Please allow extra time before and after the game
Supporters attending the npower League 2 game with Plymouth Argyle at Sixfields on Saturday are being asked to allow extra time for their journeys to and from Sixfields.
The Northampton Saints are at home on Saturday with a 3pm kick off, which means traffic will be busy in the Sixfields and St James areas of Northampton.
PRE MATCH
Supporters are encouraged to arrive early, with Carr's Bar open from 1pm on Saturday, serving Deuchars IPA and showing the live Sky Sports game between Fulham and Stoke City.
The turnstiles open at 1.30pm, and the Fulham-Stoke game can be viewed on the concourse from that time. In addition, concourse caterers Lindleys have come up with two special offers ahead of kick off, Carlsberg is just £3 a pint on the concourse until 3pm, or you can purchase a hot drink and a chocolate bar for £2.50.
POST MATCH
At each home game this season, Northampton Saints Rugby Club have a traffic management plan in place to try and ease the delays experienced by supporters after a game.
With the Saints at home with a 3pm kick off on Saturday, this means their plan will be in operation as supporters leave the game this weekend. As part of the plan, both lanes on Edgar Mobbs Way will both run in an outbound direction up to the Walter Tull roundabout.
Therefore, when leaving the ground, those supporters parked in the South Gravel Car Park on Saturday MUST turn left at the Walter Tull roundabout when leaving.
Those supporters parked in the West VIP Car Park MUST turn right when leaving.
Those supporters parked in the disabled area MUST turn right on to Edgar Mobbs Way when leaving.
Supporters parked at the North end of Sixfields MUST leave the complex via the Weedon Road.
We would like to thank all supporters for their co-operation which we hope will help keep delays to a minimum.
WHY HAS THE KICK OFF NOT BEEN MOVED?
There have been an unusual number of fixture clashes so far this season, and over that we have no control. Before Christmas we moved the Port Vale and Aldershot games to kick off at 2pm, and in a few weeks time we will play Torquay United on Good Friday evening rather than Easter Saturday to avoid another clash. Either side of the Plymouth game we have midweek games and that makes moving the date of this fixture to a Friday or Sunday difficult.
An early kick off is also difficult. We are playing Plymouth and their fans and team have to travel around 250 miles. To be fair to the travelling supporters, we would not expect them to have to leave even earlier for an early kick off here, in the same we way we always hope and expect our fans are treated with consideration when travelling away.
That said, we are very aware of our own season ticket holders who want their football played at 3pm on Saturday. Many people struggle to make different days/times and even moving the kick off forward by an hour makes things difficult for those who work on a Saturday morning.
It is about striking a balance that is in the interest of season ticket holders, home supporters, away supporters and the local community and businesses. With apologies in advance for any delays you may experience coming to or going from Sixfields on Saturday, on balance we feel a 3pm kick off on Saturday is the right decision for this game.