Football stand close to completion, says chairman

A football club's long-awaited new stand is nearing completion, according to its chairman.

The East Stand at Northampton Town FC has remained unfinished since construction halted in 2014 due to a contractual dispute.

But Kelvin Thomas, the club's chairman, said it was finally close to being completed after work resumed last year.

"We do have a handover date that we are working towards," he told BBC Northampton.

"It's not a case of just saying 'Here's the keys' - we need to make sure we get the safety certificates," he said.

Once completed, the stand would increase the Sixfields stadium's capacity by about 400 to more than 8,200 and give the club its first pitch-facing hospitality facilities with executive boxes.

More parking spaces, new dining areas and the return of an accessible viewing platform for supporters who use wheelchairs are also in the plans.

The club finalised an agreement to complete the stadium work after West Northamptonshire Council approved a land sale to the club in February.

This deal included land behind the stadium, an area that has been the focus of ongoing discussions about development plans over the years.

Mr Thomas also hinted at plans for an official opening ceremony but suggested the stand could be in use before then.

"I would expect the stand to be open before the official opening, whether they're test events or actual events," he said.

"We'll have people who have been involved from the start, and then we'll cut a ribbon."

Mr Thomas added that the stand could generate an extra £250,000 to £300,000 in revenue for the club.

According to Mr Thomas, the project is expected to cost between £5m and £5.5m.

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