Ed Sheeran's perfect purchase! Pop star buys minority stake in Ipswich Town ahead of Premier League return - but the boyhood fan WON'T have any decision-making power
- Ed Sheeran has bought a small 1.4% stake in Premier League club Ipswich Town
- Sheeran, 33, is a boyhood fan of the club and already the front-of-shirt sponsor
- LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off!, available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday
Superstar singer Ed Sheeran has bought a minority stake in his boyhood club Ipswich Town.
Sheeran, 33, is a lifelong fan of the Tractor Boys, who were promoted to the Premier League last season and has been a front-of-shirt sponsor for the club for the last three years.
Ipswich have confirmed that the famous artist has acquired a 1.4% stake in the club, which is a passive and minority investment only, meaning he will not join the club's board.
Sheeran broke the news on Instagram with a video of him driving a tractor dressed in the new Ipswich kit.
'Really excited to announce that I have bought a small percentage of my hometown football club,' the popstar wrote alongside the video.
Ipswich Town have revealed that Ed Sheeran has acquired a minority stake in the club
Sheeran has been the front-of-shirt sponsor for the Tractor Boys since the 2021-22 season
The 33-year-old can regularly be spotted attending Portman Road to support his boyhood club
'It's any football fan's dream to be an owner of the club they support, and I feel so grateful for this opportunity.
'I have lived in Suffolk since I was three years old and, while I travel the world and sometimes feel like an outsider in big cities, Suffolk and Ipswich have always made me feel part of the community and protected.
'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 onto me with signing suggestions or tactics lol. Excited for the Prem to start this weekend.'
Sheeran is a four-time Grammy award-winning artist who became a sponsor at the club when Ipswich were in League One.
He initially signed a one-year contract in 2021 to promote his Mathematics Tour on the front of the club's shirt, and it has been extended with each passing season.
Ipswich chairman Mark Ashton has shared his delight at Sheeran's investment in the Suffolk side.
'The support Ed and his team have shown us over the last three years has been nothing short of remarkable,' Ashton told the Ipswich club website. 'For him to make this investment in the Club feels like the natural progression in our relationship.
'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.'
Back in May, Sheeran partied with the Ipswich Town players after team won promotion
The singer-songwriter sang his hit songs with the players as they joined in with the star
In May, Sheeran flew back to England from New York to celebrate Ipswich's promotion to the Premier League with the players.
The star provided the players with a personal concert as they sang along to his 2017 hit song Shape of You, before serenading the club's manager Kieran McKenna.
Sheeran may well be singing again on Saturday as Ipswich embark on their first campaign back in the top flight for 22 years when they face Liverpool at Portman Road.
