Ipswich Town have issued a statement after outrage over Reform leader and MP Nigel Farage being pictured visiting Portman Road on Monday. The politician was seen holding up an Ipswich shirt at the club with his name on the back.
Other photo’s shared on social media showed Farage in the Ipswich dressing room with several other club shirts adorning his name hanging up. There was also a picture of him conducting a mock press conference at the stadium.
The 61-year-old is in the area for a political rally to launch his party’s local election campaign. Farage is said to have booked onto a stadium tour at the Tractor Boys and took the oppurtunity to pose for several photos at the EFL Championship side.
But Ipswich have been heavily criticsed for allowing Farage to pose for several photos at the club and publicise them. They have now released a statement on social media platform X to defend the move.
The club statement said: « 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. »
It is understood that no official invitation was made by Ipswich to Reform Party leader Nigel Farage to stage a photo opportunity. It is also understand that Portman Road Events, which manages private tours of the stadium, took the booking.
However, the full extent of what was planned was not made clear to the club until social media posts emerged on the party’s official account. Express Sport has approached the club for comment.
Farage was also forced to abandon a walkabout in Felixstowe on Monday. The controversial MP planned to walk the seafront, but with protesters at the scene and chanting, a spokesman said the event was cancelled following security advice.
A Reform rally at Trinity Park Conference and Events Centre also saw several protesters. An overflow room was required, with 300 people said to be unable to fit into the main hall with the event oversubscribed.
A demonstration organised by Ipswich Stand Up To Racism saw anti-racist groups, community activists and trade unionists gather outside and claimed that locals wanted to give Reform a « resounding unwelcome » and show that « Ipswich is a multicultural town that rejects Reform’s anti-migrant racism. »
Ipswich Stand Up To Racism’s Dean Ryan said: « Beyond their racist rhetoric around migrants, Farage and Reform want to make ordinary people pay for healthcare, driving the last nail in the coffin of the NHS. »
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