Ipswich Town fans who stay local to the club for the next three years could be watching Premiership games for a fraction of the prices charged to other teams' supporters under a loyalty scheme launched today.

By Elvin King

Ipswich Town fans who stay local to the club for the next three years could be watching Premiership games for a fraction of the prices charged to other teams' supporters under a loyalty scheme launched today.

The scheme gives fans a huge new incentive to renew season tickets: if the Blues reach the Premiership by the 2009/10 campaign, their most loyal supporters will be able to watch the best players in the world for half what they are to pay next season.

Town have a three-year plan to return to the top flight by 2009, and there is a genuine belief that this is achievable.

And if so their fans will benefit.

The loyalty reward scheme launched by Ipswich today guarantees all 2007/08 season ticket holders a prize freeze for 2008/09 and 2009/10.

And if the Blues are promoted to the Premiership in either 2007/08 or 2008/09 the club will offer the following discounts off the frozen prices for the following campaign of top flight football:

- Current (2006/07) season ticket holders who renew for 2007/08 will get a 50% discount.

- New 2007/08 season ticket buyers will receive a 20% discount.

This Premiership pricing guarantee also applies to supporters who are five or ten-year season ticket or debenture holders.

The 'early bird' deadline has been put back a week to Friday April 27 to enable fans to have more time to consider their options.

If the new incentives work and targets are reached there will be no need for Town manager Jim Magilton to sell players in the summer.

He will be in a position where he can just offload those he feels are surplus to requirements.