What does promotion mean for Ipswich Town Women?

Ipswich Town Women have been promoted to the second tier of women's football.

The Tractor Girls reached the Women's Championship after spending four years in the Women's National League Southern Premier Division.

There are so many questions fans will want answers to.

Even before Ipswich Town Women secured promotion, the club laid out its vision for the team.

Earlier this season, chief executive Mark Ashton told the East Anglian Daily Times: "We want to get into the Championship and then we want to stabilise, stay in that division and then build progressively from there because the Women's Super League (WSL) is a whole other ball game, another set of challenges."

The Tractor Girls will also benefit from improved training facilities at Playford Road, which are expected to be complete next year.

One factor we can be sure of is that Town can expect tougher competition in the Championship.

Portsmouth, for example, who were promoted to the second tier last season, currently sit ninth out of 11 teams but have secured safety.

The team's manager, Jay Sadler, told the club's website they had had to "dig deep, fight and ask a lot of question of ourselves" throughout the season.

He added: "It took us a little while to adapt to this level – both physically and technically – but since Christmas, we've been the team doing the punishing."

The Championship will consist of 12 teams next season, and Town's opponents will include Crystal Palace, were recently relegated from the Women's Super League after only one season.

Nottingham Forest were the other promoted team after winning the Women's National League Northern Premier Division.

Town's other opponent include:

• Birmingham City
• Blackburn Rovers
• Bristol City
• Charlton Athletic
• Durham
• Newcastle United
• Sunderland
• Southampton

The Championship aims to encourage further investment and expect clubs to build towards a professional model.

Town's squad contains a mixture of professional and semi-professional players, but not all of the players are on full-time contracts.

In 2021, midfielder Sophie Peskett became the club's first-ever professional women's player, aged 18. At the time she said it was a "no-brainer" to sign.

Other players to have signed professional deals include forward Natasha Thomas, defenders Leah Mitchell and Maria Boswell, and midfielder Kyra Robertson.

There could potentially be more players going full-time, but the club has not yet made any announcements.

And what of transfers?

The club invested in the squad, determined to win promotion, and it paid off, so the odds suggest there could be some significant activity in the summer.

Town signed three players - Ruby Doe, Elkie Bowyer and Lucy Watson - on loan from WSL clubs as part of their promotion push, with experienced midfielder Ruby Seaby joining on a permanent deal in March after leaving Arsenal.

Will the club try to re-sign them for next season, or is there a new list of targets?

Conversely, will Town keep hold of players such as Peskett and Lucy O'Brien, who have produced eye-catching displays throughout the season?

Questions have already been raised as to whether Town will continue to play their home games at Felixstowe & Walton FC's Martello Ground.

Will they extend their 12-year stay on the coast, make a move to Portman Road, or go somewhere else for the new campaign?

When approached, the club said it was still being decided.

Town sold out their final game of the season at the 2,150-capacity Martello Ground, with Joe Sheehan's team drawing an average attendance of 726.

However, they have drawn crowds of over 10,000 at Portman Road in successive seasons.

Felixstowe & Walton's chief operations officer, Chris Daynes, played a role in securing the Martello Ground as Town's home venue.

He said initially Felixstowe "made a significant loss" in hosting matches, with just tens of fans watching those early fixtures.

"It's barely believable that the vision and plan at that first meeting to grow the support base and facilities has come off to the extent that the team [has] clinched Championship football with a league attendance of 2,000 plus," he added.

Mr Daynes added he did not know yet if Town would stay, but said if Sunday had been the last game he was pleased to have played a role in Town's tenancy.

Last year, 55,000 people attended celebrations when the men's team secured promotion to the Premier League.

The club have yet to announce plans to celebrate the Tractor Girls' promotion.

Analysis by Graeme Mac, BBC Suffolk sports editor

There is no doubt that Ipswich Town Women are both ready for this promotion and deserving of it.

Missing out on the Southern Premier Division title on goal difference two years ago looked to have damaged the team, as last season they finished 17 points off the pace.

It was identified that something needed to change in order to make that next step, and as far as recruitment is concerned, the club have made massive strides since.

Manager Joe Sheehan has hailed the roles played by general manager Rachel Harris – appointed in January 2024 – and assistant manager Lauren Phillips, who arrived a year later.

Both have experience of the second tier, as do a number of the players who joined the club last summer.

That has undoubtedly played a big part in a phenomenal campaign at the Martello Ground, which remains the home of the team for the time being.

Mainstays within the squad, such as captain Maria Boswell, midfielder Lucy O'Brien and forward Sophie Peskett will no doubt relish the forthcoming tests at a higher level, as will Sheehan, who as manager has cultivated winning and professional standards both on and off the pitch since taking over first-team duties in 2019.

Replicating the men's team in recording a successive promotion next year will be a very tall order for the Tractor Girls, with stabilising in the second tier the main priority.

But it appears the ingredients are there – along with the support base - to do just that.

Kaz, from Lowestoft, is a season-ticket holder for the men's team, but also follows the women's team.

"For us with women's football it's just fantastic, for the young kids in this area, just women's football in general," she said.

"We've had England Women's football be so successful, and now for Ipswich Town to follow them and finally make it... it's just fantastic for the club to be promoted to the Championship.

"They've just got to ride that wave. I'm sure they'll get that support and everything that they want from the club anyway.

"I think we do already, they'll be successful."

Sue, from Ipswich, said: "It is fantastic to see the women doing so well because [older women] didn't have this opportunity.

"It's great to see the young girls doing so well.

"They're fantastic role models. Seeing the youngsters, their faces beaming looking at these really strong athletes, it's a great representation."

Sue added that her nine-year-old nephew was just as interested in the women's game as the men's, and said the team could go far.

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