Local press baring their teeth

Nigel Farage at Ipswich Town - Questions the club must answer

Today, the EADT and Ipswich Star are calling for answers from Ipswich Town Football Club and chairman Mark Ashton over Nigel Farage and Reform's controversial visit to Portman Road.
The stunt, which saw Farage use the club for political gain, has divided the Town fanbase at a critical time of the season, with Kieran McKenna's men bang in the fight for automatic promotion back to the Premier League.
Sadly, the storm also threatens to overshadow this weekend's showpiece game at Portman Road for the Ipswich Town's Women's team.
But this is a storm of the club's own making. Yesterday, we called for an apology from Ashton and the Blues for allowing our football club to be used for political grandstanding.
Since then, however, new claims have emerged - as reported by The Athletic - which suggest that not only was Farage invited by the club, but that Ashton and his right hand man Luke Werhun hosted him for lunch, and even printed six 'Farage 10' Town shirts which were gifted to him.
That's in contrast to what we were led to believe - that Reform didn't use the party or Farage's name when initially booking the private tour online and that a printed shirt was purchased rather than gifted.
So, with different versions of events flying around and Town being quoted by The Athletic as saying 'there are many mistruths and falsehoods' around their claims, we wanted to give them a chance to set the record straight.
Earlier today, we contacted Town's media team with seven questions we'd like the club or Ashton himself to answer.
We gave them a 4pm deadline to offer responses, but our request has neither been acknowledged or responded to.
So, in this public forum, we ask again. These are the seven questions we hope the club will answer, setting out the facts around the visit and putting to rest any mistruths once and for all.
1: We were initially briefed that Reform’s visit to Portman Road was neither official nor as the result of an invitation – rather, that they booked a stadium tour privately online and the club was unaware who had made the booking. Was that true?
2: It has been reported that Nigel Farage was invited to visit Portman Road by an associate of Mark Ashton. Is that correct and, if so, who was it?
3: Were the club’s owners made aware of Reform’s visit in advance?
4: Did Mark Ashton and Luke Werhun entertain Nigel Farage for lunch as reported?
5: The club initially claimed that the ‘Farage 10’ Ipswich Town shirt was purchased by Reform. It has since been reported that the club printed six ‘Farage 10’ Town shirts and gifted them to him for free. Which version of events is true?
6: Did Reform inform you of their intention to capture promotional content at the ground and was permission granted?’
7: Will Mark Ashton apologise to the Ipswich Town fans who have been upset by seeing their club used by Nigel Farage and Reform for political gain?
Chairman Mark Ashton, the man behind Town's extraordinary rebirth, has yet to speak publicly on the issue (Image: Ross Halls)
These are difficult questions to ask, and tough words to write. The EADT and Ipswich Star have long supported Ipswich Town Football Club, celebrating their successes and acting as a critical friend when required.
This is one of those times. Fans deserve answers, and we hope that the club take this opportunity to set the record straight.

Posted By: norwaay on March 27th 2026 at 22:47:40

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