NORTHAMPTON TOWN, reluctant tenants of the county cricket club for 97 years, finally moved into a place of their own on Saturday, writes Phil Shaw.

House-warming the Sixfields stadium with a 1-1 draw against Barnet before a crowd only 139 below its 7,600, all- seated capacity, the League's bottom-but-one club thus emulated Scunthorpe, Walsall, Wycombe, Chester and Huddersfield to make it six new fields in six years.

Located between the town centre and the M1, Sixfields boasts a glass-fronted concourse, a lift to take disabled fans to their platform and, crucially after the atmosphere-free zone known as the County Ground, stands on all sides. The only side worrying Northampton supporters now is the one managed by John Barnwell. Having escaped on a technicality last season, they are in danger of providing a swish addition to Vauxhall Conference architecture.

(Photograph omitted)