Delap
Moderators: Charnwood, Bluemike
- ITFC2024
- Posts: 864
- Joined: Fri May 17, 2024 2:38 pm
Re: Delap
I said I wouldn’t be surprised if the allegations were true. I didn’t say they are true. Appreciate your opinion, but I have one too. Cheers!Mauswara wrote: ↑Sun May 25, 2025 12:44 pmHe may not have had the best season but as a fan I wouldn't post something like that unless I had a solid source to back it up.
TWTD does not count.
-
- Posts: 33256
- Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2004 3:30 pm
- Location: Ipswich Town F.C.
Re: Delap Ashton interview on this player
Hopefully this will finally put to bed the era of a one season player at this club….Mark Ashton says it was a case of 'take it or leave it' when it came to the relegation release clause in Liam Delap's contract.
Ipswich Town: Mark Ashton on Liam Delap relegation release clause
By Stuart Watson
Chief Football Writer
Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap is on the verge of a £30m move to Chelsea. Stuart Watson spoke to chairman Mark Ashton about the front man's relegation release clause ….
England Under-21 international, just scored 12 goals for a relegated Premier League side, a throwback striker possessing rare attributes at a time when so many top clubs are searching for a striker solution...
What would Liam Delap be worth in an open market right now? Sadly, for Ipswich Town, that's a moot point.
The Blues signed him from Manchester City for £15m last summer, the deal having potential to reach £20m. He'll soon join Chelsea for £30m after a relegation clause was triggered. And Ipswich will have to give some of their £10-15m profit - reportedly 30% - to City as part of a sell-on clause.
Making between £7m-10.5m profit on a player inside 12 months is not to be sniffed at. It's hard not to think about how much more could have been banked though.
However, as Town chairman Mark Ashton is keen to stress, there really wasn't an alternative.
"I never speak about any player’s individual position, because I’d be breaking every confidentially rule in the book, but I'm going to give you a context to this," he says, in an exclusive interview with the EADT and Ipswich Star
"Let's be really clear, when you are signing players from a Premier League football club as a newly-promoted Premier League football club, young or old, they're very nervous about being stuck in a Championship club. Because the stats show that newly promoted clubs often go straight back down. So the contracts are always heavily negotiated.
"The reality is that when there’s a high profile player who is wanted by several clubs you get presented with a term sheet – ‘those are the terms for the club’ and ‘those are the terms for the player’.
"You're told, 'If you want to talk to the player and give your pitch to sign him you have to agree to those terms because if you don't then there are six other clubs who will agree'. We speak to other clubs, we know the market, so we know that that's not lies.
"So there is very little to negotiate. You're taking it or you're leaving it.
"At that point, our relations allow us to nibble around the edges of those agreements, to bend and twist them, so we get the best version of it.
"That’s just fact. That’s just the reality of where you are. You've gone from being a big fish in a small to medium pond, to being a big fish in the Atlantic
Back in March, Ashton insisted the club was 'very, very, very well protected' when quizzed about clauses in Delap's contract. It was only subsequently that the £30m relegation release clause was reported nationally.
Asked to clarify that comment, he said: "You protect yourself to the best of your ability.
"The board and major shareholders all know what you're getting into. That means, at that point in time, you are going to break the record purchase for the football club and if you sell that player you're going to break the record sales for the football club.
"And also – remember, I'm not talking about any specific player – when that player moves on you retain a percentage of his future profit as well. You’re protected.
"With all our players we know where we are with them. The ownership know where the cash flows are with them. You have to look at it with an investment bank-like view across the board.
Ipswich Town chairman Mark Ashton says it was a case of 'take it or leave it' when it came to the relegation release clause in Liam Delap's contract.
"As I said, I think a couple of players will leave the club this summer - not huge, not handfuls. One (Delap) has been very heavily publicised, hasn't been publicised by us. I think if I was an Ipswich fan I'd be frustrated at the amount of times that's been in the press, but when things are in the press, particularly the nationals, they're in there for a reason and that will be agents or other clubs trying to unsettle players, trying to build markets for players etc.
"So all I can say to the fan base is we have been as open and honest as we can be since we joined this football club. Every decision we make is in the best interest of this football club, but we have to deal with the market as it is. This football club is always protected moving forward."
So, just to clarify, does that mean that Ipswich would benefit from a significant sell-on fee if Delap goes on to make a mega money move further down the line?
"Again, I'm going to take the word ‘Liam’ out of it because I'll get myself into world of trouble," replies Ashton. "But that would be a standard clause that we would negotiate into deals.
"We're not perfect, let's be really clear, but we do know what we're doing. It's frustrating because you can't tell the fan base everything. If they knew everything, trust me, they would look at it very differently.
"But this fan base again have been very trusting, very supportive and we will fight tooth and nail for this football club."
Ipswich Town: Mark Ashton on Liam Delap relegation release clause
By Stuart Watson
Chief Football Writer
Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap is on the verge of a £30m move to Chelsea. Stuart Watson spoke to chairman Mark Ashton about the front man's relegation release clause ….
