Kieran McKenna and Mark Ashton have received accolades from Jake Zahnow and Sam Simon for their investment in Ipswich Town.
After being acquired by US investment group ORG, the Tractor Boys have had an incredible run of success, leading to both significant growth and on-field accomplishments for the team.
After hiring McKenna as the new head coach, they appointed Ashton as CEO. Over the previous two years, McKenna has done a fantastic job, leading the squad to the Championship the first time around.
| Championship Table (As it stands March 23rd) | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Leeds United | 38 | 42 | 82 |
| 2 | Leicester City | 37 | 41 | 82 |
| 3 | Ipswich Town | 38 | 31 | 81 |
| 4 | Southampton | 36 | 26 | 73 |
Ipswich currently sit third in the second division, and as they pursue their Premier League goal, back-to-back promotions are a very real possibility.
There were some questions raised when the club revealed on Friday that US private equity firm Bright Path Sports Partners had acquired a 40% ownership in the club in a deal valued at up to £105 million, since anything that could upset that setup would be cause for alarm.
New Ipswich Town figures send clear message
However, Zahnow and Simon stated in an interview with Town TV, which was cited by the East Anglian Daily Times, that they had no plans to make any significant changes, arguing that Ashton and McKenna were a big part of what drew them to the team in the first place.
“I’ve had the pleasure of being invited over by Mark [Ashton] and Ed [Schwartz] to the promotion game from League One into the Championship last year. That’s where my partner Phil [Ciano] and I got hooked on this particular club, this management team, and that was the beginning of a long journey that culminates here today,” said Zahnow.
“We love the management, it’s amazing. The manager, the history of the team, the potential for growth, passionate fans. Really, what’s not to like? They’re amazing people, and I always say that I invest in people, I invest in management. This was perfect for us as a sign of sport. Mark shared how much will be invested into the league, the players, the facilities, the training ground. We’re big believers in investing for the future, and this is not for one or two years, this is for 100 years and on. This team got started in 1878, so this is beyond us,” Simon added.
Ipswich Town’s future
It makes sense that there were concerns following this transaction, but considering the events of the previous few years, it’s safe to assume that the supporters will have faith in the club’s important players.
The remarks from the new investors are positive because they acknowledge the excellent job that has been done and that Ashton and McKenna will be crucial to Ipswich going ahead.
As investors, they will ultimately have enormous ideas, but in terms of building the brand and gaining more followers, everything revolves around what happens on the pitch.
Therefore, everyone associated with Ipswich will be concentrated on getting back to the Premier League. The goal is to accomplish that this season, and it would be some story if McKenna and the team could get it done in the next few months.