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Movement needed on East Stand at Sixfields

22nd May 2018

Northampton Town Supporters’ Trust has noted the statement from Northampton Town Football Club owners Kelvin Thomas and David Bower that they are now considering selling their controlling shareholding in the football club.

The club has cited a lack of action, co-operation and communication from Northampton Borough Council in respect of the development of the East Stand at Sixfields.

It has become clear that negotiations have stalled between both parties and last month the Trust voiced its considerable frustration at the apparent stalemate in talks, with both parties giving the Trust conflicting position statements.

We felt that this deadlock needed to be broken as a matter of urgency and so wrote to both the council and the football club requesting a written update from both – where they were at present with the negotiation and what, in their view, were the next steps that should be taken.

The football club has detailed its position in writing to us, stating that their legal team had written to counterparts at the council last December with a view to moving the development forward, but that they have received no correspondence since.

We have received no formal written response from the borough council to our letter dated April 19.

Council leader Jonathan Nunn has verbally given the Trust an assurance however that a paper about the East Stand development would shortly be going before the council’s cabinet group for approval.

He stated that this would set out the council’s position in the public domain and give a clear green light for the football club to complete the development of the East Stand.

The next cabinet meetings are scheduled for June 13 and July 18 at the Guildhall and the Trust will be sending a representative to these meetings.

Should these cabinet meetings proceed without any movement in the Sixfields East Stand negotiation, we will consider calling a public meeting of all supporters, to which both the council and the football club will be invited, to discuss the matter.

Today’s statement from the club says this is simply a case of the council signing a Deed of Surrender to allow this land to be surrendered from CDNL to the football club. In this case we completely understand the frustration being expressed by Kelvin Thomas and David Bower.

We await any response from the borough council, and remain committed to helping broker a deal in the long-term best interests of the football club.

 

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