Shock news today as Keane were confirmed as the new managers of Ipswich Town Football Club. The popular piano rock band, winners of the Breakthrough Act category at the 2005 Brit Awards, are believed to have signed a two album deal with the club. There is also the option of an annual summer gig at Portman Road in conjunction with the V Festival.

The Sussex trio, comprising Tom Chaplin, Tim Rice-Oxley and Richard Hughes, are currently in the midst of their Perfect Symmetry world tour. Yesterday, they flew directly into Stansted from their concert at the Brisbane "Tivoli" to finalise negotiations with the club. After signing autographs for some lucky fans and examining players' iPods, they held a brief press conference before jetting off for a sold-out gig at the Osaka "Big Cat".

"On a day like today, so full of sunshine, is it any wonder that we're head over heels with today's announcement?" quipped an ITFC spokesman. "It doesn't get better than this," he continued. "With their plangent chords and epic lighter-waving melodies, we feel that these lads have the ambition to take Ipswich town spiralling back to the top flight of English football." He added: "We're immensely proud of this club's pop-powered past, from our unique 1963 appointment of Jackie Wilson through Barry "Eve Of Destruction" McGuire to The Band's Robbie Robertson (now immortalised in a statue outside the ground) and beyond. Sadly, Jim Morrison failed to get us into the play-offs. We wish him luck back in the studio and on the live circuit."

"Me and the boys are delighted to be given this opportunity," said Tom Chaplin, lead vocalist. "Nothing beats that magic moment between you and a huge crowd, and we look forward to bringing the joy back to Ipswich. Plus it'll be nice not simply to be known as That Bloke Out Of Keane."

Tim Rice-Oxley, winner of a 2004 Ivor Novello songwriting award, added: "We've always wanted to challenge ourselves, so when Steve Lamacq tipped us off about this opening, we jumped at the chance. We're really excited about getting started with pre-season training as soon as we've done T In The Park. And no, we don't see any rivalry with Travis landing the job at Carrow Road."