England Under-21 international, just scored 12 goals for a relegated Premier League side, a throwback striker possessing rare attributes at a time when so many top clubs are searching for a striker solution...
What would Liam Delap be worth in an open market right now? Sadly, for Ipswich Town, that's a moot point.
The Blues signed him from Manchester City for £15m last summer, the deal having potential to reach £20m. He'll soon join Chelsea for £30m after a relegation clause was triggered. And Ipswich will have to give some of their £10-15m profit - reportedly 30% - to City as part of a sell-on clause.
Making between £7m-10.5m profit on a player inside 12 months is not to be sniffed at. It's hard not to think about how much more could have been banked though.
However, as Town chairman Mark Ashton is keen to stress, there really wasn't an alternative.
"I never speak about any player’s individual position, because I’d be breaking every confidentially rule in the book, but I'm going to give you a context to this," he says, in an exclusive interview with the EADT and Ipswich Star
"Let's be really clear, when you are signing players from a Premier League football club as a newly-promoted Premier League football club, young or old, they're very nervous about being stuck in a Championship club. Because the stats show that newly promoted clubs often go straight back down. So the contracts are always heavily negotiated.
"The reality is that when there’s a high profile player who is wanted by several clubs you get presented with a term sheet – ‘those are the terms for the club’ and ‘those are the terms for the player’.
"You're told, 'If you want to talk to the player and give your pitch to sign him you have to agree to those terms because if you don't then there are six other clubs who will agree'. We speak to other clubs, we know the market, so we know that that's not lies.
"So there is very little to negotiate. You're taking it or you're leaving it.
"At that point, our relations allow us to nibble around the edges of those agreements, to bend and twist them, so we get the best version of it.
"That’s just fact. That’s just the reality of where you are. You've gone from being a big fish in a small to medium pond, to being a big fish in the Atlantic
Back in March, Ashton insisted the club was 'very, very, very well protected' when quizzed about clauses in Delap's contract. It was only subsequently that the £30m relegation release clause was reported nationally.
Asked to clarify that comment, he said: "You protect yourself to the best of your ability.
"The board and major shareholders all know what you're getting into. That means, at that point in time, you are going to break the record purchase for the football club and if you sell that player you're going to break the record sales for the football club.
"And also – remember, I'm not talking about any specific player – when that player moves on you retain a percentage of his future profit as well. You’re protected.
"With all our players we know where we are with them. The ownership know where the cash flows are with them. You have to look at it with an investment bank-like view across the board.
Ipswich Town chairman Mark Ashton says it was a case of 'take it or leave it' when it came to the relegation release clause in Liam Delap's contract.
"As I said, I think a couple of players will leave the club this summer - not huge, not handfuls. One (Delap) has been very heavily publicised, hasn't been publicised by us. I think if I was an Ipswich fan I'd be frustrated at the amount of times that's been in the press, but when things are in the press, particularly the nationals, they're in there for a reason and that will be agents or other clubs trying to unsettle players, trying to build markets for players etc.
"So all I can say to the fan base is we have been as open and honest as we can be since we joined this football club. Every decision we make is in the best interest of this football club, but we have to deal with the market as it is. This football club is always protected moving forward."
So, just to clarify, does that mean that Ipswich would benefit from a significant sell-on fee if Delap goes on to make a mega money move further down the line?
"Again, I'm going to take the word ‘Liam’ out of it because I'll get myself into world of trouble," replies Ashton. "But that would be a standard clause that we would negotiate into deals.
"We're not perfect, let's be really clear, but we do know what we're doing. It's frustrating because you can't tell the fan base everything. If they knew everything, trust me, they would look at it very differently.
"But this fan base again have been very trusting, very supportive and we will fight tooth and nail for this football club."
- The Odious Mr Rossi
- Posts: 3366
- Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2003 3:18 pm
- Location: Broomfield
Re: Delap Ashton interview on this player
so is he saying that he isn't?hallamblue wrote: ↑Sat May 31, 2025 9:47 amHopefully this will finally put to bed the era of a one season player at this club….Mark Ashton says it was a case of 'take it or leave it' when it came to the relegation release clause in Liam Delap's contract.
"As I said, I think a couple of players will leave the club this summer - not huge, not handfuls. One (Delap) has been very heavily publicised, hasn't been publicised by us. I think if I was an Ipswich fanI'd be frustrated at the amount of times that's been in the press, but when things are in the press, particularly the nationals, they're in there for a reason and that will be agents or other clubs trying to unsettle players, trying to build markets for players etc.
- marko69
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 25797
- Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:16 am
- Location: Somewhere between here and there.
Re: Delap
From an AI overview search.
Mark Ashton is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ipswich Town FC. He is not an avid supporter of a particular football team, but rather focuses on leading and developing the club he is currently associated with.
Mark Ashton is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ipswich Town FC. He is not an avid supporter of a particular football team, but rather focuses on leading and developing the club he is currently associated with.
