The Office (UK): Ipswich Town edition

[redsquirrel]

9 minutes ago, One Team said:

If they go up I hope we give Ashton the reception he deserves at Ashton Gate.

need a retro bowyers pork pie day

[1960maaan]

9 hours ago, Southend Blue said:

Ashton's been part of a new set-up that at pitch level at least, has met with near total success.       I was wary at first when he came on board, read a number of things that made you question the appointment but seriously he's been part of a difference that you can't quite allow enough superlatives.   

Not just him but McKenna, the influx of the new players, getting rid of the poisonous Marcus Evans and the Yank takeover ownership - it's all come to eventual fruition.     We're having the best season since I'd estimate  2004 - 05, and back then Joe Royle was manager.      In the time in between it's been so uneventful and disappointing you'd have to be a true Town fan to comprehend the full measure of it.

Whatever you think  of us, think of Mark Ashton, take a moment to understand it's been near 20 years of epic failure.    We're on the verge of a first league promotion since 2000.       It's been a long hard hike and wait to finally celebrate something.   

I think most fans of wherever you find them or allegiance would allow us this one time to enjoy something.     Norwich City reprobates will have their mandatory sneer but that's to be expected.         We Look forward to seeing Bristol City at Portman Road next season.      It's not 100 per cent a promotion with two games remaining but it's so close it's as good as accomplished.     

 

The Ashton effect in full force. You signed nearly 40 players in 2 years with agents fees nearly £2M. (Google).
With us, it was the longer term , the accumulative effect of random signings without direction. He just love to sign players, seemingly any players. 
Hopefully you have had someone to reign him in, maybe the latest manager is more focused than Lee Johnson was. Now , after/if you get Promotion, he will be keen to start again and offloading players not good enough, in a weaker market will be difficult. I'll be interested to see how many you sign this year. 

I don't think many on here would hate , or even dislike Ipswich too much (maybe the odd one), it's all an Ashton thing. I bumped into some of your lot , based in Swindon, had a laugh on the train coming back from London. I thought Cook would get you going, I saw that as a good choice, and from an outsiders view (with no actual knowledge) it did look like Ashton could have been interfering again . Can't argue with the run you're on , good luck on promotion , and for Ashton I paraphrase an Arabian "blessing"

"May the Fleas of a Thousand Camels infest the crotch of Mark Ashton.... And may his arms be too short to scratch"

 

 

 

 

 

[redsquirrel]

and should dumbarton ever lose his way steamrollering fox poo with the gastards, may he join ashton and sink that ship together

[bpexile]

19 minutes ago, 1960maaan said:

"May the Fleas of a Thousand Camels infest the crotch of Mark Ashton.... And may his arms be too short to scratch"

 

 

 

 

 

And to quote my old gramps 

"May His Balls Turn Square & Fester On The Corners"

[Davefevs]

8 hours ago, Aipearcey said:

Especially interesting considering Ashton recently included their expected income from player trading when talking about profit and losses for this current season.

That was weird and complete bullshit to cover over the rise in costs that will be higher again when this seasin’s accounts come out, let alone next season’s.

[Northern Red]

2 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

That was weird and complete bullshit to cover over the rise in costs that will be higher again when this seasin’s accounts come out, let alone next season’s.

Yet entirely in keeping with how he operates.

Much like ensuring Lloyd Kelly's sale went into the end of one year's accounts to boost the numbers.

[sh1t_ref_again]

Sure MA is an intelligent bloke, you would have thought he would have learnt some lessons with FU he made here. But his huge inflated opinion of himself and ego probable thinks he did a good job, or at least sure that what he tells everyone

[2015]

Their fans are saying they're the best team League 1 has ever seen. They aren't even top 

[1960maaan]

32 minutes ago, Northern Red said:

Yet entirely in keeping with how he operates.

As I was told as a young apprentice, and how Ashton lives his life ....

Bullshit baffles Brains 

[luke_bristol]

1 hour ago, 2015 said:

Their fans are saying they're the best team League 1 has ever seen. They aren't even top 

Did we ever go 7 games without a win when we broke the League 1 points record and won the double?

[OneCity]

No, our worse run that season was going just 2 games without a win, which we managed on four separate occasions (three of them were 2 consecutive draws).

