Many fans were left shocked to see ‘Sheeran 17’ on graphic, but there is a reason behind the madness.

It all started when Ipswich Town released their squad list accompanied by numbers.

Supporters were left shocked when superstar singer Ed Sheeran, 34, who holds a minority stake at his boyhood club, was given a squad number by the club in their latest squad list.

The word ‘woke’ was thrown around by many fans in the replies to Ipswich’s social media post confirming the news, which has over six million views.

However, this is not the first time the club have pulled this stunt.

In fact, in every season, bar their one in the Premier League, since Sheeran’s involvement at Portman Road began in 2021, he has been given the number 17 shirt.

When the idea was first relayed to Sheeran four years ago, he admitted that he ‘thought they were joking’, but the gag has become somewhat of a tradition.

As it is, it seems many fans think it has gone on too long, or for those who were unaware of it before this season, once is already too much.

Going through many reactions to the post, the ‘Utter woke nonsense’ meme, which is accompanied by a picture of Sean Dyche, can frequently be seen. 

One critic wrote: ‘Ed Sheeran? Utter woke garbage.’

Another quipped: ‘Can you please stop this endless pandering to Ed Sheeran… Yes, he has sponsored us and is now a shareholder, but this is just getting pathetic now… Makes us a laughing stock!’