-
- Posts: 3071
- Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2008 2:07 pm
Re: Delap
I believe he has an Ipswich tattoo on his wrist. Not sure how many other employees of companies have a tattoo of their employer.
But he didn’t grown up a town fan - so like the players he isn’t directly a town fan but no doubt quite likes them still
But he didn’t grown up a town fan - so like the players he isn’t directly a town fan but no doubt quite likes them still

-
- Posts: 33256
- Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2004 3:30 pm
- Location: Ipswich Town F.C.
Re: Delap
what we appear to be getting reduces by the week doesnt it ....
-
- Posts: 33256
- Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2004 3:30 pm
- Location: Ipswich Town F.C.
Re: Delap
Ashton would need to be shot if he'd not got a sell on clause. Seems obligatory in any foitballers contract these days. Its all about the money....
- arana peligrosa
- Posts: 10869
- Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2007 7:41 pm
Re: Delap
20 million seems derisory in today's market. Just been part of the EPL set-up, arguably one of our most influential and pivotal players of the last season and we allow him to go for that figure. Still got his whole career in front of him, got years of playing time remaining. Can't help but think we've been done over. Players or offensive forward ones at that half his talent or proficiency sell for twice that amount, happens regular. All right the fee may rise to 30 given enough time but as before can't help but imagine we've allowed him departure on the cheap.
Suppose had we survived a relegation drop and starting top level again from August he'd still be moving on. The player did great for us over time and take the opportunity to wish him well. There's going to be replacements out there that can still do a job for us, just depends how they fit in with the club set-up and how much they're prepared to fight and give back to the team. There will be life after Delap, last season he was one of the players here you had to depend on most. It's a shame to see him elsewhere or no longer involved but somehow knew his sale seemed inevitable in that given enough time we just weren't going to be able to retain his services.
Suppose had we survived a relegation drop and starting top level again from August he'd still be moving on. The player did great for us over time and take the opportunity to wish him well. There's going to be replacements out there that can still do a job for us, just depends how they fit in with the club set-up and how much they're prepared to fight and give back to the team. There will be life after Delap, last season he was one of the players here you had to depend on most. It's a shame to see him elsewhere or no longer involved but somehow knew his sale seemed inevitable in that given enough time we just weren't going to be able to retain his services.
- ITFC2024
- Posts: 864
- Joined: Fri May 17, 2024 2:38 pm
Re: Delap
EFL Analysis, Chief Football correspondent Graeme Bailey:
“It is very rare that a club manages to negotiate a sell-on clause in a deal when it was a simple case of a release clause being met to get the transfer done.
“There was a new sell-on clause put in there by Ipswich, but that obviously allowed Chelsea to really lower the fee that they were paying in one installment.
“Normally, when a release clause is paid, that’s it. If a player has gone through a release clause, there will not be any sell-on fee or any additional add-ons because that’s the whole point of release clause; you pay the price and it’s done.
“But, with this one, there were negotiations done over the deal and how much Chelsea were paying and there was actually a sell-on clause inserted into that deal. That is very rare indeed.”
-
- Posts: 33256
- Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2004 3:30 pm
- Location: Ipswich Town F.C.
Re: Delap
When you look at Liverpool now about to shell out over a £110m on a midfielder, I’d say Town have been pretty naive in the negotiations with these young players we brought in last summer. It SOUNDS like a good deal getting £30m for Delap, but in truth we’ve made about £8 m…. Omari has a release clause of £35m. No doubt Chelsea have a sell on clause % on that , so again we’ll get sod all for a very talented player.
We’ve paid over £10m for a sh it keeper who we now can’t give away. So all, in all, I’d say our purchases last summer was expensive and we’ll lose these players and get sod all back for the original outlay, and wil be start8mg all o.ver again this summer, in what I think will end up being a significant rebuild of the squad, resulting in loss of continuity ….
We’ve paid over £10m for a sh it keeper who we now can’t give away. So all, in all, I’d say our purchases last summer was expensive and we’ll lose these players and get sod all back for the original outlay, and wil be start8mg all o.ver again this summer, in what I think will end up being a significant rebuild of the squad, resulting in loss of continuity ….
- Bluemike
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 32243
- Joined: Mon May 18, 2009 5:26 pm
- Location: Ipswich
Re: Delap
Looks like we did pretty good business then when the reality is we had no aces in our hand, well done AshtonITFC2024 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 13, 2025 11:46 amEFL Analysis, Chief Football correspondent Graeme Bailey:
“It is very rare that a club manages to negotiate a sell-on clause in a deal when it was a simple case of a release clause being met to get the transfer done.
“There was a new sell-on clause put in there by Ipswich, but that obviously allowed Chelsea to really lower the fee that they were paying in one installment.
“Normally, when a release clause is paid, that’s it. If a player has gone through a release clause, there will not be any sell-on fee or any additional add-ons because that’s the whole point of release clause; you pay the price and it’s done.
“But, with this one, there were negotiations done over the deal and how much Chelsea were paying and there was actually a sell-on clause inserted into that deal. That is very rare indeed.”