Rolling With The Punches

The Place Behind the Badge - Ep. 3

For every football club, there is a place and a community. Ipswich Town FC and Ipswich the Town have been neighbours for a long time. The club is undoubtedly the biggest export here and dominates the discourse. But is there more to one of the oldest towns in England than meets the eye? And could a sharing of the spotlight from the club help the town, in need of its own revival?
Featured Music: 
Station by Flores Blue
Ipswich by Ayo

Created by Richard Popple
Produced by 2020 Recordings
Supported by The Blizzard
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The game we love goes beyond scoring goals. Rolling with the Punches is a series where we explore, celebrate and challenge the role of football clubs in their local communities. 

When Ipswich Town Football Club, a storied old institution, dropped to the third tier of English football in 2019, they were in danger of becoming irrelevant. But a US takeover in 2021, propelled them to back-to-back promotions and a place in the Premier League, after 22 years in the wilderness.

Ipswich - a small provincial town - is suddenly a Premier League destination again, with a football club worth over 200 million pounds and owners keen to capitalise on the momentum built over the last three years. But the pressure and scrutiny is about to increase as the club scrambles to try and establish itself in the top division. For the town, in need of its own revival, this could be an opportunity it can’t afford to miss.

Created by Richard Popple
Produced by 2020 Recordings