Southampton Football Club History

Southampton Football Club was Established in 1885 and the Football Clubs Nickname is The Saints.

Brief History of Southampton Football Club

Southampton Football Club, also known as The Saints, was one of the first English football teams to compete on a professional level. Surprisingly, the Saints only succeeded in winning one major championship: the 1976 FA Cup, while spending the majority of their tenure competing in the top-flight. Despite not having many championships to their name, Southampton is one of the most well-liked clubs in English football. This is due to their rich, colorful history and the greatest players who have worn their shirts. The club has made significant contributions to the growth of football in the country and its youth program is renowned for producing the best football talent.

Members of the St. Mary’s Young Men’s Association laid the foundation for Southampton FC on November 21, 1885 at St. Mary’s Church in England. Initially the club was known as St. Mary’s Young Men’s Association F.C, but in 1887–1888 it changed to St. Mary’s F.C. When the club joined the Southern League in 1894, it was renamed as Southampton St. Mary’s FC.

The club played most of their early matches at the Southampton Common, which is a large area situated north of the city and it is still used for a variety of community events. St. Mary’s FC began playing its crucial fixtures, such as Cup or league games, at County Cricket Ground as a result of the disruption caused by the locals.

Early Success of Southampton

After joining the Southern League, the team added a few professional football players, notably Fred Hollands of Millwall and Stoke City players Lachie Thomson, Charles Baker, and Alf Littlehales. These new signings helped Southampton to win their first Southern League title in 1896–97. It was a huge accomplishment for a new club like Southampton to win such a prestigious title in English football. After claiming their first championship, the club changed its name to Southampton FC and became a limited corporation.

Southampton won the Southern League three times in a row, from 1896–97 to 1897–98 to 1898–99. The team added three additional Southern League championships in 1900-01, 1902-03, and 1903-04. Southampton became the most well-liked football club in the city as a result of this enormous achievement. The Saints began making significant profits at this time and also attracted a huge fan base. In 1898, Southampton moved to a newly built stadium named The Dell worth £10,000. Why not read the Football 24-7 Acca betting guide for some Southampton bets this year!

Tour to South America

Southampton holds a prestigious honor of being the first British football club to make a tour to South American countries and play matches with different national teams. A number of other English clubs began traveling to South American nations after the Saints broke the barrier. Southampton made a significant impact on South American football’s growth.

In the early 1900s, British football was much more advanced than that of South American nations. Southampton competed in a number of friendly games during the tour against Argentine and Uruguay, two powerful South American nations. Southampton won all of their games against Argentina on the tour, scoring 29 goals altogether while only giving up 4. The Saints, on the other hand, trounced Uruguay by an 8-1 score.

Joining the Football League

After World War I, twenty-two teams were introduced to the Third Division as a result of the Football League’s expansion. Southampton also joined the newly formed Football League Third Division, which was further split into the Third Division South and Third Division North in 1921. On a regional basis, the teams were also split up. Southampton was added to the Third Division South.

Southampton won 23 out of 42 games during the inaugural season of the Third Division South to claim the title of Division Champion. Both the Saints and Plymouth Argyle had 61 points in the league standings, but the Saints won the Division due to the goals difference. After winning the Third Division, Southampton got promoted to the Second Division.

Promotion to the First Division

The Saints’ inaugural season in the Second Division was highly entertaining; they finished the league with 14 wins, 14 draws, and 14 defeats. The team surprisingly finished in the middle of the table. Southampton’s 40 goals scored and 40 goals conceded during the season is another intriguing aspect of the season. The football league was suspended in 1939 as a result of World War II and revived in 1946.

In the 1947-48 season, the Saints narrowly missed the promotion to the First Division and finished third in the league table. The club was just 4 points behind Newcastle United. The same happened in the following season, when Southampton again finished third in the league, trailing West Bromwich Albion by just one point. Southampton was relegated in 1953 and dropped back into the Third Division; it took them seven seasons to get promoted back to the Second Division in 1960.

Under Ted Bates’ leadership, Southampton significantly improved its league performance in the 1965–1966 season. The team finished second in the league table with 22 wins. The Saints earned 54 points in the league which were enough for them to qualify for the First Division. It was the first time that Southampton qualified for the top tier league of English football. More Football news 24/7 is available on our home page hourly.

First FA Cup Title

Southampton has qualified for the FA Cup final four times in their 137-year history. In 1900, Southampton was not even playing in the top-tier league when they qualified for the FA Cup final. The Saints faced Bury FC in the final, both clubs appearing in the FA Cup final for the first time. Bury was playing in the First Division and was more experienced as compared to the Saints, Bury defeated Southampton by 4-0 goals in the FA Cup final.

