Ipswich Town Chairman Mark Ashton Describes Club’s Ascent as a ‘Rocket Ship’

Mark Ashton, Ipswich Town’s chairman and chief executive, has urged supporters to “ignore the noise” concerning the club and its manager, Kieran McKenna. This comes as the Tractor Boys endeavor to establish themselves in the Premier League following consecutive promotions. In an exclusive interview broadcast on BBC Radio Suffolk’s The Blue Hour, Ashton remarked: “We have got a very talented manager, who we worked very hard to re-contract in the summer. I think he made the right choice and the best choice to stay with us. He is a friend, a colleague and a top manager who will go and take this football club further.” Ashton continued, saying: “My job wasn’t really to persuade Kieran to stay – it was to point out the logic as to why we were the best fit for him. It was about focusing on right now and where this football club can be.” He also commented: “Some will say we are behind the other clubs in this league, but we are only behind them in time. Rome wasn’t built in a day. We haven’t come on a journey – we have built a rocket ship. We still have so much further to go and there are going to be blips in the road. This isn’t going to be smooth, we are in the biggest and best league in the world.” Ashton urged reflection on the club’s recent past, stating: “Let’s just remember where we were two years ago, when we were kicking off against Morecambe in League One at home with a half-empty stadium.” He concluded with a reminder: “We must not forget where we have come from.”