Northampton Saints chief executive Allan Robson says that the interest shown by the club's supporters in the upcoming sale of shares on behalf of the old Members' Club reinforces the positive direction that the club is heading.
Last week Northampton Saints plc, the parent company of Northampton Saints, announced the details of how the 500,000 shares held in trust for the old Members' Club were going to be sold.
It is the first time that such a substantial number of shares will have been available since Northampton Saints became a plc in 2000.
After just seven days the number of people who have registered their interest in purchasing shares is already nearing one thousand, and Robson says that this is a reflection of the support not just of the new North Stand, but the positive direction in which the club is heading.
"Over two thousand supporters bought shares when Northampton Saints became a plc over a decade ago," he said. "In the intervening years our average attendance and number of Season Ticket Holders has grown and grown, and the interest in this sale of shares reflects that.
"Eighty percent of the registrations have also included a request of our latest annual report and accounts, which indicates that they are coming from supporters who are not currently shareholders.
"We have worked very hard to put the club onto a secure footing, on and off the field, and we all believe that we are in a virtuous circle of investment being reflected in success, which in turn generates more interest and investment.
"This share sale is an important part of helping us expand Franklin's Gardens in a viable and prudent way and will make a significant contribution towards maintaining the stadium's position as the best dedicated rugby facility in the country."
Shares will be available at £1 each, with a minimum purchase of 250 shares. All proceeds from the share sale will be invested by the Trustees of the Northampton Rugby Football Club Ltd Proprietary Club into the initial construction costs of the new North Stand development at Franklin's Gardens.
The share offer is anticipated to close on October 31st, 2012. Registrations of interest will be taken until that date, which can be made in one of the following ways:
- By filling in the simple form on www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/share_sale
- By emailing [email protected]
- By writing to the Club Secretary, Franklin's Gardens, Weedon Road, Northampton, NN5 5BG
