Ipswich Town issue statement after club criticised for Nigel Farage Reform visit

Ipswich Town have issued a statement after the Championship club came under fire when images of right-wing politician and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage visiting Portman Road circulated online.

On Tuesday (24 March), Reform leader Farage posted several photographs of himself inside the Suffolk club’s stadium, where he visited the dressing room and also posed for a photograph similar to that of when a player signs for a club, accompanied by the caption: “I’ve never been too bad on the right wing.”

Farage also posted a clip of him walking around the stadium, saying he hopes Ipswich get promoted to the Premier League before joking that he’s on the shortlist to become the side’s next manager.

As expected, fans of the club reacted furiously, with one saying, “You should be ashamed of yourselves,” on X.

Another added: “Woeful judgement from @IpswichTown. It looked bad yesterday when it was just a ‘conference room booking’. This is PR suicide for a family club.”

A third fumed: “Regardless of your political affiliation, this is a bad look for the club. Politics, left or right, should be kept out of football.”

As relayed by The Guardian, Ipswich Town Football Club did not invite Farage, with reports suggesting Portman Road Events, which manages private tours of the stadium, had received a booking from Reform UK.

On Tuesday evening, the club finally responded via a statement posted on its website and social media.

The statement read: “Ipswich Town Football Club has, over several years, hosted representatives from a range of political parties. The club remains apolitical and does not support or endorse any individual or party.

“The club will continue to engage with representatives from across the political spectrum as part of its role within the community.

“Ipswich Town is proud to be an inclusive, diverse and welcoming organisation that supports all members of the local and wider community. This commitment remains unchanged.”

Supporters waded in once more, with one fan branding the statement as “weak”, while another added: “Fantastic club, but that is a terrible response.”

Meanwhile, a third fan commented: “Well, Ipswich Town just became a club I shall not visit in the future.

“How you could think that hosting one of the most fear-mongering, divisive and vitriolic ‘politicians’ of the current era was a statement of ‘inclusivity’ is naive to be generous, or stupid to be honest.”

Ipswich, who currently sit third in English football’s second tier, return to Championship action at home against Birmingham City on Monday, 6 April.