times.
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Karlosfandangal added 13:28 - Jun 23 I guess the reason for not playing at Portman Road will be cost
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blues1 added 13:32 - Jun 23 Some of the comments on here are ridiculous. Does anyone realise the costs behind opening up portman road for games? The last 2 seasons, they've made a loss on the 2 games that were held there. Guarantee you,it's cheaper for us to play at col. utd than it would be at portman road. It's what clubs do. Lease a lower lge ground for the women's team. Even in the womens pl/super lge teams do it. For example, Aston villa play the majority of their games at Wallsalls ground.

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blues1 added 13:34 - Jun 23 Oh, also, how, could the put every game on portman road, when they dont know what day the men will be playing.
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pegasus added 13:59 - Jun 23 Look at the big picture. Yes, WSL2 requirements require a move. And surely matchday costs and care of the playing surface rule out regular appearances at Portman Road. This link with Colchester seems to fit in with the Club Strategy/Big Picture - seeking new supporters, youth opportunities and young player loans, for instance. And given the road and rail links, the women's matches will be closer to London...where a number of the loan players have come from... I think there's been some versy astute thinking and planning, here.

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Bert added 14:10 - Jun 23 The decision will prove controversial and at an emotional level it is sad not to play the games in Suffolk. However, according to the TWTD survey 13.5% of Town supporters come from Essex and that is likely to be on the low side. The catchment area of greater Colchester, north Essex and south Suffolk is a lot bigger than Felixstowe given their easterly direction. Add in the vagaries of the men’s team fixtures changing,the decision becomes understandable not to have PR as the home ground.

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ArnieM added 14:52 - Jun 23 Blues1: I doubt its any cheaper to open a 10k stadium then it is the lower half of PR, ( 15k max) Also, are Col U's fixtures already out then? So the Town womens side can plan thrur fixtures ( which they probably don't even know yet).... at least at PR they'd be assured of a bigger attendance than thryre lijekybto get at when exoecting Toen fans to trek the 20 mile trip and pay ridiculous parking fees at CUFC. Like you say, some posts on here make you laugh, don't they!

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blues1 added 15:17 - Jun 23 ArnieM. No, obviously the col utd fixtures arent out. But its far more likely we'll be playing games on Sundays for tv than col utd will. And yes, it would cost far more to open portman road, than paying to lease col utds ground. Would imagine we've got a good deal for using their ground especially considering we have done a lot of work on their pitch, to improve it. So,sure weve got a good price for it. End of the day, its the best option for now. As they've said, they are looking for somewhere in suffolk they can play after this 2 year period. And who knows, if we get relegated, maybe felixstowe will be an option

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blues1 added 15:19 - Jun 23 Cont'd. Again. And no, I'm not being negative about our chances in WSL2, but its a big jump in quality.
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naa added 15:27 - Jun 23 To all those stating that Portman Road isn't a sensible option can presumably explain how Norwich manage to use Carrow Road for their women's team then. And they are two divisions lower.
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d77sgw added 15:51 - Jun 23 I think it’s just great for trolling Colchester. Until recently it’s just where we’ve sent our players when they’re knackered or just a bit average (when exactly did Nouble go into ‘beast mode’ ?!). Now we get to refer to them as the ‘home of Ipswich Town Women’ too!
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Monkey_Blue added 17:02 - Jun 23 I can’t understand the negative comments. Col U is ideal and a big upgrade. Other than the costs of using Portman Road, the over usage of the PR pitch and the constant rescheduling of Sunday games for the ladies and the fact the club will have a lot more information and have thought about and considered all aspects of the issue… we should of course be listening to people who just want to moan about things they don’t understand.

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backwaywhen added 18:09 - Jun 23 Have to say that even in woman’s premier league a lot of big name clubs do not all play their games at their own stadiums , some might but def not all , so Portman Rd for all games was never going to happen .
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