Long-awaited football stand set for full opening

Northampton Town's East Stand has been almost 11 years in the making

A long-awaited stand at a League One football club will be fully opened to fans this weekend.

Northampton Town Football Club's East Stand has stood incomplete since construction work stopped in 2014 due to a contractual dispute, but work restarted last summer.

A series of test events were held at the club's recent home games, but Saturday's home game with Reading will see its raised viewing platform and concourse opened for the first time.

The new stand has increased the capacity of the Sixfields Stadium by about 400 - to more than 8,200 - and has given the club its first pitch-facing hospitality with executive boxes.

Northampton Town's East Stand has boosted capacity to more than 8,200

James Whiting, the club's chief executive, said: "The test events went well, we have completed the phased opening and we have passed all of the required safety requirements.

"Working with and alongside the safety advisory group, the opening process has proceeded very smoothly and we would like to thank [building contractor] GRS, all of the staff and everyone involved for their hard work."

The cost of the East Stand is expected to be over £5m

The stand, which will be known as the LCS Stand due to its sponsor, will also feature a new concourse with televisions, food kiosks, retail space and toilets.

On the second level is a large kitchen for hospitality, a bar, lounge, boardroom, corporate boxes that seat 10 people, and 24 accessible spaces for wheelchairs.

The club finalised an agreement to complete the stadium work after West Northamptonshire Council approved a land sale to the club in February last year.

This deal included land behind the stadium, an area that has been the focus of ongoing discussions about development plans over the years.

What the East stand looked like when work stopped in 2014

The club's chairman, Kelvin Thomas, previously said the total cost of the stand would be in the region of £5.5-6m.

Land behind the stadium has been earmarked as potential warehousing sites with money raised to be reinvested back into the football club.

New dining areas form part of the new look East Stand