‘Promotion brings positivity to Ipswich’

Businesses hoped for a boost from thousands of fans visiting ahead of Ipswich Town’s first Premier League match.

The club won promotion on 4 May with a thrilling 2-0 win over Huddersfield.

It was a welcome return for the Tractor Boys, more than 20 years after relegation by the club they face this weekend.

As it prepares for Saturday’s friendly against Liverpool, how are people hoping life in the Premier League will boost their town?

“I think it’s going to be great for local businesses and particularly for us in DanceEast,” said Bryony Home, its head of communications and development.

“It’s fantastic to be welcoming so many more fans to Ipswich and an opportunity to get Ipswich on the map.”

The organisation’s 200-seat theatre and dance studio is based on Ipswich Waterfront.

Ms Home hoped visitors would take advantage of its “family-friendly” cafe, which has “toys and books for children and also has a really relaxed inclusive feel”.

For those footie fans who think a dance studio might not be for them, she added there was a strong connection between dance and football.

“Our founder Scilla Dyke worked with Sir Bobby Robson and his World Cup team 40 years ago, to train them in dance practice, because dance techniques are really transferrable for footballers – speed, agility, footwork,” she said.

“Ipswich is the county town of Suffolk and as such we should be much better known,” said Miranda Acres from Ipswich.Love.

“We should be able to show people the exciting things that are going on in the town and there are hundreds of things going on every day.”

The not-for-profit community interest company promotes events in and around Ipswich and aims to unite communities.

Colleague Samantha Sherman said: “We have world-beating cultural organisations, we have a plethora of the most amazing park attractions, we have beautiful eateries and as we are technically England’s longest inhabited town, our heritage and maritime history is enormous.

“Since the moment the last goal went in and the town exploded with joy, people have been behind the scenes getting themselves ready, thinking about how they can attract people.”

Millie Powell believed the promotion “will definitely help a lot of young people to try to do new things” as well as being good for pubs and bars.

“I think the football will just bring a bit more positivity in the air around Ipswich,” she said.

“I think it will help local sports clubs – and widen the amount of people who want to try sport.”

“The realisation that years ago we were relegated against Liverpool, but we get the chance to revenge that on Saturday – and just the chance to be back into the Premier League – will have a transformative impact, not just on the club but the whole town,” said Lee Walker.

As chief executive of Ipswich Central, the town’s Business Improvement District, he was aware that it was not just about hosting at least 3,000 away fans.

Mr Walker said: “There’s a TV audience nationally of about one million watching and 10 times that globally, so it’s a chance to showcase Ipswich.

“We now know from studies from other places, that the economic impact across places like Brighton for example was vast – not just for the club but for the town more widely, so it’s a real opportunity for our town to grasp.”

Business owner Cathy Frost was hopeful she would see more visitors making a weekend of it.

“With promotion of the town on the telly, I’m hopeful it might bring more footfall,” she said.

She owns craft shop Love One on St Peter’s Street, a short stroll from Waterside.

Ms Frost said: “We sell a lot of locally-made items here and with a wider family audience that we’ll hopefully get, that should be good.

“Anything like this has got to be positive for the community and to support the wider football family too.”

The Station Hotel on Burrell Road is already the official away fan bar for visiting fans and the business has adapted to the promotion by expanding.

Shift manager Madalin Acunune hoped the return to the Premier League would “motivate more people, not just on matchdays” and as a result lead to more businesses and shops in the town.

He said: “We get a minimum 3,000 supporters and we [now] expect much more – 5,000 to 6,000 a day.”

That had an impact on employment, with 20 people working in the bars on match days alone.