Ipswich Town - Pink 'Ed Sheeran' Shirt

Why I love the pink third shirt... @IpswichTown

Ok, so, a bit controversial here, but... I think it's great. I know. It is pink. VERY pink. I get that. Not the usual go-to colour. But... We are one of the last teams that I know of to actually release a pink 2nd or 3rd kit, and they're a clear winner with a large demographic. My wife wants one. My wife hates football shirts (which is awkward for our relationship, given I consider myself a collector/spotter/connoisseur/geek when it comes to shirts and badges).

And I hope Sheeran sells these at his concerts. Legions of fans from Toronto to Tokyo should be leaving his concerts clad in Ipswich shirts. But hear me out, a quick commercial opportunity isn’t the only reason this is a winner. We didn’t just lazily release a pink shirt to tick a box or to follow a trend like some teams have (*cough, cough,

@SouthamptonFC, cough cough).

Instead, we (I think tbf, it was actually Ed Sheeran who designed it?) made it PACKED, and I mean PACKED, with local Suffolk symbolism. The colour itself is Suffolk Pink (actually, it looks a bit brighter to me, but that's what it is supposed to be). Suffolk pink is a thing. You know it is. Drive for 15 minutes in any direction in the Suffolk countryside and you will see pink houses/cottages. It's a local tradition. The pink itself dilutes/graduates slightly as you go down, mimicking the Suffolk sunset - again - something we are famous for and people who visit always comment on.

Then, my favourite aspect, the silhouettes/skyline of Framlingham Castle and Wolsey Gate runs across the top of the shirt. This links it directly to the heart of our town and its history, as well as a nod to Sheeran's Castle on a Hill, which must be the only million-copy selling pop song about Suffolk.

Next up, there is a wave made up of 6 lines which represent the 60-mile historic Suffolk Coastal Path, which stretches all the way from Felixstowe to Lowestoft. I am desperate to walk this one day.

The last lines across the middle are the soundwaves created from the cheer of the crowd as players run out of the tunnel (and not the opening lines to Castle on a Hill, which my wife assumed, but nonetheless, it is a clear nod to the musical legacy of a certain Mr Sheeran too).

Sunsets and songs, cardinals and castles – it is Suffolk through and through. I challenge anyone to find another shirt from any other team that is so packed with local imagery. Proud to wear it. The only thing that would have improved it is a dead budgie lying down near the bottom somewhere.

Maybe felled by three throwing stars... or trophies, as we like to call them in Suffolk. #ITFC #Uppatowen