Lifestyle & Sports
06 May 21

Ed Sheeran set to sponsor Ipswich Town football club's shirts next season

The partnership with four-time Grammy Award winner Sheeran is a forward-looking move that comes a month after an American-led group bought Ipswich Town club in a £40m deal.

Suffolk native Ed Sheeran has been announced as the new shirt sponsor for football team Ipswich Town next season.

Sheeran, who supports the League One Club, has signed a one-year deal to sponsor both the men's and women's first-team shirts in the 2021/22 season.

Although the 30-year-old was born in Halifax, he was raised in Framlingham, 16 miles from Ipswich. The record-breaking singer-songwriter shared a mysterious logo on the shirts today, featuring mathematical symbols and the word "tour".

"The football club is a big part of the local community and this is my way of showing my support," Sheeran said of the news. "I have always enjoyed my trips to Portman Road and I'm looking forward to going back there as soon as supporters are allowed into stadiums again.

"With the new owners from the US coming in, there are sure to be exciting times ahead for Ipswich fans, including myself," the talent added.

When asked what the logo on the front of the shirt means, he added: "All will be revealed in time."

Sheeran has a long-standing affinity with Ipswich and Suffolk in general, having concluded his Divide tour in front of 160,000 people over four nights at Chantry Park, Ipswich, in August 2019. A special Ipswich Town shirt was even sold to mark the 'Shape of You' singer's event.

Last year, the pop artist also made a "significant" donation to a children's ward of Ipswich Hospital.

"We are obviously thrilled that Ed has agreed to become our shirt sponsor next season," Ipswich Town's director of sales, Rosie Richardson, said today.

"I have worked with Ed and his management team on various initiatives over the years and welcomed Ed and his guests to Portman Road for many games. He has shown his support for his hometown in lots of ways and this is another example of that. We look forward to seeing Ed - and every other supporter - back at Portman Road next season."

Ipswich’s women’s team played in the fourth tier during the curtailed 2020-21 campaign but they are among the best-run operations in the UK, and are hopeful of promotion ahead of next season.

Alongside a picture of himself as a child wearing an Ipswich shirt from the late 1990s, the musician also revealed the move on Instagram with the caption:

“This bloke is the new sponsor of @ipswichtown football club. Do well.”