Skip to main contentEnter

Portman Road ranks as second-safest stadium among top clubs

News

According to recent arrest data, Ipswich Town's Portman Road has been named the second-safest stadium among England's twenty-five most-supported football clubs.

Ipswich Town Football Club – Welcome to Portman Road
Portman Road has been named the second-safest stadium among England's twenty-five most-supported football clubsHolly Williams

Portman Road has long been described as a metaphorical "fortress" because of the players' on-field performances. Now, research by Get Licensed suggests that it's also a fortress for the fans' off-field performances, too.

Why it matters: Portman Road's low arrest rate highlights the club's excellent fan culture and commitment to fan safety and positive match-day experiences.

Safest stadiums of England's top 25 most-supported clubs based on number of arrests

By the numbers:

  • Ipswich Town recorded 0.12 arrests per 10,000 supporters during the 2022/23 season

  • There were only seven arrests made at the stadium throughout the season

  • Only Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park had a lower rate at 0.06 arrests per 10,000 fans

The big picture: The data comes from a study of arrest rates at England's top 25 most-supported clubs based on attendance figures.

Between the lines: The low arrest rate indicates effective security measures and highlights the club's positive fan culture.

Looking ahead: The club's safety record outperformed all but one Premier League club last year.

Some will rightly point out that there's been very little cause for trouble these past two seasons, so let's ensure that Portman Road remains a safe and enjoyable place for fans from across the country to watch football in a season where not every result will go our way.

Sources

FareShare expands food redistribution network with new Ipswich site

News

FareShare has officially launched its new site in Ipswich, aiming to provide more surplus food to communities in need across the region.

The big picture: FareShare East Anglia is part of the UK's largest food redistribution charity network. Last year, it distributed 1.6 million meals via over 140 organisations across Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire.

Why it matters: The larger facility will allow FareShare to increase its capacity for redistributing food that would otherwise go to waste, supporting local charities and community groups.

Kris Gibbon-Walsh, Rev. Lawrence Carey, Steve Dermody, Cllr Lynne Mortimer, Oliver Paul, Debbie Blacker, Les Dobson and Mike Barrett
Kris Gibbon-Walsh, Rev. Lawrence Carey, Steve Dermody, Cllr Lynne Mortimer, Oliver Paul, Debbie Blacker, Les Dobson and Mike BarrettGlen FarthingRed Wren Studios

Key details:

  • The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on 12 September, attended by local supporters and partners.

  • Deputy Mayor of Ipswich, Councillor Lynne Mortimer, officially opened the new site.

  • The expansion was made possible with support from funders, including Comic Relief.

What they're saying:

  • Mike Barrett, regional manager, FareShare East Anglia: "Opening a larger site, with greater capacity, is going to make a huge difference and we're enormously grateful to all our partners who have helped bring this project to fruition."

  • Kris Gibbon-Walsh, COO of FareShare: "This new bigger warehouse will allow the teams to work safely, whilst really making a difference to our capacity for redistributing food to organisations across the region and beyond."

  • Reverend Lawrence Carey of Triangle Church Ipswich: "The ability to have a regular delivery of food items from FareShare has helped us to offer support to our community through our Top Up Shops."

What's next: FareShare East Anglia is hosting an Open Day on 31 October for prospective partners, suppliers, and organisations interested in receiving food.

The bottom line: The new site will enable FareShare to expand its operations, providing more support to local communities facing food insecurity while reducing food waste.

Load next article