Claim made on Ipswich Town CEO Mark Ashton - Bristol City 'fans on the backs' reaction given | OneFootball

FLW's Ipswich Town fan pundit has provided their opinion on their club's CEO, Mark Ashton

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Mark Ashton left his Bristol City CEO role to join Ipswich Town in June 2021 as Chief Executive, and has seen the club's transformation from dwelling in League One to achieving back-to-back promotions to the Premier League in a matter of years.

Ashton has had a long, somewhat controversial, but highly successful career working within football clubs, having started his journey with West Brom in 1990 as a director, helping the club from the third tier to the Premier League before leaving for Watford in 2004.

Despite promotion to the Premier League, two play-off finishes in the Championship, as well as reaching the semi-finals in both the League Cup and FA Cup between 2004-2008, Ashton left Watford under a cloud.

Upon his departure, a line in the Watford Observer reads 'Logic dictates there must be more than one person with a good word to say about Mark Ashton’s reign as Watford’s chief executive, but I have yet to meet them.'

Spells with Wycombe Wanderers and Oxford United followed before landing at Bristol City in January 2016 as Chief Operating Officer, before being promoted to CEO in the summer of 2017.

Again, despite selling the likes of Josh Brownhill, Aden Flint, Adam Webster, Joe Bryan, Bobby Reid and Lloyd Kelly for a combined £65 million, Ashton remained a divisive figure amongst supporters.

In December 2019, Ashton said, "Each season that we’ve been here it’s been about progression. My model that I’ve used in slightly different ways at every club is based on progression. And if we keep progressing the way we are, ultimately we’ll be promoted. But I can’t tell you when."

Now with Ipswich, Ashton has largely managed to keep fans on side by spearheading the club to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League, much to the dismay of Bristol City fans.

Mark Ashton is the "sort of figurehead that everyone loves to get behind" when things are going well

FLW's Ipswich fan pundit, Adam, has shared his opinion on Ashton, and whether he thinks Bristol City fans had a point in being pleased at seeing the back of him.

Adam said, "I have been very impressed with Ashton, the way he's come in, understood the values of the club historically, and built almost a framework around that and got everyone to buy into the 'Running towards adversity' message from the club and the ownership group.

"I think his negotiations in the transfer window have been pretty decent so far. We've not had too many bad windows.

"I can see where the Bristol City fans might have been coming from when things go wrong. He feels like the sort of person that could rub up the wrong way and get fans on the backs.

"But when things are going right, and things are going well, then he's that sort of figurehead that everyone loves to get behind.

Mark Ashton appointed Kieran McKenna as Ipswich Town manager in December 2021

Having joined the club in June 2021, Ashton gave previous manager Paul Cook the first half of the season to prove his worth, but he would be sacked that December and replaced by the incoming McKenna, who had previously worked as a coach at Manchester United.

In his first full season in charge, McKenna guided Ipswich to promotion to the Championship, before immediately following that up with promotion to the Premier League, in what was a rapid rise for the club.

Despite relegation in their first season back in the top flight, McKenna has remained in charge, with Ashton, now Chairman and CEO, choosing to keep the Northern Irishman in charge.

Ashton has helped to integrate the 'Running towards adversity' message around the club, which has been ingrained on the club's shirts and is the last thing that the players see before heading out onto the pitch.

A polarising figure wherever he has seemingly been, Ashton has found a home at Portman Road along with success, which will no doubt have annoyed sections of Bristol City supporters.