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Guide to the Gardens: Saints vs London Irish

  • Stadium opens 1.30pm, kick-off 3.30pm.
  • Geoff Allen returns to take part in the Club’s annual Remembrance ceremony, with the laying of wreaths and minute’s silence accompanying Allen’s reading of Laurence Binyon’s ‘For the Fallen’.
  • Donate generously to the Royal British Legion, who are bucket shaking around the ground.
  • Solo-guitarist Scott Walters will be performing in the Supporter Village before and after the game.
  • Enter City Fibre’s competition in the Supporter Village to be in with the chance of winning up to £500 of tech!
  • Drop your EcoCup in one of the marked bins to make a donation to Northampton Saints Foundation.

Northampton Saints return to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens this Saturday to kick-off the Premiership Rugby Cup, with London Irish coming to town in the competition’s opening round. 

After a year’s hiatus, the development competition returns for 2021/22 and Chris Boyd’s side will be looking for a fast start against the Exiles having lifted the augural trophy back in 2019.

Saturday’s clash marks the second time Northampton have hosted Irish this season, after coming out on top of a 23-21 scoreline in the first meeting between the sides in October.

COMING TO THE STADIUM

There are a few things you’ll need to be aware of before you arrive at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens...

1. MATCH TICKETS
This Saturday’s clash with London Irish is included within the 2021/22 Season Ticket package, so Season Ticket Holders can present their Season Ticket cards at the turnstiles and head to their usual seats.

Tickets are still on sale from £16 adult / £6 child* – if you haven’t already secured yours, CLICK HERE to purchase now.

Your match ticket must be downloaded prior to arriving at the stadium and either printed on A4 paper or viewable on your smartphone. Screenshots of your tickets are not accepted by the scanners on our turnstiles, so please make sure you have a print or digital copy ready when you arrive. Click here for a step-by-step guide of how to download your ticket(s)

The Ticket Office windows will be open from 10am on matchday until kick-off. 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.

2. ARRIVE EARLY & EARN REWARD POINTS
Season Ticket Holders – scan in through the turnstiles at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens before 2pm on Saturday and we’ll give you an extra 20 Rewards points to spend in the Saints Rewards app!

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. 

PRE-MATCH

  • The Saints Store is open from 10am on matchday until kick-off (3.30pm) and will reopen at the full-time whistle until approximately 5.45pm. Once you have entered the ground, you will not be able to access the Store, so be sure to do all your shopping when you arrive or as you depart. Our Saints Store Kiosk (located inside the Supporter Village) will open at 1.30pm until approximately 5.45pm.
  • We’re delighted to welcome solo-guitarist Scott Walters to the Supporter Village before the match on Saturday; Scott will begin his set from 2.30pm so head along to hear his set before the action on the pitch gets underway. 
  • 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. 
  • You’ll also be able to catch a glimpse of the stars of the future in our Matchday Festival out on the training pitches; on Saturday we welcome teams of Under-14s from across the region to Northampton from 10.30am. 

REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY

  • This Saturday’s clash at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens will mark Saints’ annual Remembrance Day fixture – with the Club paying their respects to the town’s fallen war heroes during the pre-match ceremony.
  • Stadium announcer Geoff Allen will return to the Gardens to take part in the ceremony, with a bugler and minute’s silence following Allen’s reading of Laurence Binyon’s ‘For the Fallen’.
  • Robert Swannell, great nephew of legendary Saints war hero Blair, will join Northampton Saints Chairman John White, Saints Supporters Club representative David Lowrence, David Williams of the Army Benevolent Fund and Saints Chaplain Jez Safford in the laying of wreathes at Saints’ War Memorial before the match.
  • The ceremony will begin at approximately 3.25pm; please ensure you are in your seat in plenty of time prior to this, as movement within the stadium will be restricted while the ceremony takes place.

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 12.30pm, with the stadium opening its gates at 1.30pm.
  • 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 evening, there will be no access to any vehicle left in the Car Parks 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.

AROUND THE GROUND

  • The Supporter Village will include a host of extra food offerings this weekend – with new vegetarian options including a falafel salad box at the Chicken Shop and a meat-free sausage at the Loaded Dogz stand, while grilled chicken will now be on offer at the Chicken Shop for supporters looking for a healthier choice. 
  • We’ll be joined by City Fibre in the Supporter Village, make sure you find them to enter their competition and be in with the chance of winning a bumper prize, with two places in the Tunnel Club for the Racing clash (10 December), a signed Saints shirt and ball and family tech bundle worth £500 – including, but not limited to, an Echo Dot, a Ring Doorbell and a Nintendo Switch* – all included in the prize! 
  • The Royal British Legion will also be bucket shaking around the ground on Saturday – please give generously!
  • You can also head to the Family Zone ahead of the match to have a go at the Saints passing challenge and see our face painters!
  • Royal & Derngate Theatre will be in the Village and Rodber Bar; supporters can book tickets to this year’s pantomime, Dick Whittington, and meet one of the show’s stars!
  • We’re delighted to be joined by Club of the Match, Wellingborough RFC, who will be with us for a shirt presentation in the Village before the game, ahead of making up a guard of honour on the pitch as the teams run out. 
  • A wide selection of bars and food stalls will be open within the Village and stadium throughout matchday, including the Real Ale and Warner’s Gin bars in the Supporter Village. Please be aware that cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens is now a cashless stadium, all bars and food outlets will now only be able to accept card payments.
  • 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, please CLICK HERE.

POST-MATCH

  • Don’t rush off after the match; Scott Walters will be back in the Supporter Village after the game to treat us to some more music, before he heads into the Rodber Bar to round off the night with more tunes!
  • Both the Saints Store and Saints Store Kiosk (in the Supporter Village) will re-open after the game and remain open until approximately 5.45pm, so you can grab a bargain on your way out!
  • Stick around after the match to catch all the international action, with the England vs Australia game airing in the Rodber Bar from 5.30pm.
  • There will be a staggered bar closure around the stadium, ending in the Rodber Bar at approximately 7.30pm.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION HUB

  • Our Diversity & Inclusion Hub is located in the Supporter Village, and this Saturday you can pop along to the Marquee to hear about the Club’s activities this month – including information on how to quit smoking and the Club’s brand-new fitness programme centred around 7s Rugby, Shred7s. 
  • Now that cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens is a smoke-free environment, we will be joined by representatives of Northamptonshire Stop Smoking Service in the Inclusion Hub, where supporters can get information and support around quitting smoking.
  • We will also be on hand to discuss our weight-management programme Shred7s that will begin in January. This is a 12-week programme run in conjunction with Northamptonshire Physical Health that aims to act as a mental health service to support not just weight loss but also both physical and mental health.
  • You can find more information on the Hub as well as links to useful support organisations HERE. Or to get more information on Inclusion at Northampton Saints, please email [email protected].
Guide to the Gardens | All you need to know ahead of Northampton Saints vs London Irish

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