Spanning two years from 2023 to 2025, The Black, Green and Golden Age of Northampton Saints was a powerful exploration of the Club’s rich heritage, shaped by the voices of those who lived it.

Rooted in the golden era of the 1950s and 60s, this community-led project celebrated not just the achievements of Northampton Saints on the pitch, but also the deep personal connections, memories, and social history surrounding the Club.

Made possible by funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and delivered by a dedicated team of staff and volunteers, the project uncovered stories that might otherwise have been lost – placing the lives and memories of players, fans, and their families at the heart of local sporting heritage.

A Golden Era of Rugby

The 1950s and 1960s marked a golden age for Northampton Saints, a period defined by exceptional talent and remarkable achievements. Legendary players such as Jeff Butterfield, Dickie Jeeps, Bob Taylor, and David Powell made a significant impact at both Club and international level. In total, 27 Saintsmen earned international caps while playing for the Club during this time.

During this era, numerous club records were set. Ron Jacobs holds the all-time appearance record with 470 games, closely followed by Don White with 448. Barry Oldham’s 185 tries rank him third in the Club’s history for tries scored, while Roger Hosen’s 1,463 points place him third on the all-time points list.

Preserving Personal Stories

At the heart of the project was a commitment to gathering and preserving personal stories from those who shaped this remarkable era. Through recorded interviews, community events, memory cafés, and outreach sessions, we documented the voices of former players, their relatives, supporters, and others connected to the Club.

These oral histories offer a unique insight into post-war Northampton, a time when Saints players were often local and juggling their playing career alongside working and family life.

Powered by People

The project was powered by people. A total of 69 volunteers supported the work, many of them Northampton Saints fans themselves, bringing their own memories and passions to the task. 

They received training in oral history, digitisation, interpretation, and archiving – learning valuable heritage skills while helping to preserve local history.

Clare Clarke, Heritage Lead at Northampton Saints Foundation, said: “It has been both a joy and an honour to lead this project and to spend time with some of the Saints’ past players and true legends of the Club.

“The wonderful team of volunteers and I feel incredibly lucky to have helped preserve these memories, to have shared in such treasured moments and to have been trusted with their personal archives.

“This project has been about much more than rugby, and I’m so grateful to everyone who welcomed us into their lives to tell that story.”

Building the Archive

One major outcome of the project has been the care and protection of a growing Saints archive. Over 5,000 items in our collection – or loaned by supporters, players, and families – have been digitised, catalogued, stored, and preserved using archive-grade materials.

From shirts and programmes to personalised correspondence, scrapbooks and photographs, these objects are now part of a digitised, managed collection that will be available to future researchers and fans alike. This work has also highlighted gaps in the historical record, which we are now focused on trying to fill.

Exhibition: Black, Green and Golden Age

The culmination of the project was our exhibition in May 2025, Black, Green and Golden Age, which brought together many of the voices and objects we uncovered. Unlike traditional exhibitions, this one centred emotion, memory, and dialogue – placing the players’ voices above linear chronology.

Visitors heard the players tell their stories in their own words, saw images of the matches they played, and felt the emotional pull of a shared past.

For many relatives of past players, being invited to share memories and see their loved ones honoured brought deep emotional resonance and comfort, often rekindling powerful connections with the Club.

Former player John Shurvinton remarked: “How wonderful it is to be valued almost 60 years after hanging up my rugby boots.”

Fellow Saint John Cooley also reflected: “I never expected the history of Saints to be portrayed so well, and meeting up with my mate Brian Page was the icing on the cake.

Continuing the Legacy

While this chapter of the project is coming to a close, the legacy of Black, Green and Golden Age continues. 

We are exploring ways in which we can further digitise our archive, and embed heritage activity more deeply within the Club and local organisations.

The Oral Histories from the Black, Green and Golden Age can be found HERE.

A document containing all the Profiles of former players who were researched as part of this project can be found HERE.

The friendships, connections, and skills developed during this project will continue to benefit the community, and we hope to inspire similar projects that use sport as a route into heritage.

Thank You

Our thanks go to all who contributed – players, volunteers, interviewees, community partners, and especially The National Lottery Heritage Fund and its players for making this work possible.

Together, we’ve ensured that a golden age of Northampton Saints history will remain alive in the hearts, minds, and stories of Northampton, and these stories are now preserved for generations to come.

If you would like to find out more about this project, please contact Clare and the team by emailing blackgreengold@northamptonsaintsfoundation.org.