Guide to the Gardens: Saints vs Bristol Bears

• A limited number of seats for Northampton Saints vs Bristol are still available HERE.
• If you have purchased match tickets, these are attached to your purchase confirmation email – please ensure you have these either printed on A4 paper, viewable on your smartphone, or added to your smartphone digital wallet before arriving at the stadium. Screenshots of your tickets are not accepted by the scanners on our turnstiles.
• Meanwhile, 2025/26 Season Ticket Holders will be able to access the ground using their Season Ticket cards.

The Saints Store, Village Stores, Ticket Office and Stadium will be open at the following times for Saints vs Bristol.

• 12pm: Saints Store opens, with Ticket Office found inside the Store
• 4.45pm: Car Parks open
• 5pm: Ticket Office windows open
• 5.45pm: Stadium opens, Village Store and Trailer open
• 7.45pm: Saints vs Bristol KO, Saints Store closes
• 8pm: Ticket Office windows close
• 8.25pm (approx): Saints vs Bristol HT
• 9.25pm (approx): Saints vs Bristol FT
• 9.25pm (approx): Saints Store re-opens
• 9.55pm (approx): Saints Store and Village Stores close

• Solo-artist Andy White will perform in the Supporter Village pre-match as well as in the Rodber Bar after full-time.
• Make sure to keep an eye out for our cinch Drop kick and Drive competition at half-time.
• Take part in Virgin Active’s Dead Hang Challenge inside the Supporter Village.
• To celebrate 25 years of our partnership with Travis Perkins, they will be running a passing challenge inside the supporter village pre-match.
• Saturday’s Club of the Match is Wellingborough RFC, they’ll be forming the Guard of Honour as the teams run out.
• Northampton Saints Foundation will be doing a bucket shake as well as a raffle for supporters in hospitality areas.

• West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) took ownership of the Claret Car Park last summer and has now begun to build temporary accommodation on part of the site. This means there will be 400 fewer parking spaces than previously available – more information is available HERE.
• The entrance to Claret Car Park has changed – as you approach from the Sixfields direction, use the first entrance on the right-hand side.
• Parking will remain available at £8.50 on the day, payable via contactless payment on arrival.
• Supporters also have access to use Northampton Town FC’s West Car Park (NN5 5QA) on Saints matchdays that do not clash with Cobblers’ games. Parking in this car park will be managed by Cobblers and is priced at £5 on the day via contactless payments upon arrival. Please note, Saints’ seasonal car parking passes are not valid for this Car Park. It will be open from 4:45pm.
• Seasonal car passes valid for the 2025/26 season will be accepted in the Club’s car parks for this match.
• Please also be aware that there will be no movement in the VIP Car Park from ten minutes before the full-time whistle for approximately 25 minutes. As usual, traffic management will be in place in Car Park D, Claret Car Park and on Edgar Mobbs Way.
• After the Car Parks close at midnight, there will be no access to any vehicle left behind until Monday morning.
• Given that cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens sits in a residential area of the town, Saints strongly urge all supporters to use the Club’s car parks. Should they choose not to do so, supporters must park with due care and respect for the needs of local residents and businesses.

• Consider using public transport to get to Saints vs Bristol this Friday, with Stagecoach offering Northampton supporters special deals on bus travel across the town.
• On Northampton matchdays, Saints Season Ticket Holders can get a return ticket for travel anywhere within the Northampton area for just £5.

• With cinch Stadium at near capacity for Friday night’s fixture, the Club urges supporters to arrive as early as possible to avoid queues.
• Please make sure you give yourself enough time to get to the ground and into your seat or place on the Terrace.
• The Club requests that supporters refrain from standing at the side of the pitch to watch the warm-up to prevent congestion. Please watch the warm-up from your seat.

• A wide selection of bars and food stalls are open within the Village and stadium throughout matchday – please see the map above for full details of all the outlets around the Stadium.
• Food offerings can be found across the stadium bars as well.
  • Rodber Bar: Pasties, pies, sausage rolls and pork baps.
  • Members Bar: Pasties, loaded fries, loaded dogs, pies and sausage rolls.
  • Kiosk bars: Pasties, sausage rolls and pies.
• Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are all available around the ground.
• Please be aware that cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens is a cashless stadium; all bars and food outlets will only accept card payments.
• There will be a staggered bar closure around the stadium, ending in the Rodber Bar at 10:30pm.

• Northampton Saints’ matchday programme is available to all supporters, free of charge, via a digital-only format.
• Containing exclusive interviews and features with Saints’ first-team squad, all the latest news from around the Gardens, as well as online games, statistics and team line-ups for the match, Saints’ matchday programme is not to be missed.
• Scannable QR codes will also be situated around the Gardens so supporters can open and read the programme on their mobile devices on matchday.
• From 4pm on Thursday 14 May, the matchday programme for Saints vs Bristol will be available to view HERE.

• Northampton Saints have updated the EcoCup system at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.
• Following supporter feedback, the £1 deposit has been removed. EcoCups should now be returned to any stadium bar or placed in the dedicated EcoCup return bins located throughout the ground.
• Supporters are kindly asked not to take cups home, as their reuse is essential to the Club’s sustainability efforts.

• Supporters can now ‘Be A Saint’ by Ordering One For The Foundation. A voluntary £1 donation will then be added to their order at stadium bars, with all proceeds going directly to Northampton Saints Foundation.
• Additional donation options are available throughout the ground. A large QR code in the south-east corner allows supporters to make mobile donations directly from their seats, and QR codes will also be displayed around the stadium.
• Supporters can further engage with the Foundation by taking part in the matchday raffle. Representatives will be located in the Rodber Bar and across the Supporter Village on Saturday, with the draw taking place approximately 30 minutes after the final whistle in the Rodber Bar.

• Are you bringing a mini-Saint to their very first match at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens? If so, we want to make it extra special with a First-time Fan Certificate, so they will never forget their first time watching the men in Black, Green and Gold. Fill out THIS FORM to be sent a certificate via email.

• cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens is a NO SMOKING stadium. Smoking and the use of e-cigarettes is not permitted anywhere in the stadium or Supporter Village pre, during or post-match.
• Supporters wishing to smoke will be allowed to exit the stadium during half-time to use one of the designated smoking areas outside Gates 1, 2, 3 and 4 – stewards will be on hand to direct you and will manage exit and re-entry into the stadium.

• Northampton Saints asks all supporters attending Saints vs Bristol to familiarise themselves with the Club’s Supporter Charter.
• Whether it’s your first time coming to a match at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens or you’re a seasoned supporter, please also take a minute to read our Ground Regulations – which include information on what you can and cannot bring into the stadium.

• As the teams run out onto the pitch on Friday night, there will be a pyrotechnic display in front of the East Stand – please be advised this may include a series of loud bangs/crackles.
• Please note that sensory bags and accessibility passports are no longer available to pick up in the Inclusion Hub. If you require any of these for Friday’s fixture, please email us at communications@northamptonsaints.co.uk, and we will be happy to arrange this for you.
• ​The Club requests that supporters refrain from standing at the side of the pitch to watch the warm-up to prevent congestion. Please watch the warm-up from your seat.
• As cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens is a front-loading stadium, Northampton Saints asks supporters to avoid moving around the stadium while the match is in play to avoid blocking the view of your fellow supporters. Please note, you may be held back from returning to your seat by our stewards until there is a break in play.
• Please note, with the recent UK terror threat level having increased to Severe, meaning an attack is highly likely, there will be increased security measures around cinch Stadium.