The Supporters Trust will be surveying its members in the coming weeks around stadium improvement priorities at Sixfields and to gauge whether or not there is an appetite for fan-led funding initiatives to help deliver them.
Five years ago at a public meeting in Northampton, a partnership Infrastructure Foundation - along the lines of the one successfully adopted by donors, businesses and supporters at Heart of Midlothian in Scotland - was highlighted as a potentially good fit to address improving facilities at the football club.
Trust members were sent details about the foundation construct in the recent Annual General Meeting mailout and will now be asked about setting out a vision for 2030 - what is desirable, what is realistic and how it could be funded.
Trust chair Andy Roberts said: “Sixfields will be 30 years old in October and there is no denying the fact that there has been minimal investment in the stadium since 1994.
“It is also a fact that the East Stand has been incomplete for a third of the time the stadium has been open.
“But it is very good news that the imminent land deal agreement will enable work to start on the stand within the next few weeks.
“As was discussed at the AGM, now is the time to look further ahead and establish what sort of a football club our members would like to see five years from now and beyond.
“Our Football Conversation three years ago indicated a clear preference for a plan to expand the North and South stand, to increase the stadium capacity with a view to maximising matchday revenue.
“The New Hotel End fans village concept was warmly received by fans. Is this something we can make happen?
“Obviously finances, stakeholder relationships, planning considerations and the like will present challenges and will need to be worked through.
“Not least we are in the middle of a cost of living crisis and fans may think they already spend enough money supporting the Cobblers.
“But if we want to build an ambitious and progressive football club in Northampton then sitting on our hands is not an option and we have to find out what support, or otherwise, is out there.”
