After meeting with David Bower, Kelvin Thomas and senior staff at Northampton Town Football Club, the Supporters Trust board has agreed to support the club's proposal for the East Stand completion and wider Sixfields land deal.
We hope the club and the council can now progress their negotiations as a matter of urgency so that a completed East Stand can begin delivering ongoing commercial benefits for the club in these challenging and uncertain times for football finances.
The Trust's principal role is one of scrutiny and oversight to seek to ensure that the long-term interests of the club are safeguarded. We are committed to this process as the negotiation moves forward and the detail of the deal becomes clearer.
We believe that moving forward in a spirit of mutual openness and transparency on the part of the club, the council and the Trust will ultimately benefit all stakeholders.
Accordingly, we also welcome increased engagement from the club with the Trust and the wider fanbase, as part of its commitment to the Supporters Charter, and the publication of the stand and land plans in due course.
We all want what is best for our football club and the Supporters Trust looks forward to maintaining a meaningful and constructive relationship with the football club and council in order to achieve that.
Northampton Town chairman Kelvin Thomas said: “We welcome the support of our proposals from the Trust board.
“We are pleased that through asking the questions of the club in two very detailed meetings and obtaining information from NBC from the Freedom of Information requests, that the Trust have been able to see our proposals are in the best interests of the club and the supporters.
"We have committed to keeping the lines of communication open with the Trust and that will continue moving forward.
"We will also continue in our discussions with Northampton Borough Council and they now know we are talking as a stronger voice, together as a club.”
