Lowry painting recreated to celebrate Ipswich Town

The painting shows fans flocking to a football stadium and is a fan-led project that started in the summer called 'Call Me Ted.' 

This project works with 19 artists to create posters ahead of Ipswich's home games for their first season back in the top flight for more than 20 years. 

For Ipswich Town's upcoming game with Manchester United they have worked with Simon Farr to create a new version of L.S. Lowry's Going To The Match which shows excited fans heading to Portman Road. 

Simon Farr's recreated Lowry painting for Ipswich Town vs Manchester United (Image: Call Me Ted) The new painting will be hung on display in a café called Good Inside on St Margaret's Green and printed versions will be found in other shops and pubs around Ipswich. 

The original 1953 Lowry painting shows his trademark figures swarming to a match at Bolton Wanderers' Stadium and is owned by Lowry's Gallery in Salford after being brought for 7.8m in 2022. 

Mr Farr said: "I was well chuffed. Lowry is much associated with Manchester. My brief was to replace the Bolton stadium with a version of Portman Road and replace the Bolton fans with something akin to Ipswich fans. I added women and children and some ethnic diversity. There are still two whippets and another dog.

"There is also a Suffolk Punch horse and the simplified statues of Robson and Ramsey. Lowry's style is deceptively simple (he only used black, white and three colours) and there are no shadows. But his genius is in the movement of the figures and the feeling of shared intention in the crowd. The dark stick figures are full of joy and eager anticipation which I hope I managed to get in my version too." 

Farr's poster is used as the centre piece for the latest poster design by Call Me Ted.

Signed copies of all the posters they have done are sold via Call Me Ted's website, and in person at the Greyhound and Love One. 

The initial run of posters sold out in the space of an hour when the design was revealed. The post on X announcing the design has been seen by more than 60,000 people and the poster has been widely praised there, on Instagram and fan forums. 

Ipswich Town v Liverpool poster (Image: Call Me Ted) Steve Haugh, co-founder of Call Me Ted, said: “When we had the idea of updating Lowry’s classic painting with an Ipswich twist, Simon was the first person we thought of.

“The resulting painting is a masterpiece in our opinion. Simon has taken inspiration from Lowry’s great work but has put his own spin on it, working in so many brilliant details of the Ipswich matchday experience.

“From the statues of Robson and Ramsey, a Suffolk punch, and even Ed Sheeran and his guitar – all streaming towards Portman Road for the game.

“We’re so excited to be working with some of the best independent shops, pubs, cafes and businesses in the town who will all be displaying our poster in their window as we build up to what is an important game for the club, but also a really great occasion for the town.”