Club

Southampton are a professional football club based on the south coast of England. The Saints have also lifted the FA Cup once in 1976 with it their only major trophy won to date.

Southampton club name

The Saints changed their official – and still current – club name in 1897 to denote the city in which they are located, Southampton.

But they were originally referred to as St Mary’s YMA given their roots at the St Mary’s Church of England Young Men’s Association. Across their rich history, Southampton have also existed under two further official club names.

Founded as: St Mary’s Young Men’s Association FC (1885-1887)

Name changed: St Mary’s FC (1887-1894)

Name changed: Southampton St Mary’s (1894-1897)

Name changed: Southampton FC (1897-present)

Nickname: The Saints

Southampton founding year

Southampton were formed by members of the St Mary’s Church of England Young Men’s Association in 1885, which unsurprisingly was attached to the local St Mary’s Church. Reverend Arthur Baron Sole was central to the club’s creation after chairing a meeting with young male churchgoers to set about founding a football club.

Southampton home stadium

Southampton currently play their football at their home ground, St Mary’s Stadium, which they moved into in 2001 after a one-and-a-half-year construction process. They previously called The Dell their home for a total of 103 years but decided it was time for a significant upgrade at the end of the 1990s.

First stadium: Southampton Common (1885-1886)

Other stadium: Antelope Cricket Ground (1886-1896)

Other stadium: County Cricket Ground (1896-1898)

Other stadium: The Dell (1898-2001)

Current stadium: St Mary’s Stadium (2001-present)

St Mary’s Stadium capacity: 32,384

Southampton training ground

Southampton’s current training ground is called Staplewood Campus. The Saints bought the site from the now-defunct Road-Sea Southampton in 1987. The complex was redeveloped at a cost of around £40 million and reopened in November 2014. Its central building is called the Markus Liebherr Pavilion, named after Southampton’s late owner who died in 2010.

Current training ground: Staplewood Campus (1987-present)

Location: Long Lane, Marchwood, Hampshire, SO40 4WR

Current league

Southampton currently play in the Premier League after returning to the top-flight of the English professional pyramid in 2024. The Saints spent just one season away from the division after beating Leeds United 1-0 in the Championship play-off final at Wembley through Adam Armstrong.

Promotion via the play-offs returned Southampton to the Premier League but the club have never won the first or second division title. The Saints’ only league triumphs came through winning the third-tier title in 1921/22 and later in 1959/60.

Current league: Premier League (2024-present)

Previous league: EFL Championship (2023-2024)

Current manager

Southampton appointed their current manager Russell Martin in June 2023 to replace interim head coach Ruben Selles, who failed to keep the Saints in the Premier League.

Martin signed an initial three-year contract to take charge of the club, which Southampton extended to 2027 in July 2024 following their victory in the Championship play-off final.

Current manager: Russell Martin (June 2023-June 2027 expected)

Southampton contact details

Website: www.southamptonfc.com/

Reception, phone: 02380 727 700

Reception, email: [email protected]

Other contact details: Full details here

Address: Southampton Football Club, St Mary’s Stadium, Britannia Road, Southampton, Hampshire, SO14 5FP

Southampton tickets

Supporters who wish to buy general tickets for Southampton men’s, women’s and Under-21 matches can do so via the club’s official website and you’ll find the process is a seamless one. But some games are hard to attend for those without official club membership packages.

Southampton adhered to feedback from their fans and simplified their membership packages ahead of their return to the Premier League in 2024/25. Saints Members enjoy early priority to purchase tickets with packages available to adults for £30 and under-18s for £20.

Fans can also buy a bolt-on for £75 that provides additional discounts on selected match tickets, as well as a replica shirt voucher, among its further benefits compared to a standard package.

For away matches, Southampton season ticket holders get first priority to buy tickets depending on how many games they have attended across the current season and the previous term. The sale window then opens to members before finally reaching general sale.

Website: https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/tickets-and-hospitality

Phone: 02381 780 780