Southampton made it to the Cup final for the second time in 1902. In the final, they were up against Sheffield United this time. The first game ended in a 1-1 draw, and a rematch was held a week later. . Sheffield United defeated Southampton by 2-1 goals. In 1976, Southampton qualified for the FA Cup final for the third time. The club faced Manchester United in the final. Southampton defeated the Red Devils by 1-0 goals and won the FA Cup for the first time.

The 1976 FA Cup was the first major trophy of Southampton. The trophy was presented by the Queen, and it was the last time that Queen attended a Cup final. Southampton’s most recent appearance in the FA Cup final was in 2003, when they faced Arsenal and lost the cup by 1-0 goals.

Relegation and Return to the Top-flight

In 1974, Southampton finished 17th in the league and became the first victim of the new three-down relegation system. After the relegation, McMenemy started rebuilding the squad and signed some of the best football players including Jim Steele, Jim McCalliog, Peter Rodrigues, and Peter Osgood. In 1976, Southampton reached the FA Cup final, playing Manchester United and won the final by 1_0 goals.

In 1977, Southampton qualified for the Cup Winners’ Cup for the first time. The Saints made it to the round 3, where they were eliminated on 3-2 aggregate by Anderlecht. In the 1977–1978 season, Saints achieved promotion to the First Division by finishing second in the league table. In the following season, Southampton advanced to the League Cup final but fell to Nottingham Forest in a 3-2 defeat.

Post-McMenemy Era

McMenemy has been one of Southampton’s most successful managers in the club’s history. He made some of the finest signings for the Saints, including Kevin Keegan, Alan Ball, Mick Channon, and Phil Boyer. When McMenemy left the club in 1985, it was a major catastrophe for the team. Chris Nicholl took his position, and he managed the team for six years before being sacked in 1991. No manager could fit in as well as McMenemy.

Ian Branfoot was hired as new manager in 1991. In 1988, Southampton introduced Alan Shearer, who was just 17 years old when he made his debut for the Saints. He scored a hat-trick against Arsenal in his debut match. He quickly established himself as a main striker for the Saints and one of the top scorers in the English league. In July 1992, Southampton sold him to Blackburn Rovers for a record-breaking £3.6 million. Stay upt to date with other team news with the Man U Futbol24 news, Newcastle futbol24, Liverpool FC Facts, Manchester City facts and much more.

Premier League Era of Southampton FC

Southampton was one of the founding members of the Premier League in 1992. The Saints have been part of the First Division football League since 1978. After managing the Saints for three years, Ian Branfoot was fired in January 1994 as the club was struggling in the league. Alan Ball took over in his place and saved the Saints from relegation in the 1994–95 season.

For the most of the following ten seasons, the Saints battled relegation. The club tried several managers, but none were able to help them increase their league performance. Southampton tried 12 different managers between 1994 and 2005. But nobody could survive for long. In 2003, Gordon Strachan led the Saints to the FA Cup final, where they lost to Arsenal. After finishing 20th in the league table in 2004, Strachan resigned as manager, and the Saints were relegated. Why not take a look at this weeks Liga Nos results or learn some of the latest Everton FC Facts or the latest Premier League winners odds.

It took the Saints seven seasons to reclaim their place in the Premier League. Southampton placed second in the Football League Championship season 2011–12 and earned a spot in the Premier League. The Saints have made significant improvement in recent seasons, finishing fifth in each of the previous two campaigns.

Club Ownership

Over the years, Southampton’s ownership has changed. After being relegated in 2005 and losing the FA Cup final in 2003, the club became indebted and began to have financial problems. Markus Liebherr, a Swiss billionaire, purchased the club in 2010 and settled all of the team’s debts. In 2012, the team was able to return to the English Premier League thanks to Liebherr’s financial support.

In 2017, Katharina Liebherr, who inherited ownership of the club from her late father, sold her 80 percent stake in the club to Chinese businessman GaoJisheng. In 2022, Jisheng sold his 80% shares in the club to the Sport Republic which is owned by Serbian businessman DraganSolak. According to the new contract, Katharina Liebherr still holds 20% of the club’s shares.

Net Worth of Southampton FC

Despite the fact that former Southampton owner GaoJisheng only received $136 million for his 80 percent stake, the club still has a net worth of over $270 million, according to the most recent data. In the 2021–22 season, the club earned a net profit of $19.3 million on revenues of £157.2 million. The club’s performance has significantly improved recently, and this indicates that the club’s value will continue to rise in the future.

