Dear prospective owners of Northampton Town F.C
This open letter is one of welcome and friendship from the board of Northampton Town Supporters’ Trust and its members.
It is written on the eve of a #WeWantAnswers protest from fans aimed at a perceived lack of information and communication over the events leading to the stalling of redevelopment work at Sixfields Stadium and on the surrounding land.
We make it clear that the #WeWantsAnswers campaign is by no means targeted at you - the prospective new owners – but is an organic coming together of Cobblers supporters’ with specific questions related, mainly, to the company appointed by the club to handle the redevelopment works being placed into administration.
There have also been longstanding concerns regarding a lack of public consultation as to what was to be built at Sixfields.
Understanding Cobblers fans’ proactive stance on this matter means understanding the recent history of the club.
In 1992, Northampton Town FC was saved by the supporters’ body writing to you now. The club found itself in administration with debts of £1.6 million and was rescued by a pioneering group of supporters including Brian Lomax, who set up what was then the first ever supporters’ trust.
With the club secure and with democratically elected members on the club board, Lomax went on to lead Supporters Direct, an organisation which has encouraged fan involvement in the running of clubs all over the world.
It is in this light that we value good working relationships with any owners of Northampton Town F.C, to collaborate for a bright future for a club with a proud 118-year history. That means asking fair and reasonable questions from time to time and fostering an environment for the advancement of the team, the club and the town.
At the time of writing we still don’t know the identities of you, the prospective new owners, and your aspirations. This is something we would hope to remedy as soon as is reasonably possible.
We would like to avoid the situation which has sparked the #WeWantAnswers campaign and hope to be included in full supporter consultation as to the design and construction which comes with any further enabling development at Sixfields.
Of course football comes first and we also hope to see a team which does you, the club, its supporters and wider community proud. We will certainly back the team to the maximum as we always have, in good times and bad.
We look forward to meeting you and to welcome you to Northampton when the takeover of the club is complete.
Yours,
The Trust
