- Stadium opens 5.45pm, kick-off 7.45pm.
- This Friday’s match is included in 2024/25 Season Ticket packages.
- Tickets for Saints vs Bedford remain on sale from £12.50 adult and £7 junior*.
- A short tribute to Edgar Mobbs will take place at the Club’s War Memorial before kick-off on Friday evening, so please arrive in your seat by 7.40pm as movement inside the stadium may be restricted during this ceremony.
- Soprano Emily Haig will join us on Friday – she’ll perform in the stadium pre-match and half-time.
- We’ll also have music from The J45s on matchday – they’ll play in the Supporter Village before the game and in the Rodber Bar post-match.
- If you have renewed your Season Ticket this term, please bring your previous card with you on Friday – this has been re-activated if you have made no changes to your name, age category, block or seat number.
Northampton Saints welcome partner club Bedford Blues to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens this Friday evening (13 September, kick-off: 7.45pm) for the Mobbs Memorial Match.
One of rugby’s oldest annual fixtures, the Mobbs Memorial Match began in 1921 and honours Saints legend, World Rugby Hall-of-Fame inductee, and World War One hero, Edgar Mobbs.
The match has always supported the charitable aims of the Mobbs Memorial Fund, which promotes the development of age-group rugby throughout the East Midlands by way of grants to clubs within the East Midlands Rugby Union – and this will continue within the fixture’s new format. For full details on how to contribute towards the charity’s fundraising efforts on Friday, please CLICK HERE.
While Bedford claimed the bragging rights in 2023’s preseason match – running out 33-24 winners at Goldington Road – Blues have never been victorious at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, with Saints claiming a 40-26 win the last time the two sides clashed in Northampton back in 2022.
Tickets are still available HERE, with prices starting at just £12.50 adult and £7 junior*.
STADIUM MAP
(click map to view full size)
For more detail on everything going on 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 Saints vs Bedford remain available to purchase online HERE – with prices starting at £12.50 adult and £7 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.
- Those who 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.
- Meanwhile, 2024/25 Season Ticket Holders will be able to access the ground using their Season Ticket cards.
- Season Ticket Holders who have renewed will have had their previous card re-activated for use this season, while new Season Ticket Holders (or those who have moved seats or changed ticket category) should have received their new card in the post. If your card has not yet arrived, please email [email protected] and a member of our team will get back to you.
+ OPENING HOURS
- The Saints Store, Village Stores, Ticket Office and Stadium will be open at the following times for Saints vs Bedford:
- 12pm: Saints Store opens, with Ticket Office position open inside the Store
- 5pm: Ticket Office windows open
- 5.45pm: Stadium opens, with Village Stores also opening
- 7.45pm: Saints vs Bedford KO
- 8pm: Saints Store and Ticket Office windows close
- 8.30pm: Saints vs Bedford HT
- 8.30pm: Ticket Office windows re-open for half-time
- 9.30pm: Saints vs Bedford FT
- 9.30pm: Saints Store re-opens at full-time
- 10pm: Saints Store and Village Stores close
- The Saints Store, Village Stores, Ticket Office and Stadium will be open at the following times for Saints vs Bedford:
+ 2024/25 SEASON TICKETS
- Season Tickets are still available to renew or buy for the 2024/25 season HERE – with the Ticket Office open from 10am until approximately 2.15pm on matchday for supporters wishing to purchase or renew in person. The Ticket Office windows also reopen at half-time.
- Prices** start from just £365 for adults and £87 for children – while the waiting list is open once again for the entry-level Pink ticket category (£229 adult / £87 child).
- For more information on the Season Ticket package, including benefits, pricing and key deadlines, please CLICK HERE.
+ ENTERTAINMENT
- The J45s head to cinch Stadium for the first time on Friday, with the duo performing in the Supporter Village pre-match and in the Rodber Bar post-match.
- We’ll also be joined by soprano Emily Haig on Friday – she’ll be performing in the stadium before the match and on the pitch at half-time.
- Don’t miss the chance to grab a photo with the Gallagher Premiership trophy, it will be in the Supporter Village from 5.45pm until kick-off on Friday.
- Friday’s Club of the Match is Bedford Junior Blues, they’ll form the Guard of Honour and hold the Big Shirt as the teams run out.
- Head along to our Inclusion Hub to have a go at our passing cage and visit our face-painters.
- Club partner Hyundai will be with us on Friday – showcasing one of their vehicles in the Supporter Village.
- We’ll be fundraising for the Mobbs Memorial Fund on Friday, please see the below drop-down for full details.
+ MOBBS MEMORIAL FUND
- Friday’s match will support the charitable aims of the Mobbs Memorial Fund, which promotes the development of age-group rugby throughout the East Midlands by way of grants to clubs within the East Midlands Rugby Union.
