Ipswich, England, hopes football club’s success will revive local economy and community

English soccer is booming in the U.S. While little threat to the mighty NFL, millions of Americans are increasingly rabid fans of English clubs. Almost half of the teams in the Premier League are American-owned, including Ipswich Town, which has had a fairytale rise into the top tier since American investors took over. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports from Ipswich, his hometown.
Amna Nawaz:
English soccer is booming in the U.S. While little threat to the mighty NFL, much less the NBA or Major League Baseball, millions of Americans are increasingly rabid fans of English clubs. Almost half of the teams in England’s top division, the Premier League, are now American-owned, including Ipswich Town, which has had a fairy tale rise into the top tier since American investors took over.
For a very personal perspective, we sent special correspondent Malcolm Brabant back to Ipswich, his hometown, and to the stadium where he made his first ever broadcast at the dawn of radio — well, maybe a bit more recently than that. Oh, and it is football. He refuses to use the term soccer because, for a Brit, that would be blasphemy.
Here’s Malcolm.
Malcolm Brabant:
You may have Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, the Rose Bowl, the Astrodome, but, for me, the field of dreams will always be Portman Road.
Terry Butcher, Former Ipswich Town and England Defender: It just has this real good family feel. It’s a lovely place to live. It’s a one-club town.
Russell Osman, Former Ipswich Town and England Defender: The club has got its footballing identity back again.
Malcolm Brabant:
They were a towering partnership for both Ipswich and England, Russell Osman and Terry Butcher, who famously shared blood for his country.
Terry Butcher:
The whole county loves watching Ipswich Town Football Club play. So, yes, it’s part of your soul. And as the old saying goes, it’s part of your DNA.
Stacie Chenner, Ipswich Town Fan:
The atmosphere is incredible. It’s something that we watched as a kid. We saw the generation grow up Premiership. Now it’s their time to enjoy it, so that’s good.
George Ketteringham, Ipswich Town Fan:
It’s living a dream, a dream that I was dreaming upon when I was a child. Football is everything, and this club is everything to me.
Malcolm Brabant:
The team’s shirt sponsor and minority stakeholder is a local lad by the name of Ed Sheeran.
Ed Sheeran, Musician:
People like success stories like this. It is a grassroots club. And it just feels like it’s lifted up the town as well. Like, Ipswich has gone through some tough years, and this feels great for the area.
Malcolm Brabant:
Ipswich is the town where I went to school, misspent my youth and, to be honest, got away from as quickly as possible.
This region is a rural backwater. The clue is in the nickname of the football team, the Tractor Boys. After an absence of 22 years, Ipswich are back in English football’s top tier, the Premier League. Hard to believe after this performance four seasons ago, which gave tractors a bad name. Ipswich are in blue.
When Chris Barclay and I were schoolmates, our team was one of England’s best, but in 2019 Ipswich hit rock bottom.
Chris Barclay, Ipswich Town Season Ticket Holder:
There was a season a few years back where the football was dire, it was negative, and I described it as random acts of football. There was no thought behind it. It was an insult to your intelligence. I did think about giving up my season ticket then, but I’m so glad I hung on, because since we have got our new manager, it’s been uphill all the way.
(Cheering)
Malcolm Brabant:
And this is the moment in may when Ipswich secured Premier League status after back-to-back promotions from the third and second tiers.
The architect of that success is Kieran McKenna, a young coach from Northern Ireland regarded as a genius by his players and the club’s American financial backers.
Do you think American drive has made a difference?
Russell Osman:
No, I don’t think so. I think it’s just the fact that the Americans have this attitude that if everything’s going well, we will keep backing you. He’s repaid them in the way that he’s got the team playing. He’s got the supporters back at Portman Road.
Malcolm Brabant:
One of Kieran McKenna’s gifts has been to transform players from the lower echelons into all-conquering heroes.
Has everybody got the potential to be a star, do you think, with the right handling?
Kieran McKenna, Ipswich Town Manager:
I don’t think so. I think, if I understand the question, I don’t think star is the word. I think everyone has the potential to improve and everyone has the potential to develop. And not many people are operating at their maximum capacity every game, whether that’s physical reasons, technical reasons, mental reasons, tactical reasons.
