The thing is £4million to complete the East Stand, (if that is the figure) will never generate enough income to justify the expense. You'd want a big increase in capacity and corporate facilities in any expansion plans. The East Stand in its current shell doesn't give us that.
Is it not called the Alwyn Hargrave Stand anymore btw?
Think small and you stay small. That is the problem we have with our current and previous owners. Good, progressive ownership backed by owners willing to invest long-term has never happened in Northampton and so why should we ever believe that it will? Meanwhile consider what is in progress at what we like to think of as rival clubs like Posh, MK and Luton. We are being left behind in their wake.
The plain facts are that our owners were allowed to buy the club for a nominal £1.00 by the Council on the understanding they would complete the stand. KT gave proof of funds to NBC he now says of £11 million. At the time in November 2015 the £4 million was said to be available by KT to finish the stand and invest in the club. The failure was by the Council in not tying down KT/DB in legally binding document with a timetable. Not the first instance of ineptness by the Council in its Sixfields dealings. We the supporters have been let down by both our owners and the Council.
As to the price of finishing the East Stand to anything remotely acceptable, no plans or costings have been published by KT who continues to operate in a secretive, opaque way. The lack of transparency is very suitable for his modus operandi and if the reaction of some supporters is deep suspicion KT can hardly complain . KT/DB were only able to acquire CDNL from its Liquidator for £170,000 by them striking a deal with Buckingham Group, the main creditor of CDNL. On what terms that deal was struck have never been disclosed. Another example of opaqueness.
On the major matter of club infrastructure our owners are failing the supporters. Every decision is delayed, the latest example being safe-standing after KT’s own survey showed a 85% majority of those canvassed in favour. KT now wants further consultation on safe-standing but there is absolutely no consultation with supporters on the East Stand or wider development plans.
If supporters think it sufficient that the the owners pay the day to day overheads so that supporters can tip up every 2 weeks to watch L2 football (mingled with occasional short-lived forays in L1) and even after over 4 years of spin remain hopeful that under the current ownership something good may happen with the stadium at some indeterminable date in the future then I differ with them.
For me a better future lies with adopting the Bundesliga form of ownership with the majority control of the club in community hands and local businesses being involved as investors. It works well in Germany and we can repeat the best aspects and adapt it to our English needs. Community ownership is increasing elsewhere, especially in Scotland where Hearts, Motherwell, St Mirren and Partick Thistle are leading the way. It should come to Northampton.