Fans and players celebrate Ipswich Town promotion at Christchurch Park

Summary

Fans gathered in Christchurch Park to celebrate Ipswich Town's promotion to the Championship
Players, manager Kieran McKenna and staff were on stage during the two-hour event
Ipswich ended the season on Sunday with a 2-2 draw at Fleetwood
Ipswich Borough Council said about 10,500 fans attended the event

Live Reporting

They think it's all over...published at 14:19 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
The players have gone and the fans are making their way out of the park.
Daniel Burton, 28, from Ipswich, is a lifelong Town fan and is helping with the clean up.
“It’s been a great day," he said.
"It’s nice to see something positive here."
Thanks for being with us - you can listen again to BBC Radio Suffolk's special broadcast from the celebration on BBC Sounds.
Image source, James Hore/BBC
Image source, Rachael McMenemy/BBC
Official attendance: About 10,500published at 14:13 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
The council said the official attendance at Christchurch Park was about 10,500 - here are some more pictures of fans from the event.
Image source, James Hore/BBC
Image caption,
Matt Glading and son Josh came from Frinton-on-Sea
Image source, Rachael McMenemy/BBC
Image caption,
Elsie-May Driver, pictured with her dad Michael, said she went to her first match mid-season and thinks she will now be a lifelong fan
Image source, Stuart Howells/BBC
Image source, Stuart Howells/BBC
Next up the Premier League?published at 14:05 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
James Hore
BBC News
Image source, James Hore/BBC
One last word from CEO Mark Ashton, who I asked whether he's daring to dream of the Premier League.
"It's a lot of hardwork but the work starts now. Kieran has said quite clearly we'll attack the Championship.
"It's a tough decision but we'll be ready to go come the start of the season."
Ipswich Town women: 'We'll dust ourselves down'published at 14:01 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
While today has been a chance to celebrate the success of Ipswich's men's team, it was almost a double celebration.
Yesterday, Ipswich Town's women managed to beat Oxford United 1-0 but missed out on the league title, and the chance for promotion, on goal difference.
Manager Joe Sheehan was at Christchurch Park, and told BBC Radio Suffolk: "It's been a great season for us.
"I couldn't help but stand there wondering what it would have been like had we been able to join the men on stage and celebrate our own promotion.
"But we’ve done ourselves proud I think and we’ll dust ourselves down and look forward to next year."
Kieran McKenna: It's a wonderful clubpublished at 13:57 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
Speaking on stage earlier, Kieran McKenna told the crowd he was grateful to have been given the chance to manage Ipswich.
Media caption,
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna thanks club and supporters
Mark Ashton on McKenna appointmentpublished at 13:54 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
CEO Mark Ashton told the crowd about the club's decision to try and lure Kieran McKenna to Portman Road.
Media caption,
Ipswich Town chief executive talks about team's manager
Mark Ashton: 'See you in the Championship'published at 13:47 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
Town CEO Mark Ashton has had the last word, where he thanked the fans and said he’d been told "the best part of 11,000 fans" were there today.
He said the “journey has not finished” and ended with "see you in the Championship".
Image source, Stuart Howells/BBC
Group photo ahead of departurepublished at 13:42 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
Backstage, the players are having a last few photos before they make their way to the coaches and off on their holidays.
Image source, Stuart Howells/BBC
Lots of hugs as players chat to fanspublished at 13:40 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
James Hore
BBC News
A crowd has gathered at the rear of the stage area and some of the players are at the fence to sign autographs.
There’s a lot of hugging back stage as the players prepare to say goodbye.
Image source, Rachael McMenemy/BBC
Wes Burns looking festival readypublished at 13:39 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
Image source, Stuart Howells/BBC
Players pose for picturespublished at 13:37 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
James Hore
BBC News
The players pose for pictures on the stage as the crowd continue to sing.
As the players leave the stage they clap the fans once again.
Image source, James Hore
Richard Keogh leads rendition of Sweet Carolinepublished at 13:35 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
James Hore
BBC News
Richard Keogh takes the microphone to lead the rendition of Sweet Caroline. It’s going off down at the park.
Image source, Stuart Howells/BBC
Nathan Broadhead taking it in his stridepublished at 13:33 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
Depeche Mode's Just Can't Get Enough has been adopted by Ipswich fans and rejigged to include the name of January signing Nathan Broadhead.
It's had more than a few plays over the speakers today.
Image source, Stuart Howells/BBC
Players applaud the fanspublished at 13:31 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
As the players applaud the crowd, Simon Milton says: "We celebrate together, what a fantastic season.
"Your support has been absolutely amazing."
Image source, Stuart Howells/BBC
Image source, Stuart Howells/BBC
Club drummer leads a singalongpublished at 13:30 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
Ipswich fan Nathan Parris was in the news last month. He can be heard at matches banging his drum to support the players, but lost an instrument during a goal celebration.
Town defender Harry Clarke stepped in to buy him a replacement.
The drummer took to the stage at Christchurch Park to lead the crowd in some renditions of some favourite songs from the terraces.
Image source, Stuart Howells.BBC
Chaplin proud to be part of community trustpublished at 13:20 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
James Hore
BBC News
Image source, Stuart Howells/BBC
Conor Chaplin tells the crowd how proud he is to be one of the members of the club’s community trust.
He talks about how the players have been working in the community and how it’s not always in the spotlight.
He says he’s had an "amazing season" - "it’s been so enjoyable".
Chaplin said he remained confident in the lads "even when people maybe lost a bit of faith at times".
Harry Clarke: 'It's a dream come true'published at 13:17 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
Defender Harry Clarke, who rejoined the club in January, said winning promotion with the club he supported as a boy was "a bit special, it’s a dream come true really".
"When I was younger I used to come to all the games,” he said. “It wasn’t a packed stadium and obviously to have that back now and the general feel around the town, to have this amount of people here supporting us today – it’s incredible.
"We’ve been in an incredible run which is hard to do in football, especially in this league.
"I don’t think there was one time I thought we weren’t going to do it."
Morsy shares lifting of trophy with young fanpublished at 13:13 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
Freia Beeson-Cocks, a young fan who has been battling leukaemia, went on the stage and shared the lifting of the second place trophy with captain Sam Morsy.
Image source, Stuart Howells/BBC
Image source, Stuart Howells/BBC
The view from the stagepublished at 13:10 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
Stuart Howells
BBC Radio Suffolk
Image source, Stuart Howells/BBC
All smiles as attackers pose with cuppublished at 13:08 British Summer Time 8 May 2023
Conor Chaplin topped the League One scoring list for the season, with 26 goals, but Town's number nine Freddie Ladapo had an impressive first campaign for Ipswich.
The striker got 17 league goals, even though his starts were reduced after the arrival of George Hirst in January.
Image source, Stuart Howells/BBC