Ed Sheeran joins the rounds of celebrities taking stakes in Premier League teams. The singer-songwriter bought a 1.4% stake in his hometown club, Ipswich Town, newly promoted Premier League after 22 years.
The four-time Grammy Award winner has sponsored the club since 2021, their League One Days. The musician’s sponsorship of Ipswich Town FC features a unique kit logo with mathematical symbols from his album titles (“+,” “x,” “÷,” and “=”) and the word “Tour.” Sheeran also sponsors the women’s team, which competes in the third tier.
Sheeran’s minority ownership through Gamechanger 20, a US-based investment firm that acquired The Tractor Boys in April 2021, demonstrates his commitment to his lifelong club.
How far can Ipswich Town go in the Premier League?
The Suffolk team finished second in the Championship last term, earning them Premier League promotion. It’s their first time back in the big league in 22 years.
“I am really excited to have bought a small percentage of my hometown football club,” 33-year-old Sheeran told the club website. “It’s any football fan’s dream to be an owner of the club they support, and I feel so grateful for this opportunity.
“I have lived in Suffolk since I was three years old and, while I travel the world and sometimes feel like an outsider in big cities, Suffolk and Ipswich have always made me feel part of the community and protected.”
“It’s such a joy to be a fan of Ipswich Town. There are ups and downs but football is all about taking the highs and the lows. I’m not a voting shareholder or a board member, this is just me putting some money into the club I love and them returning the gesture, so please don’t get onto me with signing suggestions or tactics to play! ”
Although most Premier League predictions have Ipswich finishing in the relegation zone, Tractor Boy fans have a right to be bullish on the club’s chances this year. They have one of the spiritual and financial backing of one of the world’s biggest pop artists.
“I think we’re going to win that one,” said the musician on his team’s opening weekend matchup against Liverpool.
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