Unfinished East Stand will be completed as "part of wider plan", say Northampton Town

The East Stand at Northampton Town will be completed "at the start of a wider plan to benefit the club, the borough council and the wider community", a Cobblers spokesman said today.
Work stopped on the East Stand after the failed 10 million loan dealWork stopped on the East Stand after the failed 10 million loan deal
Work stopped on the East Stand after the failed 10 million loan deal

The comments came after the leader of the borough council, Councillor Jonathan Nunn, told the Local Democracy Service that the relations between the authority and the Cobblers were "good" with "positive active dialogue" and that the next step in legal agreements concerning the East Stand was in the hands of the club.

He said: “There’s pretty active dialogue through George Candler [borough council chief executive] and the nature of the relationship is good. We have a positive active dialogue and a good business relationship, and we value that very much as it’s the best way to get a positive outcome.

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“We want to see any legal work sorted and want the stand built before any wider development. There's nothing outstanding from us in terms of sorting that, and we want to see the stand built, and there's nothing preventing it from our end. The next move is theirs."

The East Stand, pictured in 2018The East Stand, pictured in 2018
The East Stand, pictured in 2018

In response, a Northampton Town spokesperson said: "As per Jonathan's comments, there is a very good relationship between NBC, George Candler and the club.

"There is an agreed principle between all parties that the completion of the East Stand will happen at the start of a wider plan to benefit the club, the council and the wider community.

"The club is in regular contact with George and the officers who are overseeing the process on a day to day basis.

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"That is a process the club are fully committed to," the spokesperson said.

A recent statement from Northampton Town Supporters’ Trust claimed that the council had told them it had not received legal papers from the football club following the regularisation of a land lease behind the stand.

The statement also asserted that Cobblers chairman Kelvin Thomas had been ‘seeking to tie in wider negotiation over development land at Sixfields, unconnected with the boundary issue affecting the east stand development’.

The East Stand remains uncompleted following the misappropriation of a £12million loan from the borough council to former Cobblers owners David and Anthony Cardoza.

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A recent court case found in the council’s favour and ordered the Cardozas to repay the money, though Anthony Cardoza has since filed for bankruptcy. The council has continued to meet behind the scenes to discuss its strategy on recovering the loan money.

Editor's note: The original article has been amended to state that Anthony Cardoza has filed for bankruptcy.