Ipswich Town supporters can provide a £1million boost to Mick McCarthy’s promotion push – simply by going to games.

An extra 2,000 fans going through the turnstiles for every home game would add £1m to the club’s coffers across the season – and could be the key to securing promotion to the Premier League.

The extra cash would enable McCarthy to strengthen his squad and allow the club to further invest in its academy, which narrowly missed out on attaining top-level Category One status last month.

Ian Milne, managing director at Ipswich Town, said: “The more fans we get in over the season has a direct effect on the investment the club can make on its first-team squad via purchases, loan fees and increasing salaries and indeed in the increasing investment in future players, by the club spending on the academy to achieve its current category status plus the additional costs of achieving Category One.

“Marcus Evans (the Ipswich Town owner) continues to also invest heavily in the club and all this financial effort really helps Ipswich Town to achieve Premier League status.”

Speaking in his column for Ipswich Town’s official matchday programme against Fulham at Portman Road today, Mr Evans revealed his long-term strategy for the club.

He said: “My strategy to move the club forward is a simple one. To where possible keep the core of our squad together and add a few new faces each year (some from the academy and some from outside) to ensure a net gain season-upon-season in the quality of the team, with this strategy leading to promotion – and all the time doing so within a solid financial framework.

“The biggest positive for me over the close season was Mick (McCarthy) and Terry (Connor, assistant manager) signing new three-year deals. We can’t get anywhere in this league without continuity and a long-term plan.

“These new contracts have, and will, result in our current core squad extending their contracts and new players being attracted to a stable and successful environment.

“My support continues to be undiminished in pursuit of Premier League football.”

See also Back Page and Town v Fulham preview, Pages 86&87