Teams, tales and tips – a guide to the local game
Home of England’s recent champions in rugby union and arguably the oldest club in cricket’s County Championship, close to the British Grand Prix circuit of Silverstone, Northampton does not lack for national and international status as far as sport is concerned.
In football, though, Northampton is best known for dramatic failure. Representing a historic market town, Northampton Town have spent decade after decade bumbling along in the lower rung of the Football League, sharing the cricket ground from their formation in 1897 to the opening of the Sixfields Stadium nearly a century later.
For five crazy years, however, promotion in alternate seasons saw the Cobblers zoom from the Fourth to the First Division – and then back down again in four. This record rise and fall ran from 1960-61 to 1969-70, rounded off by George Best scoring six goals for Manchester United at the County Ground in an 8-2 cup whitewash that has lived long in the memory.
A return to regular underachievement in a crumbling, three-sided shared stadium then saw Northampton accumulate a large build-up of debt, not backed with the property collateral other clubs had. Disgruntled Cobblers fans met to discuss their gripes – followed by a public meeting in 1992.
The outcome was the Northampton Town Supporters’ Trust, the first of its kind in the country, which served as a template for so many others as football became ever more corporate and clubs owned by distant profiteers. NTST founder, Town fan Brian Lomax, not only went on to serve on his club’s board for seven years, he inspired a movement that has led to 200-plus similar trusts being set up in the UK.
The death of Lomax in 2015 gave pause for reflection. Two years after the 1992 meeting, Northampton moved out of their shared ground to a new club-owned stadium in the west of town. Since then, Sixfields has witnessed five promotion-winning campaigns – but it hasn’t all been plain sailing.
The most emphatic came in 2015-16 but only after the club came close to liquidation, endless delays in the rebuilding of the East Stand exposing unpaid taxes and failed repayments on a loan received from Northampton Borough Council for stadium redevelopment.
In the subsequent scandal, chairman/director David Cardoza sold a controlling stake in the club before being arrested in January 2016.
In April 2016, a record league attendance of 7,664 was set when Northampton beat Luton Town 2-0. The defeat-free streak continued into League One as Northampton hosted another visit by Manchester United, in the League Cup, nearly 50 years after George Best’s famous six-goal demolition.
While the game drew a capacity crowd to Sixfields for the first and so far only time, it prefaced an era of yo-yoing between third and fourth tiers. Meanwhile, the East Stand at Sixfields remains only half=finished, the council loan of £10 million-plus the subject of a long legal battle.
Getting Around
Arriving in town, local transport and timings
Luton is the nearest airport to Northampton, 66km (41 miles) away. A National Express coach runs to Northampton (£14, journey time 1hr 20mins) every 2hrs.
Birmingham International is 77km (48 miles) away. A frequent direct train runs to Northampton (average advance single £16-£20, journey time 1hr). From Manchester, the train to Northampton (average advance single £40, overall journey time 2-3hrs) requires a change at Milton Keynes. From London, a regular service from Euston (average advance single £30) takes 1hr.
Adding a Northampton PlusBus supplement (£3.80) to your ticket allows you to use local buses for the rest of the day. The main providers are Stagecoach and Uno, with all links found here.
Northampton train station is on the south-west, stadium side of the town centre. The coach station is across town, on the north-east side. Both are a short walk to the centre. The main interchange for local buses, North Gate, is right in town.
Amber Cars (01604 232 666) are based in town, with taxi services to and from Luton and Birmingham airports (£50-£60).
Where to Drink
The best pubs and bars for football fans
Pubs and bars dot the streets around Northampton’s main Market Square. One of the best places in town to catch the game on a wide screen is the Wig & Pen, a cosy, CAMRA-award winning pub with plenty of rare whiskies, quality food and its own garden.
Nearby, The Optimist, the former Fox & Quill, is a busy, pre-club spot, with drink and food offers, football action another major attraction. The Old Bank also shows TV sport under the high ceilings of a former counting house. Late opening at weekends.
Right on Market Square, The Auctioneers is a former ale-focused pub since gone for the party and karaoke crowd but also still open daytimes. Just further round the square, O’Neill’s does what O’Neill’s do, provide big-screen sport in a party-like atmosphere. Just along from there, The Cordwainer is a Wetherspoons, its name relating to the town’s shoe-making tradition
Back near the Market Square, the Rifle Drum is a tiny spot with just enough room for TV sport.
For rare ales, Belgian brews, and hot and cold bar snacks, the Malt Shovel Tavern has bags of character, though favours the oval-ball game as far as TV sport is concerned. Live music is a midweek fixture. Behind a faux Tudor façade, The Bear on Sheep Street also goes big on TV sport while attracting ale aficionados.
Where to stay
The best hotels for the ground and around town
Visit Northamptonshire has a comprehensive database of local hotels.
There are no hotels near the stadium but you’ll find most major chains in the town centre.
Nearest the train station, the ibis Northampton Centre and, close by, the Travelodge Northampton Central are both handy budget options. Often even cheaper, the Premier Inn Northampton Town Centre is right by the Museum & Art Gallery.
In a higher bracket, the Park Inn by Radisson, Northampton Town Centre on the station side of town has its own bar and grill, and health club with a pool, sauna and jacuzzi.
A welcome independent choice is the three-star Plough Hotel, set in an old coaching inn, with 37 comfortable bedrooms and a lounge bar.
