It was a party political stunt that has turned into a strange football row.<\/p>\n
On Monday, Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK and long-time ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, went to Ipswich Town Football Club\u2019s Portman Road stadium to shoot promotional content.<\/p>\n
Farage, who was in the area to help launch his party\u2019s campaign for May\u2019s local elections, posed for a series of pictures and shot a video of himself in which he wished the club good luck in their bid to win promotion to the Premier League. The video was met with significant backlash from a section of the club\u2019s fanbase on social media.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday morning, Ipswich told\u00a0The Athletic that Farage, 61, had not been formally invited to the stadium and that no club official was present to greet him. The Athletic, however, has seen evidence that the invitation to Reform and Farage was extended by an associate of a senior club official.<\/p>\n
Ipswich did not respond directly to\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s requests for comment but issued a subsequent statement saying, \u201cThe club remains apolitical and does not support or endorse any individual or party.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Athletic explains the background to one of the season\u2019s more curious stories.<\/p>\n
What did Farage do?<\/strong><\/p>\n Reform UK, a right-wing populist party founded in 2018, is cranking up its campaigning for May\u2019s local elections, widely seen as the country\u2019s biggest political moment of the year. The party has been tipped to make significant gains.<\/p>\n According to the latest YouGov polling, Reform, which has only eight members of parliament, is leading on general election voter intention, securing around 25 per cent. That has fallen from a high of 29 per cent in May last year (other polls by different companies had them comfortably above 30 per cent), but still gives them a sizeable poll lead.<\/p>\n Reform has targeted success in the local elections for Suffolk County Council and Ipswich Borough Council, both of which are taking place on May 7, and has been campaigning hard in the area.\u00a0The BBC<\/a> reported on Monday that Farage had to abandon a planned walkabout in Felixstowe, a coastal town 12 miles south east of Ipswich, due to an anti-Reform protest, but a rally at Trinity Park in Ipswich did go ahead on Monday night.<\/p>\n Before that, Reform teased its visit to Ipswich Town via X, posting \u2018Portman Road awaits\u2019 alongside three photos.<\/p>\n Portman Road awaits. \ud83c\udfdf\ufe0f \ud83d\udc40 pic.twitter.com\/1s9TpsINQd<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Reform UK (@reformparty_uk) March 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n It was not until Tuesday morning, however, that it became clear to what extent the stadium had been used. Farage posted photos of himself in the dressing room, where he was sat in front of \u2018Farage 10\u2019 Ipswich shirts, along with one by the side of the pitch and signing a mock contract.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve never been too bad on the right wing. \u270d\ufe0f\u26bd\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/edW9hulPrO<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) March 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n On Tuesday afternoon, Farage uploaded a more in-depth video from his visit, even quipping that he has eyes only on 10 Downing Street, rather than any potential managerial vacancy at the football club.<\/p>\n Best of luck to Ipswich Town Football Club for the rest of the season. \ud83d\udc4f pic.twitter.com\/WmrGYJrpru<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) March 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Has Reform broken any rules?<\/strong><\/p>\n The Electoral Commission, the UK\u2019s independent body that oversees elections and regulates political finance, does not have any regulations regarding the use of stadiums to generate campaign material, and politicians using them to promote their messaging is nothing new.<\/p>\n Sir Keir Starmer, the UK Prime Minister, made multiple stops at football clubs in the run-up to the general election in July 2024, even launching his campaign<\/a> from Priestfield Stadium, the home of League Two Gillingham.<\/p>\n In October, The Athletic explored how politicians, particularly on the right, have identified England\u2019s national game as an effective way of boosting their \u2014 or their party\u2019s \u2014 popularity on the campaign trail.<\/p>\n Before their party conference late last year, Reform launched a \u2018Reform FC\u2019 football shirt with \u2018Farage 10\u2019 printed on the back, which retailed for \u00a339.99 ($53). Shirts signed by Farage were priced at \u00a399.99.<\/p>\n So why was Farage\u2019s visit to Portman Road potentially controversial?<\/strong><\/p>\n Reform may be leading the polls in the UK but it is also divisive.<\/p>\n It has, for example, a hardline stance on illegal immigration, with its website stating a \u201cclear and uncompromising plan to remove all illegal migrants from the UK\u201d.<\/p>\n This particular policy is titled \u201cOperation Restoring Justice\u201d and would see them \u2014 if elected as the UK\u2019s next government \u2014 opt to \u201cleave the European Convention on Human Rights and repeal the Human Rights Act\u201d. Before the 2024 general election, it also pledged to scrap the UK\u2019s net-zero target on greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n It has also been a vocal opponent of what it termed \u201cwoke ideology\u201d in its 2024 election manifesto<\/a>.<\/p>\n Have Ipswich said anything?<\/strong><\/p>\n On Tuesday morning, Ipswich declined to comment on the record, although a club source said Farage was not formally invited to attend Portman Road.<\/p>\n They say it was a private tour \u2014 booked through Portman Road Events \u2014 and they had no knowledge at the time of booking that it was for the leader of Reform.<\/p>\n The same source stressed that there was no official club involvement, nor was he there to meet a senior official during his visit, which they said lasted around 30 minutes. That version of events was reported by other sections of the UK media<\/a>.<\/p>\n But evidence provided by a Reform source contradicts this version. The Athletic has seen a message sent by an associate of a senior club figure to a Reform official asking for a meeting with Farage during his visit to the town.<\/p>\n Ipswich did not respond to The Athletic\u2019s request for comment but issued a statement at 5pm (1pm ET). It read: \u201cIpswich Town Football Club has, over several years, hosted representatives from a range of political parties. The club remains apolitical and does not support or endorse any individual or party.<\/p>\n \u201cThe club will continue to engage with representatives from across the political spectrum as part of its role within the community. Ipswich Town is proud to be an inclusive, diverse, and welcoming organisation that supports all members of the local and wider community. This commitment remains unchanged.\u201d<\/p>\n Feeling very let down by our club. pic.twitter.com\/PcxQtjoNgU<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Rainbow Tractors (@RainbowTractors) March 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Craig Forrest, the former Canada international goalkeeper who played over 300 games for Ipswich between 1985 and 1997, posted on his social media account<\/a>: \u201cI don\u2019t remember a single politician ever being hosted by the club.<\/p>\n \u201cITFC can\u2019t say they are proud to be inclusive, diverse and welcoming then host someone that is completely against those values?\u201d<\/p>\n\n
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