Northampton Saints may have to play in Milton Keynes
Northampton Saints have warned that they may have to play in Milton Keynes if they enjoy European success during the coming season.
However Chief executive Allan Robson has issued the warning on the back of an announcement that the club made 500,000 last season.
Mr Ropbson joined Saints chairman Keith Barwell in warning that the continued growth shown by the is under threat from the policies of Northampton Borough Council.
In May last year the club announced it had reached an agreement to sell part of its land to Asda for a new food store that would serve the Upton and St James areas of Northampton.
The deal would also enable the Saints to finance the expansion of Franklin's Gardens from its present 13,591 to just under 17,500 without taking on a loan that could be prohibitive to the club's ongoing financial stability.
Despite overwhelming support from the community, the council has consistently opposed plans.
Mr Robson said: "Saints' average attendance of over 13,000 at its Franklin's Gardens stadium was 97 per cent of maximum capacity and for the first time in the professional era Saints had only the sixth highest home attendance in the Premiership.
"This threatens to restrict the Club's finances and our competitiveness on the playing front just as the growth in popularity of rugby union really begins to take off.
"As a result, if we qualify for a home quarter final in Europe's Heineken Cup again this coming season, we will have no alternative but to play the match at stadium:mk, Milton Keynes, because with its 22,000 spectator capacity it fulfils the tournament's criteria which Franklin's Gardens does not."
Barwell added: "Unfortunately the Borough Council and its executives still appear against the idea of…enabling retail development. I can promise you the Borough Council will not stop us carrying out our plans. They might slow it down, but we will build in the end."
The Saints' accounts for the year ending on May 31 have revealed a net profit of 521,048. This is way up from the 16,283 recorded in 2009.
It comes on the back of record turnover of 12 million and a season which included a Premiership Rugby semi-final and Saints becoming the only English team to get a place in the knock out stages of the Heineken Cup.
In finishing runners-up and achieving a first ever home semi-final, the Saints earned more league wins than any other team in the Premiership table.
Furthermore, the Saints also won the 2010 LV= Cup trophy, representing a first major domestic title.
Mr Robson said he was delighted with the club's performances on and off the field and that the record level of turnover and increased profits were a solid foundation for Northampton Saints plc to build on in the future.
In the Saints' annual Business Review, Mr Robson says: "The Directors were pleased with the club's performance in 2009-10.
"We remain ambitious to show continued and consistent development in every way possible and look forward to the forthcoming season with confidence."
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Monday 13 February 2012
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