In passing 3,000 season ticket sales the Saints reached the million pound revenue mark, bucking the perceived economic downturn. Furthermore the club also announced that a substantial number of season tickets are new applications, rather than renewals.

Of those 3,000, 20 per cent have been sold to new supporters. If this trend is continued throughout the summer then Franklin’s Gardens will be home to over 9,000 season ticket holders for the first time when the Saints return to the Guinness Premiership in September.

The increased interest in the Saints has been mirrored in the number of unique visitors to the club’s website, which topped 180,000 during the first four months of this year, a six per cent rise from the same period last year.

“The promotion to the Guinness Premiership has excited the Northampton public,” said Saints chief executive Allan Robson. “The number of season tickets being taken up by new supporters and the number of visitors to our website reflect this.

“From a commercial point of view we have the added pressure of an increased salary cap to fund to enable us to bridge the gap between National League One and the top flight and be competitive in the Premiership. We are a club that is proud to be able to stand on its own two feet financially and are delighted that we can always count of the loyalty of thousands of supporters.”

“It is heartening to know that the supporters are getting behind the team by renewing their season tickets,” said director of rugby Jim Mallinder. “It is also very pleasing to know that we will have some new supporters who have committed to season tickets next season. The return to the Premiership is a massive challenge for the club and the team but to know that the stands will be full of Saints supporters will be an extra motivation when the players come back for pre-season training in the next couple of weeks.”