[Sleepy1968]

3 hours ago, One Team said:

If they go up I hope we give Ashton the reception he deserves at Ashton Gate.

That's the silver lining if they go up. I'm hoping we can dig out 'He's the meanest, he ...' for him. Granted he'll probably still go home thinking everyone loves him.

[One Team]

44 minutes ago, Sleepy1968 said:

That's the silver lining if they go up. I'm hoping we can dig out 'He's the meanest, he ...' for him. Granted he'll probably still go home thinking everyone loves him.

Section 82 banner needed for sure!

[italian dave]

4 hours ago, Northern Red said:

Yet entirely in keeping with how he operates.

Much like ensuring Lloyd Kelly's sale went into the end of one year's accounts to boost the numbers.

Because his objectives were all about the financial bottom line. 

I’ve long maintained that part of our problem was that we had two ‘bosses’, one with financial objectives, the other with football objectives, and didn’t align the two effectively. 

I think what will be interesting next season will be that the conflict between the two becomes much more critical at Championship level. It won’t just be about the cost of bringing in players at that level, as has already been mentioned. 

I think what will be more significant in the long term will be about outgoing players. At League 1 level (as we know) you can buy proven L1 players relatively cheaply, and unless they are really exceptional you’re unlikely to get big money offers from the really wealthy: Prem clubs or the championship clubs with parachute payments.

However, once you’re in the Championship, a proven player at that level could well attract bids from those sorts of clubs. And the prospect of suddenly losing players of the quality of Brownhill or Webster becomes real. For someone whose objectives are all about the financial bottom line that’s too big an opportunity to ignore. Even it it leaves you without a plan B when that player leaves. 

It would be interesting to get a feel from @Southend Blue as to whether he feels Ashton really wields the power and would be able to do that? 

[Bazooka Joe]

For as long as they have Mark Ashton at Ipswich Town, they will have few, if any, friends here.

Mr Smug's mismanagement of our affairs has not been forgotten or forgiven,

 

[maxjak]

It is a confirmation that Karma is a myth?   How someone like Ashton can emerge successful, is a terrible reflection of how life is crammed full of contradictions and absurdities......if there was any justice in this maelstrom of a planet.....then Ashton would be shovelling shit in a sewage farm?   Unkind?  Possibly?..............Justified?  Definitely......Ha!.

[Davefevs]

Well, well, well!

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/22159928/ipswich-chiefs-storm-efl-awards/

Ipswich's five players nominated for awards were in attendance in the capital alongside CEO Mark Ashton and COO Luke Werhun as well as the club's media team.

Once a C U Next Tuesday, always a C U Next Tuesday.

[Selred]

On 26/04/2023 at 17:51, Davefevs said:

Well, well, well!

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/22159928/ipswich-chiefs-storm-efl-awards/

Ipswich's five players nominated for awards were in attendance in the capital alongside CEO Mark Ashton and COO Luke Werhun as well as the club's media team.

Once a C U Next Tuesday, always a C U Next Tuesday.

Stay classy Mark

[IpswichFanInPeace]

Hi there all,

Firstly, ignore the ridiculous piece in The Sun! That should be a default position anyway, but the club knew Schumacher had won before, McKenna didn't attend, the club congratulated Schumacher and nobody stormed out. Our contingent left the ceremony at the end, but as this was close to this award being handed out, a Norwich fan who writes for The Sun has made this nonsense up.

I'd love to know what the issues you had with Ashton are. Since Day 1 at our club he's been incredible.

He reunited the fan base, got players out into the community, oversaw the recruitment of an amazing manager (a gamble), convinced disillusioned fans to return, oversaw phenomenal recruitment, including convincing many players with top Championship offers to buy into our project, has stayed out of the managers way, kept fans updated, delivered record gates, record season tickets (all in League One!), record shirt sales with massive international appear through a link  up with a global superstar, driven the further investment and redevelopment of large parts of the stadium and even on Tuesday night he got on the supporters coaches and thanked everyone personally.

We are almost ready to build a statue of the guy. He couldn't have been better at his job.

So forgive us if we aren't bothered about what he did at Ashton Gate which may have been either a) being made a scapegoat for the owner / directors or b) he genuinely made mistakes at your club which he learned from to our significant benefit.

