With very strong winds forecast on Saturday afternoon when Northampton Saints welcome Sale Sharks to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, the Club have had to take down the stretch tent usually found in the Supporter Village.
A sell-out crowd will be present for the Gallagher Premiership clash, but with gusts forecasted to exceed 45mph, Saints’ operations team have acted quickly to ensure the safety of all supporters present.
“The health and safety of our supporters and staff is always our number one priority,” said Kristy Coates, Head of Operations at Northampton Saints.
“Clearly, with some wet weather also a possibility, removing shelter from the Supporter Village is not ideal – but the tent’s guidelines for safe use preclude us from using it as normal with such strong winds expected in Northampton.
“All the usual chairs and tables will remain in place inside the Supporter Village, all food and drinks units will be open as normal, and the Inclusion Hub will also be open (safety permitting) to provide extra covered space for supporters to use.
“Other elements of our usual matchday experience, such as the use of pyros as the teams enter the field, will be assessed on the day. All pre-match musical entertainment (Dan Knight and Towcester Studio Band) will be moved to the Rodber Bar – please note, some of our indoor spaces such as the Rodber and Members Bars may be busier than normal.
“We look forward to welcoming more than 15,000 supporters through our gates tomorrow for a sold-out match, and I hope those in attendance will understand the decision to remove the tent was made with safety front of mind.”
For more information on everything else happening around cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens on matchday, please check out our Guide to the Gardens HERE.
