Thomas reaffirms commitment to finishing East Stand if and when land deal with WNC is signed off

Cobblers chairman Kelvin Thomas has reiterated his and David Bower’s commitment to finishing the East Stand ‘as quickly as we can’ if and when the club’s deal with West Northants Council is signed off, confirming everything is in place for work to start once contracts have been finalised.

The Northampton Town Supporters’ Trust have raised concerns on several occasions over the apparent lack of protections within the heads of terms agreement between the football club and the council. Both the club and WNC have sought to reassure supporters that the stand will be built.

Thomas described it as a ‘false narrative’ during Thursday’s Open Forum at Sixfields and he added that there will be protections in the final contracts, however those contracts are yet to be signed off due to the Trust’s decision to invoke the ACV, which delayed matters by six months.

It was reported by the NN Journal on September 5 that the Trust had made a £3million bid for the whole land at Sixfields – not just the athletics track – but three weeks on there has been no further details released.

"The reality is we will go to contract which will take around three months and I think the building process will take around six to nine months,” said Thomas. “Our commitment is that as soon as we can, we will get on with things. It makes no sense for us to delay things. There is income waiting there for the club when the stand is completed and to delay makes no sense.

"We will complete the East Stand to a good standard and there will be protections in the final contract with WNC. We are going to finish it – that’s the whole point of doing this – and we will be as quick as possible.”

Thomas made a presentation at the start of Thursday’s forum in which he criticised the actions of some Trust board members, highlighting examples of their behaviour on social media. You can find the presentation on the club’s website.

"When we first came in we went back and forth publicly with the Trust but now we wish we had not done that and in the past year we have changed our tactics,” explained Thomas. “There have been possibly about 20 statements made about the land or about us in the last year but we haven’t responded to them.

"But it’s only right we explain why that is for fans to understand it and why we have to distance ourselves from the Trust. Their actions have left us no choice. If any of the club board acted in the way the Trust board have in the correspondence or social media posts you have seen tonight, I would be demanding their resignation immediately.

“I am baffled by the actions of the Trust. How can you allegedly make a £3 million bid and not speak to the leaseholder and not speak to the fans three weeks on?”