Ed Sheeran buys minority stake in Ipswich Town – and celebrates with tractor ride | Business News
Ed Sheeran has bought a 1.4% stake in Ipswich Town, it has been revealed.
The singer – who has sponsored the team’s shirts since 2021 – has signed on as a “passive” investor and will not become a board member, the football club confirmed.
However, as part of the deal, Sheeran will receive perks such as the long-term use of his own personalised executive box at the team’s Portman Road stadium.
It comes just before the Tractor Boys’ return to the Premier League this weekend after a 22-year absence.
The star also made his own announcement about the deal – by posting a video on Instagram of himself driving a tractor through a field to celebrate.
Earlier this year a US-based private equity firm bought a 44% stake in the club for a reported £105m – which could suggest the singer’s stake may be worth more than £2m.
Sheeran, who grew up in nearby Framlingham and has been a lifelong supporter of the Suffolk club, said he was “really excited” by the move.
He added: “It’s any football fan’s dream to be an owner of the club they support, and I feel so grateful for this opportunity.
“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.”
Ipswich Town star Omari Hutchinson – with Sheeran’s tour logo on his shirt – during the side’s promotion-clinching victory over Huddersfield Town. Pic: PA
‘Proud day for club’
The logo of the singer’s ongoing Mathematics world tour has emblazoned Ipswich’s shirts during the side’s rapid rise under Northern Irish manager Kieran McKenna.
Since taking charge in his first senior management role, McKenna has secured back-to-back promotions for Ipswich from League One to the Championship and then to the Premier League.
Following the side’s automatic promotion earlier this year, Sheeran treated the squad to a private concert and party, and last week it was revealed he had also helped design the side’s new “Suffolk pink” third kit.
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The singer acquired his stake via the club’s majority shareholder Gamechanger 20 Ltd, a US investment consortium.
Ipswich Town chairman and chief executive Mark Ashton said: “This is an incredibly proud day for the football club.
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Ipswich Town fans celebrate promotion
“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 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.”
