IPSWICH Town's new chief executive Simon Clegg has revealed his five point vision for the club's future.

Derek Davis

IPSWICH Town's new chief executive Simon Clegg has revealed his five point vision for the club's future.

Speaking exclusively to the EADT, Clegg last night outlined his objectives publicly for the first time and explained the reasons behind the strategy.

He said: “Even before I came to the football club officially I visited a couple of times without people knowing and I thought about what the key issues for the club were.

“I came up with a five point plan, which I have not shared with anyone before because I wanted four or five weeks to be here to see what had been done before and to see if what I wrote on paper, would in theory hold water after I arrived. Quite frankly I feel it does and senior people at the club have bought into it.”

Clegg's five-star plan goes like this:

* Achieve promotion to the Premier League at the earliest opportunity.

* Ensure that as a result of owner Marcus Evans' investment that Ipswich Town remains better off than many other clubs in the Championship but also continues to operate on a tight financial model.

* Maintain and enhance the link between club and community.

* Enhance the Ipswich Town brand

* Make the academy pay dividends in terms of player development or transfer fees.

Underpinning those five pillars of the strategy are the Town supporters.

Clegg said: “The fans are a priority and I see that they fit in with both the community and within the brand.

“I'm sitting down with supporters' groups to see how we can build on the experience and build on the atmosphere inside the stadium.

“I'm committed to the philosophy that the fans can be the 12th man on the pitch.”

Clegg took over as chief executive at Portman Road from Derek Bowden last month and is seen as the public face of the club with new chairman and owner Marcus Evans maintaining his low profile.

* Read Clegg's vision in full in today's Green 'Un supplement.