Ed Sheeran was “super happy” after Ipswich Town secured an immediate return to the Premier League in May 2026. He said sharing the success with friends and family was wonderful and that it lifted spirits in the area, according to BBC reporting. The record-related detail is about the popularity of Ipswich’s “Sheeran 17” shirts—not a record for the promotion itself.
How Ipswich Town secured promotion
Ipswich beat Queens Park Rangers 3–0 on the final day of the 2025/26 Championship season to finish second and earn promotion. The Premier League described the achievement as an immediate return, one season after Ipswich’s relegation, and the club’s third promotion in four years. The league’s 23 June 2026 retrospective recounts the campaign.
What Ed Sheeran said about the promotion
BBC reporting described Sheeran as “super happy” about Ipswich’s success. It said he called it wonderful to see the achievement with friends and family and said it had lifted the spirits of people in the area. The available BBC video result does not support a longer verified transcript, so those remarks should be understood as a brief reported reaction rather than an extended quotation.
Why Sheeran has a close connection to Ipswich
Sheeran is a lifelong Ipswich supporter. In August 2024, BBC Sport reported that he had bought a 1.4% stake in the club. Ipswich described the investment as “passive and minority”: Sheeran was not a voting shareholder or a board member. He had also sponsored the club’s shirts since 2021, as reported at the time.
Explaining his ties to the region, Sheeran told BBC Sport: “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.” He also called owning part of the club he supported “any football fan’s dream.” BBC Sport’s August 2024 report covered the investment and his comments.
#1 Best Overall
- Football Fan Badge design. Wear with pride as the blue army head back to the top in style.
- We can't read and we can't write but that don't really matter, we come down from Ipswich Town and we can drive a Tractor.
- Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
Why Ipswich gave Sheeran the number 17
Ipswich assigned Sheeran number 17 as a gesture of appreciation, matching his birthday, 17 February. The club did not assign him a shirt number for the 2024/25 Premier League campaign; BBC Sport explained that Premier League squad-number rules reserve numbers for first-team squad members. The number-17 tradition returned in later seasons. BBC Sport’s August 2025 explainer discusses the shirt number and its history.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What “record-breaking” means in this story
The record-related claim concerns shirt popularity. The Premier League reported in June 2026 that Ipswich’s “Sheeran, 17” shirts had been the club’s highest seller across the previous four seasons. BBC Sport had likewise described them in August 2025 as comfortably the club’s most popular shirts over the previous four seasons.
Rank #2
- Sports jersey design. Ipswich shirt for men, women, boys, girls, youth, kids, adult, and really any age who love England
- Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
Neither account gives a unit count, revenue figure, or sales table. The evidence supports a relative claim about the shirts’ popularity during that period; it does not establish that the shirts set a quantified all-time sales record, or that Ipswich’s promotion itself broke a record. The Premier League retrospective and BBC Sport’s explainer provide the reported sales context.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Wear with pride as the blue army return to the top. One for the Portman Road faithful.
- Funky street style design that the Dads, Mums and Kids will all enjoy cheering on the town.
- Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
Rank #4
- Unique established Ipswich England shirt features the original classic distressed athletic sports design & is a great way to show your hometown patriotic pride. Perfect gifts for those who love its charm & proud to be from Ipswich
- Vintage Ipswich England shirt with cool old school sports logo makes a great travel souvenir & gift. Also available on Mens Womens & Kids Tees, Hoodies & Sweatshirts. Click the brand link above to see more styles.
- Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
Rank #3
- Football Jersey design. Football design featuring white horse for the tractor boys, Uppa town!
- Wear with pride to celebrate Ipswich Town Tractor Boys after promotion.
- Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
