Singer Ed Sheeran has recently been revealed as the newest investor in Ipswich Town, purchasing a 1.4% stake in the football club. This comes after Sheeran has been sponsoring the team’s shirts since 2021, and the club has confirmed that he will be a “passive” investor and will not hold a seat on the board.
As part of this investment, Sheeran will receive special perks such as the use of his own personalized executive box at the team’s Portman Road stadium. This news comes just in time for the Tractor Boys’ return to the Premier League this weekend after a 22-year absence. Sheeran himself made the announcement on Instagram, posting a video of himself driving a tractor through a field in celebration.
Earlier this year, a US-based private equity firm acquired a 44% stake in the club for a reported £105m. This suggests that Sheeran’s stake may be worth more than £2m. The singer, who grew up in nearby Framlingham and has been a lifelong supporter of the club, expressed his excitement about the investment, stating, “It’s any football fan’s dream to be an owner of the club they support, and I feel so grateful for this opportunity.”
He also added, “It’s such a joy to be a fan of Ipswich Town. There are ups and downs, but football is all about taking the highs and the lows. I’m not a voting shareholder or a board member, this is just me putting some money into the club I love and them returning the gesture, so please don’t get on to me with signing suggestions or tactics to play.”
The singer’s Mathematics world tour logo has been featured on Ipswich’s shirts during their successful rise under Northern Irish manager Kieran McKenna. McKenna, who took on his first senior management role with Ipswich, has secured back-to-back promotions for the club from League One to the Championship and now to the Premier League.
After securing automatic promotion earlier this year, Sheeran treated the team to a private concert and party. Last week, it was also revealed that he had helped design the team’s new “Suffolk pink” third kit.
Sheeran acquired his stake through the club’s majority shareholder, Gamechanger 20 Ltd, a US investment consortium. Ipswich Town chairman and chief executive Mark Ashton expressed his pride in the club, stating, “This is an incredibly proud day for the football club. The support Ed and his team have shown us over the last three years has been nothing short of remarkable, and for him to make this investment in the club feels like the natural progression in our relationship.”
He also added, “For one of the biggest artists in the world to give us so much of his time and give the club such incredible exposure around the world, while asking for very little in return, highlights just what makes this relationship such a special one.”
