Northampton fans to raise £100k to stave off financial crisis
Friday 23 October 2015 15:04, UK
Northampton Town supporters have launched an appeal to raise £100,000 for the financially-troubled Sky Bet League Two club.
Fans of the Cobblers, who are currently fifth in their division despite serious uncertainties regarding the future of the club, have set up a Crowdfunding appeal through their Supporters Trust to provide extra funding at Sixfields.
Northampton were last week presented with a winding-up order by HMRC after it emerged they had failed to pay a five-figure tax sum. The charge will be heard in the High Court on November 16.
On Thursday, a separate winding-up order against the company established by the club to oversee the development of the ground's east stand was upheld in Birmingham - it had been brought by the stand's builder, Buckingham Group, who claim to be owed around £3m for work done.
The east stand redevelopment stopped in April of this year and that side of the stadium remains a disused building site.
Northampton Borough Council, who lent Northampton £10.25m in the summer of 2014 to pay for the redevelopment, have since agreed to an independent review of the club's affairs and to see if they can continue as a going concern.
But the club's supporters have begun to take matters into their own hands, and have launched an appeal to raise funds which could be used to help pay the tax bill or cover staff and player wages should there be a shortfall.
The Trust have also designed and produced an alternative replica shirt, the proceeds of which will go into the fund.
Former Oxford United chairman Kelvin Thomas is believed to be heading up a consortium which is interested in purchasing Northampton, with talks over the sale understood to be at an advanced stage.
In July, a contract was signed with a mystery group of Indian businessmen to take over the club, but the deal collapsed earlier this month after "insurmountable problems" were discovered during the due diligence process.
To donate to the Northampton Town Supporters' Trust's fundraising initiative, click here.
