Portman Road, the home of Ipswich Town, may not have the same glamour associated with it as other sporting venues around the globe, but it’s good enough for pop superstar Ed Sheeran.

The reason Ed Sheeran supports Ipswich

Sheeran is undoubtedly the Tractor Boys’ most famous fan and even bought a minority stake (1.4%) in the club in August, such is his devotion to them. The 33-year-old was born in Yorkshire in Northern England but moved to Suffolk, the county in which Ipswich is located in the east of the country, when he was three years old.

Speaking to the club’s website after his acquisition was announced, Sheeran said: “I am really excited to have bought a small percentage of my home town football club. It’s any football fan’s dream to be an owner of the club they support, and I feel so grateful for this opportunity.

“I have lived in Suffolk since I was three years old and, while I travel the world and sometimes feel like an outsider in big cities, Suffolk and Ipswich have always made me feel part of the community and protected.

“This is just me putting some money into the club I love and them returning the gesture, so please don’t get on to me with signing suggestions or tactics to play!”

+–=÷× Tour: what does Ipswich’s sponsor mean?

Since 2021, Sheeran has sponsored the men’s and women’s jerseys, which are currently emblazoned with ‘+–=÷× Tour’ (pronounced the Mathematics Tour), the name of singer-songwriter’s current world tour, which started in Dublin in April 2022 and finishes in Dusseldorf, Germany in September 2025.

Ipswich were top division regulars in England in the 1970s and 1980s, even winning the UEFA Cup under future Barcelona manager Bobby Robson in 1981.

They had brief spells in the Premier League in the 1990s and early 2000s but until this season hadn’t played in the competition since their relegation at the end of 2001/02.