Saints game at Franklin's Gardens - what not to do!

[Sarge]

Lots of people in Northampton are currently sorting out their travel and accommodation for the Heineken Cup game in Dublin, and I guess that you are all doing the same for the match a week earlier at Franklin's Gardens.

As it's at the Gardens there may be more of you wanting to travel than there are tickets available. When we played a pool game against Munster a few years ago some of their enterprising supporters signed up to the Saints associate membership scheme as a way of getting hold of additional tickets (I think that loophole has now been closed).

Unfortunately several more thought that signing up to membership of the Saints Supporters Club was also a way of getting priority bookings on match tickets, which is not the case so please don't follow that example. All they got for their £7 was a membership card and year badge. The Saints Supporters Club is totally independant of the Saints and offers no means of obtaining match tickets.

If you have any questions about Northampton in advance of your December visit post them here and I will do my best to answer them.

[Donny B.]

Thanks Sarge. Will certainly seek your advice about places to eat and drink closer to the trip. With it being the pre-Christmas trip, there probably won't be a massive amount travelling so hopefully we'll all get sorted through our allocation of 2000 odd.

Just delighted it's at a proper rugby ground not in Milton Keynes.

[Slipper1]

Is there anything fairly close by to do with kids? - will be there with Jnr for Sat & most of Sunday with a car & he's not into sitting in a pub for 16 hours like most of us.

[Donny B.]

Is there anything fairly close by to do with kids? - will be there with Jnr for Sat & most of Sunday with a car & he's not into sitting in a pub for 16 hours like most of us.

Lightweight!

[sheepshagger]

Is there anything fairly close by to do with kids? - will be there with Jnr for Sat & most of Sunday with a car & he's not into sitting in a pub for 16 hours like most of us.

http://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/thin ... orthampton

Failing that, give him the iPad (the OLSC base normally has free wifi), a packet of Walkers and a Coke (UK pubs have it on tap so it's cheaper than here)

[Hornet]

Is there anything fairly close by to do with kids? - will be there with Jnr for Sat & most of Sunday with a car & he's not into sitting in a pub for 16 hours like most of us.

Steam Trains and Santy.
http://www.nlr.org.uk/events/santa/

[Slipper1]

Thanking you.

[Sarge]

Kids: Can't think of much off the top of my head at the moment, but if the weather is too bad for outdoor activities there are 2 multiplex cinemas in town and a bowling alley.

[Slipper1]

Kids: Can't think of much off the top of my head at the moment, but if the weather is too bad for outdoor activities there are 2 multiplex cinemas in town and a bowling alley.

That'll do, thanks.

[Dave Cahill]

Any good spots for the real ale drinker around the ground?

[Muriel]

Any good spots for the real ale drinker around the ground?

And places that serve other drinks too so the wife can have something

[Sarge]

The bars within the ground all serve real ale (but it's more expensive then in the pubs).

Within a 10 minute walk of the ground you have the Foundryman's Arms, the Thomas a Becket and the St James Working Mens Club. All are rugby supporter friendly, but if previous visits from Connacht, Munster and Ulster are anything to go by I guess that a lot of you will be making the Thomas a Becket your base for the weekend. The Rover is also near the ground but as that is currently being refurbished I have no idea what it will be like in December.

The town centre is a 20-25 minute walk from Franklin's Gardens and many of the trendy pubs/bars have dress restrictions in the evenings, so you may not get in wearing your Leinster shirts. Reccommended real ale (and other drinks) places in the town centre:
The Malt Shovel - no juke box or fruit machines, so good for a quiet chat,
The Wig & Pen - good for watching other matches on the TV
The Fish - basic, but good, place to drink
The King Billy (named after William IV, not William of Orange!) - good if you want to watch rock bands. Stays open until 3am at weekends.
There are also three Weatherspoons pubs in the town centre for cheap food and drink

Aside from the pub grub there are the usual selection of restuarants: american style diners, italian, mexican, indian, chinese; and plenty of takeaways.

[Donny B.]

Any good spots for the real ale drinker around the ground?

And places that serve other drinks too so the wife can have something

Will you not be on the Santa train with Slipper and his kid?

[Muriel]

You're hilarious, old man.

[Donny B.]

You're hilarious, old man.

Miaow!

[nelly the elephant]

You're hilarious, old man.

Quite literally now......

[Donny B.]

You're hilarious, old man.

Quite literally now......

Isn't there a rule on here about not using information gleaned on Facebook against individual posters?

[BRulster]

Any good spots for the real ale drinker around the ground?

Not exactly near the ground, but worth the walk - the Malt Shovel will have you like a kid in a sweetie shop.

[t1961d]

Our allocation should be around 1300-1400 with the 10% rule ? Do people think that wont be enough whats the general consensus on how many are travelling ?

[footrush]

Our allocation should be around 1300-1400 with the 10% rule ? Do people think that wont be enough whats the general consensus on how many are travelling ?

Its more a question of where you want to be in the ground eg terrace c on the half way line (buying online at the moment from Northampton) vs being certain of being with the Leinster support (buying through our allocation when it becomes available).