During a surprise visit on Ipswich Town’s in-house TV station, Ed Sheeran drew a small blue pouch out of his pocket, and he could hardly wipe the smile off of his face.
Although the four-time Grammy winner is accustomed to receiving recognition for his work, it was evident that the League One promotion medal he was holding in the palm of his hand was particularly meaningful. Sheeran, who had sponsored Town’s front-of-shirt since the 2021–22 campaign, was able to claim his own piece of history as Kieran McKenna’s team achieved a record-breaking season in England’s third division in 2022–23. Sheeran was also listed as the club’s No. 17 in the official squad.
His recent association with the team has coincided with their achievements with the entry of the American investment company Gamechanger 20 in 2021; the club’s promotion to the Premier League last season marked the beginning of a much larger endeavor. Ipswich, who are now second in the Championship table behind Leicester City, are doing well already. Sheeran attended one of their 11 games this season—a 3-0 victory over Hull City at Portman Road in October.
The 32-year-old’s connection dates back to his early years, when he was raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, around 20 miles away from Ipswich. With a storied history dating back to 1962 when they won the First Division (now the Premier League) under Sir Alf Ramsey, the man who would go on to lead England to World Cup triumph in 1966, they are by far the biggest club in the area. After that, Ipswich won the FA Cup in 1978 and the UEFA Cup (now known as the Europa League) in 1981, both under the tutelage of the great Sir Bobby Robson. After losing their status as a premier league team in 2002, they had a difficult past up to the takeover in 2021, which highlighted Sheeran’s devotion to the team.
The club has benefited greatly from the relationship; record shirt sales have been linked to both the team’s on-field accomplishments and Sheeran’s sponsorship. The singer’s Equals album artwork was incorporated into the design of the third kit from last season, which was an all-black design that sold out on the first day of general sale and went on to become the club’s most popular shirt ever, with over 11,000 being purchased in the six weeks following its release.
