Cutouts will be filling the stands as a way to pay tribute to lost loved ones and raise money for charity
All games are behind closed doors for the foreseeable future but when Northampton welcome Cheltenham in the League Two play-off semi-final first leg on Thursday, the crowd will boast a familiar face in the shape of Shaquille O’Neal, the 7ft 1in NBA hall of famer.
The American’s likeness will be among thousands of weird and wonderful cutouts to take their place in the stands after clubs invited supporters to make their presence felt. “If it was a life-size, Shaq would have to be at the back,” says the Northampton chairman, Kelvin Thomas, a business associate of the former
Los Angeles Lakers centre.