Bobby’s Vision was created in the aftermath of Mark Ashton inviting Nigel Farage to the club, who gleefully used the visit for PR purposes. Reform went on to win control of Suffolk County Council, and the majority of seats up for grabs in the Ipswich Borough Council elections.
We felt there was a lack of critical comment from supporter groups.
On the pitch we’ve had success, but nothing has changed in our club management structure. Before the season kicks off, we take a look at what this means for ITFC.
Preseason has given Ipswich Town fans plenty of reason to be optimistic. Gary O’Neil appears to be building a squad that is designed for Premier League survival and yet still looks recognisably like an Ipswich side: Leif Davis’ two goals from bursting runs down the left hand side against Rayo Vallecano could have been from any time in the last four years. New signings appear to be bedding in well – Florentino Luis and Emersonn linked beautifully for a third goal in a display that humbled a Rayo side who looked a rung below Town. Egeli and Akpom seem to be playing a level above what we saw from them last season. We even have the fairytale of Conor Chaplin and Wes Burns reuniting at Leicester, who have been drawn against Ipswich in the Carabao Cup, giving the two fan favourites the chance for one more send-off at Portman Road.
Since Town’s promotion party in May, there has been plenty to ponder both on and off the pitch. We had the all-consuming distraction of the largest World Cup ever. There were multiple examples of favourable and unfavourable treatment given to teams on the basis of their geopolitical status in relation to the USA. FIFA President Gianni Infantino also tried to sell the World Cup off. In the world of British politics, we got a new prime minister. Meanwhile Nigel Farage will fight a by-election in Clacton following his resignation as an MP after accusations around a failure to declare donations totalling £5m, saying ‘I can spend it on Ferraris if I want.’
It is hard to watch Farage’s latest exploits without being reminded that this is a man who was invited less than six months ago by Mark Ashton to Portman Road. Farage’s latest trick where he attempts to use the voter base in the Reform stronghold of Clacton as a means to justify his own claim to power and legitimacy is in keeping with the character of a man whose greatest skill is duping the public and finding someone else to blame. We are talking about somebody who is labelling this election as a fight against the establishment while running against a man dressed as a bin.
If you are reading this you will almost certainly have seen the Reform UK video in which Farage jokes about taking Kieran McKenna’s job, uses the Portman Road pitch as a backdrop for the Reform UK logo, and sits in the dressing room among several ‘Farage 10’ shirts hanging from the players’ pegs. This is the same dressing room used by Albania international Anis Mehmeti. Nigel Farage has described Albanians as ‘invading’ the UK and has suggested that as many as 1 in 3 Albanians in the UK are criminals.
Farage’s visit was a divisive moment for the Ipswich Town fanbase but division is something Farage has sown throughout his career – it just shouldn’t be happening at Portman Road. Mark Ashton has consistently spoken about the club and its fans coming together since joining the club but it is Ashton’s missteps, lies, and sorry you’re upset
apology that have done lasting damage to the fanbase’s unity. He didn’t even specify what he was apologising for, and yet the causes for optimism described above point toward a sense that everything has gone pleasingly smoothly for Ashton since his exploits in March.
Perhaps we should be talking more about the power that this man wields within the Ipswich hierarchy. Ashton currently holds the position of both CEO and Chairman at the club, suggesting that he has a huge amount of control over strategic direction and operational control without a significant authority figure present to challenge his ways of working. Even if you basically think Ashton is an alright guy/not that bad, the current structure doesn’t make for an effective or resilient operational model – nobody with enough authority was around to ask Ashton if inviting Farage to the club was actually a good idea. The mess at FIFA this summer showed on a global scale what unchallenged authority leads to on a consistent basis.
Further to the inadequacy of Ashton’s apology (which appeased only those who felt he had nothing to apologise for), we still have no answer as to why Farage was actually invited to Portman Road. Is it to do with a shared distaste for the Independent Football Regulator between them? Farage has labelled the formation of the Regulator ‘bonkers’ and the Regulator is by far the most prominent football-related issue with which he has publicly engaged. The Regulator exists to promote the sustainability of English football, financial or otherwise, as well as protecting the heritage of the game. Whilst the Regulator will not necessarily be able to solve all the issues that exist around the commodificaiton of football in this country by itself, its formation should provide a framework that can build towards fans becoming key stakeholders in their clubs’ future, rather than being treated purely as consumers.
It’s no secret that football clubs have become increasingly profit-centred entities that recognise their ability to trade on fans’ desire for success. As we have seen in the past few years at Ipswich Town, one easy way for them to do this is by hiking ticket prices during the good times. This is a trend that fans need to be mindful of and seek to counter to retain the integrity, affordability and inclusivity that underpins the spirit of great football clubs. It is important to consider whether Mark Ashton will seriously listen to the voices of loyal fans who oppose consistent ticket price hikes, or any other significant fan-led concerns. If he is on the same page as Farage on the Independent Football Regulator, that is not a good sign.
Perhaps Kieran McKenna’s departure over the summer secured Mark Ashton’s position due to a reluctance on the owners’ part to replace both manager and Chairman in the same summer. But by inviting Farage to Portman Road, Ashton appears to have endorsed on behalf of the club the most divisive figure in British politics this century. The renowned bigotry of Farage and Reform UK has real-world consequences in terms of who will feel safe and comfortable coming to games at Portman Road. I can attest that women and non-white people have expressed to me their anxiety around the idea of returning to watch Ipswich matches. Until Mark Ashton is removed from his position as CEO and Chairman, Ipswich will remain the club that invested in the man who rolled out the red carpet for Nigel Farage.
Notes
Alex Murphy is an Ipswich Town fan of 25 years and a season ticket holder in the Sir Bobby Robson Lower.
Favourite moments include Finidi George’s chip in a 5-0 win against Sunderland in 2001 and that Sarmiento winner against Southampton in 2024
He is one of 16 founder members of Bobby’s Vision.