If I found him in bed with my wife I'd tuck him in and bring him some cheese and biscuits.

COYB.

[elhombrecito]

51 minutes ago, IpswichFanInPeace said:

Hi there all,

Firstly, ignore the ridiculous piece in The Sun! That should be a default position anyway, but the club knew Schumacher had won before, McKenna didn't attend, the club congratulated Schumacher and nobody stormed out. Our contingent left the ceremony at the end, but as this was close to this award being handed out, a Norwich fan who writes for The Sun has made this nonsense up.

I'd love to know what the issues you had with Ashton are. Since Day 1 at our club he's been incredible.

He reunited the fan base, got players out into the community, oversaw the recruitment of an amazing manager (a gamble), convinced disillusioned fans to return, oversaw phenomenal recruitment, including convincing many players with top Championship offers to buy into our project, has stayed out of the managers way, kept fans updated, delivered record gates, record season tickets (all in League One!), record shirt sales with massive international appear through a link  up with a global superstar, driven the further investment and redevelopment of large parts of the stadium and even on Tuesday night he got on the supporters coaches and thanked everyone personally.

We are almost ready to build a statue of the guy. He couldn't have been better at his job.

So forgive us if we aren't bothered about what he did at Ashton Gate which may have been either a) being made a scapegoat for the owner / directors or b) he genuinely made mistakes at your club which he learned from to our significant benefit.

If I found him in bed with my wife I'd tuck him in and bring him some cheese and biscuits.

COYB.

Oh dear, he's got you hook, line and sinker.

[Lanterne Rouge]

2 minutes ago, elhombrecito said:

Oh dear, he's got you hook, line and sinker.

Yep. There is a pattern emerging here.........................................

[glynriley]

58 minutes ago, IpswichFanInPeace said:

Hi there all,

Firstly, ignore the ridiculous piece in The Sun! That should be a default position anyway, but the club knew Schumacher had won before, McKenna didn't attend, the club congratulated Schumacher and nobody stormed out. Our contingent left the ceremony at the end, but as this was close to this award being handed out, a Norwich fan who writes for The Sun has made this nonsense up.

I'd love to know what the issues you had with Ashton are. Since Day 1 at our club he's been incredible.

He reunited the fan base, got players out into the community, oversaw the recruitment of an amazing manager (a gamble), convinced disillusioned fans to return, oversaw phenomenal recruitment, including convincing many players with top Championship offers to buy into our project, has stayed out of the managers way, kept fans updated, delivered record gates, record season tickets (all in League One!), record shirt sales with massive international appear through a link  up with a global superstar, driven the further investment and redevelopment of large parts of the stadium and even on Tuesday night he got on the supporters coaches and thanked everyone personally.

We are almost ready to build a statue of the guy. He couldn't have been better at his job.

So forgive us if we aren't bothered about what he did at Ashton Gate which may have been either a) being made a scapegoat for the owner / directors or b) he genuinely made mistakes at your club which he learned from to our significant benefit.

If I found him in bed with my wife I'd tuck him in and bring him some cheese and biscuits.

COYB.

Best of luck to you chief. Maybe you’re right and he has learnt from all the mistakes and damage he did here. 

Wouldn’t expect you to be bothered what he did to us either. Just pray that history doesn’t repeat itself with you, none of us would be bothered if it did either. 

[Street red]

1 hour ago, IpswichFanInPeace said:

Hi there all,

Firstly, ignore the ridiculous piece in The Sun! That should be a default position anyway, but the club knew Schumacher had won before, McKenna didn't attend, the club congratulated Schumacher and nobody stormed out. Our contingent left the ceremony at the end, but as this was close to this award being handed out, a Norwich fan who writes for The Sun has made this nonsense up.

I'd love to know what the issues you had with Ashton are. Since Day 1 at our club he's been incredible.

He reunited the fan base, got players out into the community, oversaw the recruitment of an amazing manager (a gamble), convinced disillusioned fans to return, oversaw phenomenal recruitment, including convincing many players with top Championship offers to buy into our project, has stayed out of the managers way, kept fans updated, delivered record gates, record season tickets (all in League One!), record shirt sales with massive international appear through a link  up with a global superstar, driven the further investment and redevelopment of large parts of the stadium and even on Tuesday night he got on the supporters coaches and thanked everyone personally.