So it’s trying to help the players in each of those areas and in an environment that is built to support them.
Malcolm Brabant:
McKenna’s greatest challenge in the top flight is competing against clubs with vast budgets and world-class players. He’s recruited relatively inexpensive players from lower divisions with huge potential such as defender Jacob Greaves.
Jacob Greaves, Ipswich Town Defender:
I can already definitely feel that he’s improved me already in a short space of time.
Malcolm Brabant:
But schoolboy errors like this could come back to haunt Ipswich Town at the end of the season.
Oh, well. Time to talk to the old enemy.
Mick Dennis, Sports Journalist:
I’m a Norwich City supporter. Welcome to my home.
Malcolm Brabant:
Thank you so much.
I have known top sports reporter Mick Dennis for 50 years. His main character flaw is that he supports Norwich City, Ipswich Town’s great rivals in Eastern England, who are currently in the second tier. Dennis keeps his Norwich memorabilia in the smallest room, which Ipswich fans would say is the perfect place.
Mick, how much does it hurt you as a Norwich supporter that Ipswich are doing so well?
Mick Dennis:
Well, it’s a matter of supreme indifference to me, because they haven’t beaten Norwich for 5,712 days, not that I’m counting.
(Laughter)
Mick Dennis:
I think it’s extremely difficult for promoted teams. Last season, the three promoted teams came straight back down again. Enjoy the ride at the moment.
Malcolm Brabant:
Success has cascaded to the Greyhound public 10 minutes walk from the stadium.
Katie Moy, Ipswich Town Fan’s Wife:
I’m a football widow.
(Laughter)
Malcolm Brabant:
Because?
Katie Moy:
Because Ipswich — well, Ipswich, in through the dark ages and the times, he was very dedicated fan. And now they’re in the Premiership, football comes first.
Malcolm Brabant:
What’s the change like?
Tom Mallett, Ipswich Town Fan:
Oh, it’s huge. Now I have actually got that buzz before a game, sort of leads up a couple of days before the actual kickoff.
Malcolm Brabant:
Landlord Danny Lightfoot relishes the transformative power of sport.
Danny Lightfoot, Landlord, The Greyhound Public:
Oh, it’s amazing for us. The ground is sold out every game. So we’re packed. All the pubs in town are the same before and after the games. It’s been great for the economy, great for us, just a great boost for the business.
Malcolm Brabant:
But on the days when there’s no football, Ipswich Town center is moribund. For example, its most historic building, the Ancient House, where I bought school books, is empty, as is a former old-fashioned gentleman’s outfitters, where I was sacked for my negligent attitude to the clientele’s inside leg measurements.
Neil MacDonald is the leader of Ipswich Council.
Neil MacDonald, Leader, Ipswich Borough Council:
We definitely would like to bring more business here. And part of bringing business here is to have a successful football team, a successful nightlife, successful culture offer. And all that helps attract and retain people in the town.
Malcolm Brabant:
When I lived here, Cornhill, the central square, was bustling. Not anymore.
Sophie Alexander, Ipswich Chamber of Commerce: The main square should be the central hub of this town. We should be trying to create an atmosphere, like every other European city.
Malcolm Brabant:
Sophie Alexander of the Chamber of Commerce believes Ipswich would thrive if this square was ringed with bars and restaurants.
Sophie Alexander:
It could be internationally renowned. We’re missing out on a huge element of the tourism, the visitor economy. And this place could be so much more than what it is.
Malcolm Brabant:
One of the main obstacles is this store, which once sold my school’s uniforms. It’s been empty for 12 years. The owner is from Dubai.
Sophie Alexander:
It’s a unit that’s prime location, and the owners won’t look to sell it to anybody that wants a late night or an alcohol license.
Neil MacDonald:
It’s been a nightmare, really.
Malcolm Brabant:
The council is hoping to break the impasse by invoking powers compelling the owner to sell.
Neil MacDonald:
It’s so frustrating, when we work very hard to improve the town, around the town.
Malcolm Brabant:
Regenerating Ipswich will take time. So the town desperately needs the football club to remain in the top flight. With Kieran McKenna at the helm, there’s always hope.
But as English football supporters know all too well, it’s the hope that often rips you apart.
For the “PBS News Hour,” I’m Malcolm Brabant in Ipswich.