IPSWICH Town chief executive Derek Bowden has said it would be 'tragic' if manager Jim Magilton was not given help to bring success back to the Blues.

By Elvin King

IPSWICH Town chief executive Derek Bowden said last night that it would be 'tragic' if manager Jim Magilton was not given help to bring success back to the Blues.

A scheme to reward season ticket holders is expected to be launched today, and Bowden said: “We would be left kicking ourselves in the summer if we had not given our manager all the help we can.

“We have listened to our supporters and put into place a new scheme that we are sure will be well received.

“If we had sat tight we would have put ourselves in a position where we would be regretting our actions come the summer.”

Letters will be dropping on the doormats of current Town season ticket holders today and tomorrow informing them of new incentives to stay loyal to the Blues.

The loyalty scheme will involve freezing season ticket prices for the next few seasons, starting in the 2008-09 campaign, it is understood.

And the deadline date for 'Early Bird' discount sales has been put back a week.

Bowden added: “Although our consistency on the field has proved frustrating there has been enough indication of the potential of a developing team.

“We are asking fans to help continue the manager's revolution and to help get the club back to the Premiership, and reward loyalty in return.

“We are facing significantly increasing costs and our business rates alone are set to increase by 18%.

“The market has changed since we made the original decision in January with our announcement coming in February.

“Since then the message from Premiership and Championship clubs has been to freeze or reduce prices. And we feel we should join the trend - and reward loyalty.”

Norwich have sold their full season ticket allocation for next season, and the Canaries have a waiting list.

The situation is different at Ipswich where the club has now been five years out of the Premiership.

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

If targets are reached there will be no need for 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.