We are almost ready to build a statue of the guy. He couldn't have been better at his job.

So forgive us if we aren't bothered about what he did at Ashton Gate which may have been either a) being made a scapegoat for the owner / directors or b) he genuinely made mistakes at your club which he learned from to our significant benefit.

If I found him in bed with my wife I'd tuck him in and bring him some cheese and biscuits.

COYB.

You must ****ing hate your wife.

[Henry]

1 hour ago, IpswichFanInPeace said:

Hi there all,

Firstly, ignore the ridiculous piece in The Sun! That should be a default position anyway, but the club knew Schumacher had won before, McKenna didn't attend, the club congratulated Schumacher and nobody stormed out. Our contingent left the ceremony at the end, but as this was close to this award being handed out, a Norwich fan who writes for The Sun has made this nonsense up.

I'd love to know what the issues you had with Ashton are. Since Day 1 at our club he's been incredible.

He reunited the fan base, got players out into the community, oversaw the recruitment of an amazing manager (a gamble), convinced disillusioned fans to return, oversaw phenomenal recruitment, including convincing many players with top Championship offers to buy into our project, has stayed out of the managers way, kept fans updated, delivered record gates, record season tickets (all in League One!), record shirt sales with massive international appear through a link  up with a global superstar, driven the further investment and redevelopment of large parts of the stadium and even on Tuesday night he got on the supporters coaches and thanked everyone personally.

We are almost ready to build a statue of the guy. He couldn't have been better at his job.

So forgive us if we aren't bothered about what he did at Ashton Gate which may have been either a) being made a scapegoat for the owner / directors or b) he genuinely made mistakes at your club which he learned from to our significant benefit.

If I found him in bed with my wife I'd tuck him in and bring him some cheese and biscuits.

COYB.

That’s cute.

Just remember he won’t be fixing the roof whilst the sun is out.

[Tinmans Love Child]

1 hour ago, IpswichFanInPeace said:

Hi there all,

Firstly, ignore the ridiculous piece in The Sun! That should be a default position anyway, but the club knew Schumacher had won before, McKenna didn't attend, the club congratulated Schumacher and nobody stormed out. Our contingent left the ceremony at the end, but as this was close to this award being handed out, a Norwich fan who writes for The Sun has made this nonsense up.

I'd love to know what the issues you had with Ashton are. Since Day 1 at our club he's been incredible.

He reunited the fan base, got players out into the community, oversaw the recruitment of an amazing manager (a gamble), convinced disillusioned fans to return, oversaw phenomenal recruitment, including convincing many players with top Championship offers to buy into our project, has stayed out of the managers way, kept fans updated, delivered record gates, record season tickets (all in League One!), record shirt sales with massive international appear through a link  up with a global superstar, driven the further investment and redevelopment of large parts of the stadium and even on Tuesday night he got on the supporters coaches and thanked everyone personally.

We are almost ready to build a statue of the guy. He couldn't have been better at his job.

So forgive us if we aren't bothered about what he did at Ashton Gate which may have been either a) being made a scapegoat for the owner / directors or b) he genuinely made mistakes at your club which he learned from to our significant benefit.

If I found him in bed with my wife I'd tuck him in and bring him some cheese and biscuits.

COYB.

In a nutshell, Mark Ashton flogged all our best players season after season, spent the profits buying up lots of players on massive contracts who weren't as good, then left to join Ipswich, and it's taken nearly 3 seasons to sort the inflated, unbalanced and average squad situation out after skirting very close to the FFP limits.  Have I missed anything?

[Winterstoke toad]

1 hour ago, IpswichFanInPeace said:

Hi there all,

Firstly, ignore the ridiculous piece in The Sun! That should be a default position anyway, but the club knew Schumacher had won before, McKenna didn't attend, the club congratulated Schumacher and nobody stormed out. Our contingent left the ceremony at the end, but as this was close to this award being handed out, a Norwich fan who writes for The Sun has made this nonsense up.

I'd love to know what the issues you had with Ashton are. Since Day 1 at our club he's been incredible.

