Ipswich Town Chairman Aims for 40,000-Seat Stadium Capacity

The chairman and chief executive of Ipswich Town has stated his aspiration to expand the club’s stadium capacity to 40,000. Mark Ashton further disclosed that the club is evaluating an extension to the West Stand at Portman Road. The Blues have already reached an agreement to acquire a substantial plot of land, which could facilitate the potential expansion of the Cobbold Stand, located on the opposite side of the venue. “The stadium has never been designed with an estate strategy in place,” Ashton informed The Blue Hour on BBC Radio Suffolk. He added, “We need to give supporters the best matchday facility and the best matchday hospitality and experience that we possibly can.” Ashton’s remarks were made in response to listener inquiries concerning the proposed redevelopment of the Cobbold Stand, which originates from the 1970s and constitutes the oldest section of Portman Road. “It’s on the to-do list – it’s not the top of the to-do list, I must be honest with you,” he commented. He elaborated, “Why? Because I’m certainly not going to take a stand down in the midst of a Premier League season, that’s just not the right thing to do.” Should the existing Cobbold Stand be demolished, 750 season ticket holders and 3,000 visiting fans would temporarily be without seating; however, the club has identified a potential resolution. Ashton continued: “There’s a train of thought that says ‘no’, the next development there is the West Stand.” “Which sees an increase in capacity in the West Stand, of surprise, surprise, circa 4,000 people.” He concluded, “So when you take down the Cobbold Stand people don’t lose their season tickets and they could move across.” Portman Road currently accommodates approximately 30,000 spectators. Ashton emphasized that there is no fixed timeline for extending either stand, partly because the reconstruction of the club’s training ground holds the highest priority. He indicated that a planning application for the Playford Road renovation is expected to be submitted to the local council within the next 10 to 14 days. Town has already implemented stadium enhancements for the current season, including extending the West Stand corridor, creating new executive lounges, increasing capacity for away fans, and expanding media facilities. More critically, the club is focused on the objective of avoiding the Premier League relegation zone, with an upcoming fixture against Tottenham on Sunday. “We’ve got to keep our eye on the prize and not be cut too thinly here with too many projects,” Ashton stated. The chief executive also expressed disapproval of VAR, particularly following controversial refereeing decisions during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Leicester City, when Ipswich’s Conor Chaplin had a penalty claim denied and Kalvin Phillips was dismissed with a second yellow card. For updates on Suffolk news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available for review.