Guide to the Gardens: Northampton Saints vs Bristol Bears

Foundation Day 2025 aims to raise crucial funds to support people in the community via the Foundation’s programmes, with the target of raising as many funds as possible for the Foundation’s important work. We understand that times are tough right now, and appreciate all your support on this day and throughout the year.

WHY SHOULD I DONATE?

• Via its award-winning programmes, the Foundation will support almost 6,500 people during this academic year.
• Every year, the charity needs to raise half-a-million pounds to continue to help people in our community, but creates more than £1.4million in social value. Since 2018, over 22,000 young people have experienced the Foundation’s education and social inclusion programmes, with 93% of those making a positive change to their lives.

HOW CAN I DONATE?​

• Bucket Shakes – bring cash for our buckets which will be held by Northampton Saints players and Foundation representatives.
• Donate online – visit www.northamptonsaintsfoundation.org and click ‘DONATE’, just £5 could provide a confidence-boosting activity for a young person. 
• QR codes – look out for QR codes on posters, screens and banners around the ground which link to our online donations. 
• Donate in the Saints Store – press YES to make a donation to the Foundation, when you pay by card in the Saints Store.
• One for the Foundation – With EcoCup refunds no longer available to donate to Northampton Saints Foundation on matchdays, the Club have introduced an alternative; ‘One for the Foundation’ – with £1 being added to their order total at the stadium bars and donated straight to the Club’s charity.

WHAT TO EXPECT ON FOUNDATION DAY?

• Players around the stadium – look out for Northampton Saints players who will be taking selfies and signing items for a donation. Scan the QR codes to donate.   
• Raffle – win a pair of Silverstone MotoGP weekend tickets, four tickets to see Women’s FA Cup Final at Wembley, afternoon tea for two at Delapre Abbey and a whole host of other prizes in our raffle. Tickets cost £5, look out for our Foundation volunteers and staff around the ground.
• Auction – we have some incredible items in our auction, including all 23 matchday worn shirts, a coaching session with Alex Mitchell and Tom James, a fully signed England shirt, and the chance to go to a pub quiz with Phil Dowson and Sam Vesty – plus lots more! You can view auction lots and place your bids HERE.  
• Warm-up shirts – Northampton Saints’ players will be wearing Foundation warm-up t-shirts, which will be available to purchase in an auction at a later date.
• Half-time activity – stay in your seats at half-time, as three individuals will be taking to the pitch to take part in a game of ‘rugby pong’ to win a range of prizes.
• Face painting – Donate a small fee to get your face painted on Saturday, by visiting Little Faces Face Painting in the Inclusion Hub.

Please tag the Foundation in your photos on Facebook, Instagram, X, or Linkedin and use the hashtag #FoundationDay2025

• Tickets for Northampton Saints vs Castres Olympique remain on sale, with tickets available from just £24 adult / £8 child* 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, 2024/25 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:
  • 10am: Saints Store and Ticket Office open, with Ticket Office found inside the Store
  • 3pm: Ticket Office windows open
  • 3.30pm: Stadium opens, with Village Stores also opening
  • 5.30pm: Saints vs Bristol KO, Saints Store closes
  • 5.45pm: Ticket Office windows close
  • 6.15pm: Saints vs Bristol HT, with Ticket Office windows re-opening for the interval
  • 7.15pm: Saints vs Bristol FT
  • 7.15pm: Saints Store re-opens at full-time
  • 7.45pm: Saints Store and Village Stores close

• We’re delighted to welcome solo-artist Hannah Faulkner on Saturday, she’ll perform in the Supporter Village pre-match and in the Rodber Bar after Saints vs Bristol. 
• Head along to the Inclusion Hub to have a go at our passing cage, and visit our face-painters.
• Saturday’s Club of the Match is Ipswich RFC, they’ll be forming the Guard of Honour as the teams run out.
• Stay in your seats at half-time, as three individuals will be taking to the pitch to take part in a game of ‘rugby pong’ to win a range of prizes with Northampton Saints Foundation.
• Club partner Hyundai will be with us on Saturday, showcasing one of their vehicles in the Supporter Village. 
• Stick around after the match to see if you can catch one of Saints’ signed balls!

• With cinch Stadium set to be close to capacity on Saturday, the Club urges supporters to arrive as early as possible to avoid queues. 
• This weekend’s clash at the Gardens is set to be busy, so please make sure you give yourself enough time to get to the ground and into your seat or place on the Terrace. 

• Please note, the A4500 (Weedon Road) has been reduced to one lane on the side of the dual carriage way heading from Sixfields out towards the M1.
• As always, the Club will do what it can to mitigate delays on entering/exiting the Club’s Car Parks with the usual traffic management in place in Car Park D, Claret Car Park and on Edgar Mobbs Way. 
• However, these roadworks could cause delays on matchday, and so the Club urges supporters to take this into account for their travel plans both before and after the match. 

• 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 8.15pm.

• 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 Friday 25 April, the matchday programme for Saints vs Bristol will be available to view HERE.

• Northampton Saints have made an adjustment to how EcoCups are used and returned around cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.
• 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’ – with £1 being added to their order total and donated straight to the Club’s charity.
• New QR codes will also be scannable within the stadium so supporters can donate directly to the Foundation via their mobile devices.

• 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.

• 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 2.30pm, with the stadium opening its gates at 3.30pm.
• 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 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.

• 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.

• As the teams run out onto the pitch on Saturday, there will be a pyrotechnic display in front of the Carlsberg Stand – please be advised this may include a series of loud bangs/crackles.
• ​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.