IPSWICH Town fans are resigned to a change of strip for next season complete with a fresh new logo.The club has now confirmed the playing shirts will be rebranded with the Powergen logo from the beginning of the 2003/4 season.

IPSWICH Town fans are resigned to a change of strip for next season complete with a fresh new logo.

The club has now confirmed the playing shirts will be rebranded with the Powergen logo from the beginning of the 2003/4 season.

The move follows last year's takeover of TXU Energi and will see the old brand name phased out by May.

The name-change will coincide with the introduction of the new first team strip, chosen by supporters.

A club spokesman said the shirts had got the "thumbs up" from players at the training ground, including our models Darren Ambrose and Darren Bent.

Captain Matt Holland said the new kit had gone down a storm with the players - particularly the long-sleeved shirts - but, he added, the real proof will be whether it is a hit with the fans.

Phil Ham, editor of the Independent Ipswich Town Website, TWTD, said: "You can't blame the club for TXU coming under new ownership. When you sign up with a sponsor, you have to sumbit to these things. They are right to make the away kit cheaper.

"I don't think the new logo particularly enhances the shirts. I think fans feel the shirts would be better without having logos emblazoned across them but it is a fact of football that clubs need the money that sponsorship brings."

For many supporters, the switch will mean shelving their old TXU Energi branded replica strips and saving up for the latest version.

The club has said there will be no price cuts on the new home strip as it has a policy of changing replica shirts every two years anyway.

There will, however, be an as yet undisclosed special offer on the Powergen away shirt, as the existing away shirts are only a year old.

All remaining stocks of the current away shirts will be offered at half price - £19.99 for adults and £14.99 for children. The deal will be offered in the club's three retail outlets, via the internet and by mail order. Fans were offered a price reduction when TXU Energi replaced Greene King, the previous main sponsor, two years ago.

Powergen have confirmed they are fully committed to the sponsorship of Ipswich Town Football Club, which also includes the Women's Team and the Community Project.

Paul Parmenter, Sales and Marketing Director at Powergen said: "We are very much looking forward to continuing the sponsorship of Ipswich Town and will work closely with all areas of the club, as well as the fans and the local media."

Paul Clouting, the Club's commercial Director, said the club realised it was "not ideal" to switch logos before the shelf life of the away kit had expired but had tried to provide value for money with deals on both the current replica shirt and the new model.

He added: "We are delighted that Powergen will be continuing the association started with TXU Energi."