As a lifelong supporter of Ipswich Town, I’m deeply ashamed that Nigel Farage had the red carpet rolled out for him during a visit to Portman Road that should never have happened.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll be aware that Town have become a national laughing stock after allowing the Reform leader to swan around the famous old stadium on Monday. He was pictured grinning from ear to ear while posing in the media suite, as well as sitting in the dressing room where shirts bearing his name had been carefully placed behind him.

This is a truly terrible look for a club which has been known for its progressive, inclusive and family-oriented nature for as long as I have been supporting them.

Now, they have right-wing populists strolling around the place to film cheap political content for social media. It goes against everything the Blues have historically stood for.

Farage’s visit has sparked an overwhelming backlash among supporters and it’s not hard to understand why. Only a few decades ago, fans in the North Stand could be heard chanting ‘Ipswich lives in racial harmony’ on a regular basis.

Fast forward to now and it seems the club is happy to treat right-wingers like royalty, and I’m not talking about the likes of Wes Burns and Kasey McAteer.

Perhaps the most infuriating part was the weak and pathetic official response, which seemed to change throughout Tuesday as the club slowly realised the gravity of their mistake.

Initially, local outlets including the East Anglian Daily Times and TWTD reported that Ipswich stressed they had no official involvement in Farage’s visit. It was claimed that he had been booked onto a stadium tour, like any paying customer, rather than being invited.

Later on, in a wishy-washy statement, the Blues said that representatives from a range of political parties had been hosted over the years and that the club ‘remains apolitical’.

Then, to the surprise of absolutely nobody, it was reported by The Athletic that an invitation to Farage had in fact been extended by an associate of a senior club official.

It’s hard not to feel disrespected by your own team over these misguided attempts to minimise the backlash they absolutely deserve from their loyal base of supporters, who rarely go up in arms without a very good reason.

A football club aligning itself with any political party is never a smart idea, but it’s even worse when a party that stands against the values of inclusivity and equal opportunity is welcomed with open arms.

It’s also painfully ironic that this was allowed to happen just two days after those very values were championed at the annual Foundation Fixture against Millwall over the weekend.

It really pains me to say this, but I feel ashamed to be a Town supporter at the moment. Fans of other teams have messaged me to ask what on earth the club was thinking, but I haven’t been able to provide any answers.

All I can do is wonder why anybody thought it would be a good idea to allow it. No positives were ever going to come from letting Farage through the door. Honestly, I’d rather they had invited Delia Smith.

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