Fans divided over Ipswich Town's new £35 candles

Ipswich Town fans have been left divided after scented candles costing as much as £35 appeared on the shelves of the club’s superstore and online shop.

The Tractor Boys’ new ‘Ipswicks’ candles and diffusers range features four different scents, from bergamot, orange and coconut to dark honey, sandalwood and tobacco.

The fragranced pots of wax, named Back of the Net, Under the Lights, Singing The Blues, and Pride of Anglia, start at £13 and rise to £35, while the diffuser set costs £25.

Fans have shared their thoughts on the new luxury items, with some saying the club has to “diversify” and others admitting they “can’t quite see the point”.

Matt Taber, 31, said: “I think they are alright to be fair, and they smell nice.

“There will be a bit more revenue for the club, and the more money the club gets in, the better; they can spend it on bigger players.

“I went to Wembley last night and paid £10 for four bottles of water, so buying a candle from a local club is not too bad really. I think they are a good price.”

David Grey, 63, who went to his first Ipswich Town game in 1972, is puzzled by the candles but feels they could help attract different types of fans to the club.

“There’s enough merchandise in the store already without having to sell candles and smelly things with Ipswich Town written on it,” he said.

“I guess they have got to try everything to try and raise money, or maybe it’s a way to get more ladies or girls to the football.

“I guess scented candles are a ladies thing; that might be the wrong thing to say, but, I don’t know, I wouldn’t have them in my house if I was on my own.

“I can’t quite see the point.”

But Ipswich Town is not the only football club producing quirkier gifts which do not follow the traditional football theme.

Arsenal, for example, has garden gnomes for sale on its website for £25, while Leicester City is selling games console and controller skins for more than £20.

On the Liverpool online store, meanwhile, club-branded aftershave can be purchased for £25, while Manchester City is selling a blue rubber duck for £6.

The BBC understands Ipswich Town’s candles have been produced by a local business, which Nadine Dooley, 51, says shows the club is supporting the community.

She said: “I was a bit perplexed and thought it was a bit of a joke to start with, but I guess as a club they are looking for as many opportunities to diversify as possible.

“So, a smelly candle? Why not? It doesn’t do any harm does it, and maybe the candles will appeal to a slightly different audience.

“Ipswich Town's whole ethos is about community, so if they are helping local businesses, then it’s only a good thing.”

Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.