When Ipswich Town released their squad list accompanied by numbers, many fans were left dumbstruck to see ‘Sheeran 17’ on the graphic, but there is a reason behind the madness.
Supporters were left shocked when superstar singer Ed Sheeran, 34, who holds a minority stake at his boyhood club, was given a squad number by the club in their latest squad list.
The word ‘woke’ was thrown around by many fans in the replies to Ipswich’s social media post confirming the news, which now has over six million views.
However, this is not the first time Ipswich have pulled this stunt. In fact, in every season, bar their one in the Premier League, since Sheeran’s involvement at Portman Road began in 2021, he has been given the number 17 shirt.
When the idea was first relayed to Sheeran four years ago, he admitted that he ‘thought they were joking’, but the gag has become somewhat of a tradition.
However, it seems many fans think it has gone on too long, or for those who were unaware of it before this season, once is too much.
Ed Sheeran has been given a squad number by Ipswich in four of the last five seasons
The pop star acquired a minority stake at his boyhood club in August 2024 and has been front-of-shirt sponsor since 2021
One social media user simply couldn’t grasp why Ipswich would make the joke, and wrote: ‘Ed Sheeran? Utter woke garbage.’
Another Tractor Boy did not see the funny side: ‘Can you please stop this endless pandering to Ed Sheeran… Yes, he has sponsored us and is now a shareholder, but this is just getting pathetic now… Makes us a laughing stock!’
And if you comb through the reactions to the post, the ‘Utter woke nonsense’ meme, which is accompanied by a picture of Sean Dyche, can frequently be seen.
Not everybody blasted the stunt, though.
One saw the funny side of the gag, replying: ‘About time you gave that Sheeran a game.’
The pop star also hit the headlines last season when he was awarded a limited ‘Ed-ition’ Panini Premier League sticker, which also caught a lot of traction on social media.
Sheeran is a lifelong fan of the Tractor Boys and has been a front-of-shirt sponsor for the club for the last four years.
Last year, Ipswich confirmed that the famous artist acquired a 1.4% stake in the club, which is a passive and minority investment only, meaning he will not join the club’s board.
Sheeran was immortalised in a limited ‘Ed-ition’ Ipswich sticker by Panini last season
Speaking on Instagram when the news broke, Sheeran said: ‘Really excited to announce that I have bought a small percentage of my hometown football club.
‘It’s any football fan’s dream to be an owner of the club they support, and I feel so grateful for this opportunity.
‘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.
‘It’s such a joy to be a fan of Ipswich Town. There are ups and downs, but football is all about taking the highs and the lows.
‘I’m not a voting shareholder or a board member, this is just me putting some money into the club I love and them returning the gesture, so please don’t get onto me with signing suggestions or tactics lol.’
In his one year as minority stakeholder, Sheeran has seen his beloved Tractor Boys relegated back down to the Championship, and their challenge to return to the promised land of the Premier League begins away at Birmingham on Friday night.