Location | Sixfields, Northampton, England |
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Owner | Northampton Town F.C. |
Capacity | 7,798 |
Record attendance | 7,798 (Northampton Town v Manchester United, 21 September 2016) |
Surface | Grass |
Construction | |
Opened | 15 October 1994 |
Expanded | 2014 |
Construction cost | £6,000,000 (£18,000,000 after redevelopment) |
Tenants | |
Northampton Town (1994–) Coventry City (2013–2014) |
Sixfields Stadium is a 7,798-capacity all-seater sports stadium in the Sixfields area on the west side of Northampton, England. It has been the home ground of Northampton Town Football Club following their move from the County Ground in October 1994. It was also rented by Coventry City between July 2013 and August 2014. The site also hosts athletics in the adjacent stadium. Aside from being a sports venue, Sixfields also houses conference facilities.
Since 1897, Northampton Town had played their home games at the County Cricket Ground, sharing it with Northamptonshire County Cricket Club. Because of the larger size of a cricket pitch, the football ground only had stands on three sides. Northampton Town chose to construct their own stadium, more suitable for football, in the Sixfields area of Northampton.
The stadium had been scheduled to be opened at the start of the 1994–95, but was not ready on time and as a result Northampton began the season still at the County Ground. The first game to be played at Sixfields was against Barnet in Division Three on 15 October 1994. The match ended in a 1–1 draw, with striker Martin Aldridge scoring the first goal at the new stadium.
Because of a rent dispute between the owners of Coventry City and the landlords of their home ground, the Ricoh Arena, Coventry started a groundshare with Northampton in the 2013–14 season. This arrangement was due to continue for three seasons, but in September 2014 Coventry returned to playing at the Ricoh Arena.