Ipswich Town's new home kit, sponsored by Suffolk singing superstar Ed Sheeran, has been unveiled.
The Blues' home kit for the 2021/22 season, for both the men's and women's first teams, features the symbols +, x and % - the titles of Sheeran's first three albums - as well as minus and equals symbols, above the word 'tour'.
The Adidas-manufactured shirt features distinctive navy pinstripes running through the front panel, with the shorts reverting to white, with the club’s shorts sponsor, Mortgagemove, on the back.
On the back, the shirts will continue to carry the 'thank you NHS' message that they did last season.
Supporters were given the opportunity to add that tribute to their replica shirts last season and many did, raising nearly £8,000 for the local NHS.
Fans will again have the chance to add the message for 2021/22 at the nominal cost of £3.50, with all proceeds going to the Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity.
To mark the on-going agreement, NHS staff from Ipswich Hospital joined Town first-team players and members of the Town women’s team to showcase the new shirt.
“Once again we thank Ipswich Town and their fans for their ongoing support," said Nick Hulme, chief executive of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Ipswich and Colchester Hospitals.
"The monies raised by fans so far have been used to purchase comfortable seating for a brand new staff rest space away from the wards which we are delighted to be opening in June.
“The opportunity for healthcare workers to be involved in the official photoshoot was very well received and we know the club will be supported by many of our colleagues when the new season kicks off in August.”
Sheeran, a long-time Town fan who has often been seen cheering the Blues on at Portman Road, told BBC Radio One last week how the deal came about.
He said: "I just enquired, and I was like 'Do you guys need a sponsor?' And they were like 'Yeah, for sure.'
"So it's been a cool process. It must have been around the end of the Divide tour, because we'd done the shirts with them.
"For the last Divide gig in Ipswich, I did an Ipswich Town kit with Divide on, and it must have been then that I asked.
"It's been a long process. It's been a long, long process."
Of the perks of being a sponsor, Framlingham's Sheeran added: “I do get a box (at Portman Road) but I have pushed the box back until after the tour.
"I’ve got a tour, I haven’t announced the tour yet, but the tour goes on for a while. I was going to have a box and not be able to see any games, so I’ve pushed the box to after the tour.
“I get a player tracksuit with my initials on, I get one of them. I saw the contract and you get given a load of shirts. I think it’s usually companies that do it so they have shirts for all their company’s [personnel], signed footballs if you want signed footballs.
“There’s all stuff like that. I don’t think I’m going to take them up on everything, but definitely the player tracksuit.
“I’ve got three schoolmates that are mad Ipswich Town fans, I want to get them in the tracksuits. We’re talking about doing away days in them, going to like Fleetwood and rocking up.”
The new shirt is now available for pre-order in the Planet Blue store and online at www.itfcshop.com and will be dispatched from the end of June.
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