Some fans leave soccer matches early to beat the traffic, others leave early to play concerts in Belgrade. That was Ed Sheeran’s excuse for leaving Ipswich Town’s first home match in the Premier League since before he was 15 years old and smoking hand-rolled cigarettes. He left Portman Road at half-time in the Tractor Boys’ 2-0 loss to Liverpool, but had spent the week before that being front-and-center of Ipswich’s promotional material ahead of the 2024/25 season. Anybody who didn’t know the pop star might have mistaken him for a new signing when the Premier League released a video of him driving around a field in a blue tractor singing Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back in Town.”
Sheeran has been sponsoring Ipswich Town’s shirt since they were in League One, the third tier of English soccer, and recently acquired a small stake in the club. Ahead of this new Premier League season, he has been more noticeable though, handing out pies and appearing in interviews on the club’s YouTube channel, with his song “Castle on the Hill”, which pays homage to the village he grew up in near Ipswich, used as the video’s backing track.
Ipswich aren’t the only Premier League club to collaborate with local rock stars this summer. The city of Birmingham could argue that it is the birthplace of the industrial revolution and the industrial music genre of heavy metal. Aston Villa played on this by getting the Birmingham-born “Prince of Darkness” Ozzy Osbourne and his Black Sabbath bandmate Geezer Butler to launch the team’s new kit in a lighthearted video to the tune of Sabbath’s 1970 hit song “Paranoid.”
Neil Joyce, CEO of fan engagement consultancy firm CLV Group, says this “convergence of music, sport and stardom presents a huge opportunity for football clubs to both expand their brand reach and connect with previously locked or emerging fandoms.” This is often seen with the biggest stars and the biggest teams, such as Taylor Swift’s impact on the Kansas City Chiefs and American football in general, bringing in record-breaking numbers of female viewers.
Joyce highlights how Noel Gallagher designed the font for one of Manchester City’s shirts this season, and how Adidas and Manchester United have collaborated on lifestyle merchandise with the Stone Roses. He says that as clubs can use these crossovers to identify and convert new supporters, “leveraging these kinds of collaborations will be crucial for long-term success.” Arguably, the UK’s two main cultural exports are soccer and music. Many artists might be from London or Manchester, but clubs outside these cities can also use local artists to help create a narrative and character around the club that resonates with potential new fans while keeping true to their local roots. Rather than alienating existing fans, both Ipswich and Villa’s collaborations have reminded people of how connected they are with their local communities.
Further down the English soccer pyramid, other clubs are getting in on the act. Semi-professional side Northwich Victoria, in the North-West Counties Football League, the eighth tier of English soccer, played an FA Cup preliminary round match recently wearing a shirt themed on the town’s former resident Rupert Holmes’ 1979 hit “Escape (The Pina Colada Song).”
As Ipswich Town played their first Premier League game in 22 years on Saturday, Suffolk native, Ipswich fan and renowned musician Ed Sheeran was in attendance after becoming a stakeholder in the club, but he couldn't stay all that long. Starting the afternoon at Portman Road, Sheeran had to get to Serbia to perform in a sold-out concert in Belgrade on Saturday night. Being able to do both on the same day was a special moment surely, and while Sheeran may be disappointed about leaving early, it also means that he hasn't seen Ipswich trail in person yet this season as the first half ended 0-0. Liverpool would go on to win 2-0.
“I have to leave here at halftime because I'm playing in Serbia tonight,” Sheeran told TNT Sports ahead of the game. “We almost couldn't even come to the game but we had to.” Sheeran has been the club's shirt sponsor since 2021 and was able to be there for their first Premier League game since the singer was 11 years old. The Tractor Boys conceded two goals after the 60th minute of play, but it was still a valiant effort to contain Liverpool for so long, showing moments of promise as they look to fight for Premier League survival.
Next up for them is an away trip to the Etihad Stadium to face the reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, part of a cruel schedule to begin the campaign. In that match, new signing Sammie Szmodics could make his full debut after joining this week from Blackburn Rovers, but Kalvin Phillips won't be able to join him in the starting XI due to loan obligations.