- There are a host of ways to get involved in the fundraising, including:
- A raffle, with items such as 2x match tickets to Saints’ opening Gallagher Premiership home match against Exeter Chiefs, a ball signed by the 2024/25 season squad, a visit to watch a Saints training session and a video message recorded by your favourite player in the current Saints squad. Tickets cost just £5* and are available now HERE.
- There are also more one-of-a-kind items up for grabs in the auction, including a brand-new replica shirt (size medium) signed by the 24/25 squad and a champions bundle, including a ball signed by the 23/24 squad and a copy of ‘Champions: The story of the 2023-24 season’. Bids can be placed now, with the auction open online HERE. All proceeds from these lots will go to the Mobbs Memorial Fund.
- There will be bucket shakers around the stadium on Friday night accepting cash donations, please give generously where you can!
- There will be an opportunity to donate £2.50 to the Mobbs Memorial Fund when having your photo taken with the Gallagher Premiership trophy in the Supporter Village on Friday.
- You will also be able to make donations in the Saints Store and at the stadium bars, with a ‘One for Mobbs’ donation available at purchase.
+ PRE-MATCH MEMORIAL
- Before Friday’s match, the Club will pay tribute to former Saints captain Edgar Mobbs, who was killed in action leading his battalion at Ypres during the First World War.
- Both teams will line up facing the War Memorial within the stadium as the two captains lay wreaths on the Memorial, with soprano Emily Haig performing ‘Abide with Me’.
- Please ensure you are in your seat or place on the Terrace in good time for kick-off on matchday, as movement inside the stadium may be halted while the wreath laying takes place.
+ MATCHDAY PROGRAMMES
- Northampton Saints’ matchday programme is now 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 5pm on Thursday 12 September, the matchday programme for Saints vs Bedford will be available to view HERE.
+ ECOCUPS UPDATE – PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THEM HOME
- Northampton Saints have made an adjustment to how EcoCups will be used and returned around cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens ahead of the 2024/25 season.
- For this season, the Club will no longer be charging a £1 deposit fee for EcoCups, having listened to supporter feedback.
- EcoCups can still be returned directly to bars or to dedicated EcoCup return bins located around cinch Stadium, with no refund now required on the cups.
- The Club asks that supporters do not collect these cups to take home, but rather return them to the bars or one of the dedicated return bins around the stadium.
- With EcoCup refunds no longer available to donate to Northampton Saints Foundation on matchdays, the Club have introduced an alternative; ‘One for the Foundation’ – please note that for this game only, all donations will go to the Mobbs Memorial Fund.
- At all stadium bars, supporters will have the option to add ‘One for the Foundation’ to their drink/food orders, with £1 being added to their order total and donated straight to the charity.
+ FOR THE KIDS
- 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.
- And for anyone whose weekly pocket money is burning a hole in their pocket, we’ve curated a special list of products to help you get ‘Game Day Ready’, which are available from the Saints Store on matchday.
+ FOOD & DRINK
- 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 Food & Drink outlets around the Stadium.
- You can also find food units from Saul’s of Spratton and West Cornwall Pasties in the Rodber Bar throughout matchday.
- Loaded Fries are available as a hot food option within the Members Bar.
- 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.
+ CAR PARKING
- Car Parking (in Claret Car Park, NN5 5JT) will be available for £8.50 on the day via contactless payment upon arrival. Car parking tickets are not available to purchase in advance. Car Parks open at 4.45pm, with the stadium opening its gates at 5.45pm.
- Seasonal car passes valid for the 2024/25 season will be accepted 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 on Friday, 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
- 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.
- There will be an official timekeeper in attendance at the game on Friday so the in-stadium clocks will stop during the game.
- Saints’ Fan Radios will be in use on Friday, with referee audio available to listen to during the match.
MATCHDAY TIMINGS
| 12pm | Ticket Office and Saints Store open |
| 4.45pm | Car Parks open |
| 5pm | Ticket Office windows open |
| 5.45pm | Stadium and Village Store open |
| 7.45pm | Northampton Saints vs Bedford Blues KO |
| 8pm (approx) | Saints Store and Ticket Office windows close |
| 8.30pm (approx) | Northampton Saints vs Bedford Blues HT |
| 8.30pm (approx) | Ticket Office windows re-open for HT |
| 9.30pm (approx) | Northampton Saints vs Bedford Blues FT |
| 9.30pm (approx) | Saints Store reopens |
| 10pm | Saints Store and Village Store close |
| 10.30pm (approx) | Staggered bar closures, ending in the Rodber Bar |
| 12am | Car Parks close |
Next Home Match
10
Days
22
Hours
44
Mins
Saturday 28 September - 5:30pm
* All match ticket prices are subject to a £1.50 booking fee
** All Season Ticket prices are subject to a booking fee of £2.50 per ticket, plus a £10 admin fee for Direct Debits
