Businesses hoped for a boost from thousands of fans visiting ahead of Ipswich Town's first Premier League match. The club won promotion on 4 May with a thrilling 2-0 win over Huddersfield. It was a welcome return for the Tractor Boys, more than 20 years after relegation by the club they face this weekend.
As it prepares for Saturday's friendly against Liverpool, how are people hoping life in the Premier League will boost their town? "I think it's going to be great for local businesses and particularly for us in DanceEast," said Bryony Home, its head of communications and development. "It's fantastic to be welcoming so many more fans to Ipswich and an opportunity to get Ipswich on the map." The organisation's 200-seat theatre and dance studio is based on Ipswich Waterfront.
Ms Home hoped visitors would take advantage of its "family-friendly" cafe, which has "toys and books for children and also has a really relaxed inclusive feel". For those footie fans who think a dance studio might not be for them, she added there was a strong connection between dance and football. "Our founder Scilla Dyke worked with Sir Bobby Robson and his World Cup team 40 years ago, to train them in dance practice, because dance techniques are really transferrable for footballers - speed, agility, footwork," she said.
"Ipswich is the county town of Suffolk and as such we should be much better known," said Miranda Acres from Ipswich.Love. "We should be able to show people the exciting things that are goi.