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Guide to the Gardens | Northampton Saints vs Bedford Blues
Guide to the Gardens | Northampton Saints vs Bedford Blues
The Club

Guide to the Gardens: Northampton Saints vs Bedford Blues

  • Stadium opens 12pm, kick-off 2pm.
  • Cobblers kick-off at 3pm at Sixfields, so please leave plenty of time to get to the stadium.
  • Northampton singer-songwriter Daniel Butterworth will be in the Supporter Village pre-match and the Rodber Bar after the match.

Northampton Saints kick-off their 2022/23 campaign with the first of two preseason clashes, as Bedford Blues head to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday 27 August (kick-off: 2pm). 

Phil Dowson’s side will lock horns with their Championship neighbours at the Gardens, while Bedford are visiting Northampton for the first time since the two sides began their strategic partnership back in June 2020.

Entry to this match is FREE for 2022/23 Season Ticket Holders, residents of The Parish, and 2022/23 Saints Members – with all other tickets priced at £10 for adults and £5 for juniors*. Please note; tickets prices rise by £3 per ticket if purchased on matchday.

For more details on everything that's going at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens (including off-pitch entertainment, opening times and other important information) please click on the titles below...

  • + TICKETS

    Tickets for Northampton Saints vs Bedford Blues are still available to purchase HERE – with prices starting at £10 adults / £5 junior*.

    Your match tickets 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.

    SEASON TICKET HOLDERS
    – Season Ticket Holders will be able to access the ground using their new 2022/23 Season Ticket cards.
    – All Season Tickets cards should have arrived prior to Saints’ preseason clash against Bedford, so long as they were purchased/renewed before Tuesday 12 July. All you need to do is remember your new card on the day, and your regular Season Ticket seat will be waiting for you!

    SAINTS MEMBERS
    – Saints Memberships are available to purchase and renew for the 2022/23 season now, costing just £20 adult / £10 junior* for the year.
    – 2022/23 Saints Members will be able claim their FREE ticket (one per Member) for this preseason match by logging into their ticketing account.

    THE PARISH
    – Qualified residents can claim their FREE tickets (two per card) for this fixture by coming into the Ticket Office and presenting their Parish card.
    – The Ticket Office is open on Thursday (25 August) and Friday (26 August) from 12pm to 5pm, and Saturday (27 August) from 10am.

    GENERAL SALE
    – Tickets for this preseason fixture are on sale now, priced at £10 for adults and £5 for juniors*. CLICK HERE to purchase now.

     

  • + SAINTS STORE

    • The Saints Store is open from 10am on matchday until kick-off (2pm). Once you have entered the ground, you will not be able to access the Saints Store but the Village Store will be open throughout matchday.
    • Our Village Store Kiosk (located inside the Supporter Village) will open at 12pm until 30 minutes after the full-time whistle.
    • The Saints Store will also re-open on the full-time whistle, staying open for approximately 30 minutes.

     

  • + TICKET OFFICE

    • The Ticket Office windows will be open from 10am on matchday until kick-off (2pm), opening again at half-time and after the match until 4.30pm (approx).
    • Those that have not printed their tickets at home, or are not able to show their barcode on a mobile phone, will be able to have their matchday ticket printed at the Ticket Office for a £2.50 fee.

     

  • + ENTERTAINMENT

    • Northampton singer songwriter Daniel Butterworth will treat us to some live music in the Supporter Village before the match on Saturday, beginning from 12pm before returning after the game in the Rodber Bar too.

     

  • + FOOD & DRINK

    • A wide selection of bars and food stalls will be open within the Village and stadium throughout matchday, including the Real Ale Bar and Warner’s Bar in the Supporter Village. 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 approximately 5.30pm.

     

  • + CAR PARKING

    • Car Parking (in Claret Car Park, NN5 5JT) will be available for £7.50 on the day via contactless payment upon arrival. Car parking tickets are not available to purchase in advance. Car Parks open at 11am, with the stadium opening its gates at 12pm.
    • 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 9pm on Saturday, 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.

     

  • + SMOKING

    • 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.

     

  • + OTHER IMPORTANT INFO

    • Northampton Town FC are also at home this Saturday. Cobblers kick-off at the later time of 3pm but please make sure you leave plenty of time to make it into the stadium ahead of kick-off, as there will likely be some congestion on the roads close to the stadium and around Sixfields. 
    • ​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. 
    • Don’t forget, you can drop your EcoCup in one of the Northampton Saints Foundation’s branded bins around the ground – the Foundation will receive a donation for every cup deposited, with funds raised supporting life-changing programmes for children across the county. To see where you can donate your cups, CLICK HERE.

     

MATCHDAY TIMINGS

10am Ticket Office and Saints Store open
11am Car Parks open
12pm Hospitality opens
12pm Stadium opens
2pm Northampton Saints vs Bedford Blues KO
2pm Ticket Office and Saints Store close
2.45pm Northampton Saints vs Bedford Blues HT
2.45pm Ticket Office re-opens for the interval
3.45pm Northampton Saints vs Bedford Blues FT
3.45pm Ticket Office and Saints Store re-open for 30 minutes
5.30pm Staggered bar closures, ending in the Rodber Bar
9pm Car Parks close
24/25 Season Tickets sold out!
24/25 Season Tickets sold out!
Visit the Saints Store
Visit the Saints Store
24/25 Memberships on sale now!
24/25 Memberships on sale now!
24/25 Rugby Camps
24/25 Rugby Camps