He reunited the fan base, got players out into the community, oversaw the recruitment of an amazing manager (a gamble), convinced disillusioned fans to return, oversaw phenomenal recruitment, including convincing many players with top Championship offers to buy into our project, has stayed out of the managers way, kept fans updated, delivered record gates, record season tickets (all in League One!), record shirt sales with massive international appear through a link  up with a global superstar, driven the further investment and redevelopment of large parts of the stadium and even on Tuesday night he got on the supporters coaches and thanked everyone personally.

We are almost ready to build a statue of the guy. He couldn't have been better at his job.

So forgive us if we aren't bothered about what he did at Ashton Gate which may have been either a) being made a scapegoat for the owner / directors or b) he genuinely made mistakes at your club which he learned from to our significant benefit.

If I found him in bed with my wife I'd tuck him in and bring him some cheese and biscuits.

COYB.

Ashton was a massive *** while at Ashton gate but it was all overseen by our owner Steve Lansdown who ran the club obliviously at the time and deserves majority of the blame . 
 

Ashton being at your club might come back to bite you but more than likely you’ll push on and be ok whilst our fans put all the blame on him instead of looking at our owner .

Gonna catch some massive bite back with the post but this club won’t get where we want to be ( premier league) with the Lansdowns making the decisions ( honestly hope I’m wrong )

[Son of Fred]

2 hours ago, IpswichFanInPeace said:

If I found him in bed with my wife I'd tuck him in and bring him some cheese and biscuits

If he were in bed with my wife, within half hour she'd have him mowing the lawn -

And no, that's not a euphemism.

[Davefevs]

@IpswichFanInPeace

go and read my post on TWTD…it’s all there.

Are you Churchman in disguise.

[LondonBristolian]

2 hours ago, IpswichFanInPeace said:

Hi there all,

Firstly, ignore the ridiculous piece in The Sun! That should be a default position anyway, but the club knew Schumacher had won before, McKenna didn't attend, the club congratulated Schumacher and nobody stormed out. Our contingent left the ceremony at the end, but as this was close to this award being handed out, a Norwich fan who writes for The Sun has made this nonsense up.

I'd love to know what the issues you had with Ashton are. Since Day 1 at our club he's been incredible.

He reunited the fan base, got players out into the community, oversaw the recruitment of an amazing manager (a gamble), convinced disillusioned fans to return, oversaw phenomenal recruitment, including convincing many players with top Championship offers to buy into our project, has stayed out of the managers way, kept fans updated, delivered record gates, record season tickets (all in League One!), record shirt sales with massive international appear through a link  up with a global superstar, driven the further investment and redevelopment of large parts of the stadium and even on Tuesday night he got on the supporters coaches and thanked everyone personally.

We are almost ready to build a statue of the guy. He couldn't have been better at his job.

So forgive us if we aren't bothered about what he did at Ashton Gate which may have been either a) being made a scapegoat for the owner / directors or b) he genuinely made mistakes at your club which he learned from to our significant benefit.

If I found him in bed with my wife I'd tuck him in and bring him some cheese and biscuits.

COYB.

Genuinely good luck to you and I sincerely hope you're right and he has learned from the mistakes he made at Bristol City. The issue for us wasn't the short term. In the early years of his time as CEO saw our best league finish for around a decade and a run to the League Cup semi finals. It's obviously hard to pick apart what he was and wasn't responsible for but the club did well and I think most of us thought we were getting closer and closer to a serious promotion push. The major issue is that, when that push didn't happen, we found we had an unbalanced, very large squad with a lot of players on long contracts who either weren't good enough, weren't fit enough or whose attitude wasn't what it should be and we found ourselves constrained in the transfer market by significant FFP issues. What made it worse is some of the basic structures you'd expect to be in place - such as around the scouting - did not seem to be there. It's taken three years and counting to unpick it all and our current manager - whilst not directly criticising Ashton - has expressed surprise at how entrenched and complex the issues were. 

I have no grudge at all against Ipswich and - bar obviously hoping we finish ahead of you because I want to finish ahead of everyone - wish you every success next season. But the caution I'd give from our experience is to enjoy what you're achieving now but ultimately judge him on the state he leaves you in in the long term. 

Edited April 28, 2023 by LondonBristolian

[Selred]

2 hours ago, IpswichFanInPeace said:

oversaw phenomenal recruitment

Haven't you sold or loaned out half the players Ashton brought in?