- Ed Sheeran has bought a small 1.4% stake in Premier League club Ipswich Town
- Sheeran, 33, is a childhood fan of the club and is already the shirt’s sponsor
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Superstar singer Ed Sheeran has bought a minority stake in his boyhood club Ipswich Town.
Sheeran, 33, is a lifelong fan of Tractor Boys, who were promoted to the Premier League last season, and has sponsored the front of the club’s shirt for the past three years.
Ipswich have confirmed that the famous artist has acquired a 1.4% stake in the club. It is a passive minority investment, meaning he will not join the club’s board.
Sheeran broke the news on Instagram with a video of himself riding a tractor wearing the new Ipswich kit.
“I’m very happy to announce that I have purchased a small percentage of my hometown football club,” the pop star captioned the video.
Ipswich Town have announced that Ed Sheeran has acquired a minority stake in the club
Sheeran has been the front-of-shirt sponsor of the Tractor Boys since the 2021-22 season
The 33-year-old is regularly seen at Portman Road supporting his boyhood club
‘It’s every football fan’s dream to own the club they support and I’m so grateful for this opportunity.
‘I have lived in Suffolk since I was three. Although I travel the world and sometimes feel like an outsider in big cities, I have always felt part of the community and protected in Suffolk and Ipswich.
‘It’s such a joy to be an Ipswich Town fan, there are ups and downs but football is about the highs and the lows.
‘I am not a voting shareholder or a board member, this is just me putting some money into the club I love and them returning the favor, so please don’t bother me with suggestions or tactics to sign lol. I’m looking forward to the Prem starting this weekend.’
Sheeran is a four-time Grammy Award-winning artist who became a sponsor of the club when Ipswich were in League One.
In 2021, he initially signed a one-year contract to promote his Mathematics Tour on the front of the club’s shirt, a contract that was renewed each season.
Ipswich chairman Mark Ashton welcomed Sheeran’s investment in the Suffolk club.
“The support that Ed and his team have given us over the last three years has been nothing short of remarkable,” Ashton told the Ipswich club’s website. “Him making this investment in the club feels like a natural progression in our relationship.
“For one of the biggest artists in the world to give us so much time and give the club so much attention around the world, while asking very little in return, underscores what makes this relationship so special.”
In May, Sheeran partied with Ipswich Town players after the team secured promotion
The singer-songwriter sang his hits with the players as they performed alongside the star
In May, Sheeran flew back to England from New York to celebrate Ipswich’s promotion to the Premier League with the players.
The star gave the players a personal concert where they sang along to his 2017 hit, Shape of You, before serenading club manager Kieran McKenna.
Sheeran is expected to sing again on Saturday when Ipswich return to the top flight for the first time in 22 years, when they play Liverpool at Portman Road.