Club’s Rivalry

There was a time when Southampton FC and Portsmouth FC were formerly friendly teams, their supporters used to celebrate each other’s victories as if they were their own. However, over time, a rivalry developed between the two clubs that grew more intense. Fratton Park, where Portsmouth plays their home games, is only 19 miles from Saints’ former home the Dell. Ever wondered who the top goal scorer in the Championship is or why are Brighton playing in Yellow?  Find out with with our sporting news.

Both clubs are the most successful clubs on the Southern coast of England. The match played between Portsmouth and Southampton is known as the South Coast Derby. 140 derby matches have been played so far in all competitions, with Southampton winning 57, losing 62, and drawing 21. However if we just talk about top flight competitions, the Saints prevailed in 35 of 71 games.

Interesting Facts about Southampton FC

  • Southampton FC was originally established in 1985 as St. Mary1’s Young Men’s Association, hence they were nicknamed “the Saints”. In 1897, when the club joined the Southern League, they changed their name to Southampton, but kept “the Saints” as their nickname.
  • In 1940, a bomb was dropped on Southampton’s home field during World War II, causing an 18-foot hole to form on the ground. This damaged an underground tunnel and flooded the pitch. Southampton had to play their home games at Fratton Park, which was the ground of Portsmouth.
  • Southampton’s club anthem “When the Saints Go Marching In” is one of the most popular sports songs in England. It is widely used by various clubs and university teams in a variety of sports. In addition to football, rugby and American football teams also use the anthem.
  • Another fascinating fact about Southampton is that, in contrast to many other teams, the Saints’ color has never been changed. Since the club’s inception in 1885, red and white shirts have always been the club colors.
  • One of the most competitive derbies in English football is the South Coast Derby. It is a match between Southampton and its fierce rival Portsmouth. By chanting their respective anthems, supporters of both clubs intensify the atmosphere and raise the level of antagonism.
  • Southampton has one of the best youth football academies in England. The team has won the Premier Academy League in addition to frequently making it to the finals of the FA Youth Cup.
  • The Saints’ 1976 FA Cup win is the only major trophy the team has won to date. Southampton made it to the FA Cup final while competing in the Second Division. The football experts were completely shocked when the club overcame Manchester United by a score of 1-0.
  • Southampton supporters refer to Portsmouth supporters as “Skates.” The name was derived from the fact that residents of Portsmouth used to refer to sailors from the Royal Navy and Portsmouth Dockyard as “Skates.” In return, Southampton’s supporters are referred to by Portsmouth supporters as “Scummers” or “Scum” which is a Navy term used for floating merchant seamen. Check out the latest Southampton Football team news with our dedicated area.
  • Southampton has spent 18 seasons competing in the Premier League. They were previously relegated once in 2004-05 and were then promoted back in 2011-2012. Before being promoted to the Premier League, the team spent seven seasons playing in the Second and Third Division of English football.

Southampton FC Honours List

Even though Southampton is one of England’s oldest teams, the team has not been very successful in terms of winning major trophies. The FA Cup 1976 is the club’s only major accomplishment to date. Despite the club’s success in lower-level football competitions, they still need to win the Premier League and a European competition. You may view Southampton’s list of honours below.

FA Cup – the Saints have qualified for the FA Cup final four times, but could only win one FA Cup title in 1975-76. It is the club’s only major honour to date.

Southern League Champions – Southampton has been quite successful in the Southern Football League. The club has won the Southern league six times including 1896–97, 1897–98, 1898–99, 1900–01, 1902–03, and 1903–04.

Football League Trophy – it is an annual football knockout competition organized by the English Football League. 48 clubs from EFL League One, EFL League Two participate in the competition. Southampton won the Football League Trophy in 2010.

Football League Division Three – Southampton has also spent few seasons competing in the third tier football league. The club won the Football League Division Three title in 1959-60.

Hampshire Senior Cup – it is an annual cup competition which is organized by Hampshire Football Association. All clubs associated with the association can participate in the competition. The Southampton team has won the cup three times including 1890–91, 1891–92, and 1894–95.

The Football Club Manager is: Nathan Jones

The Official Website for Southampton Supporters is: https://www.southamptonfc.com/

The Contact Details for Southampton Football Club are as follows:

Southampton Football Club
The St Mary`s Stadium
Britannia Road
Southampton
Hants
SO14 5FP

For Corporate Hospitality Please phone – 0845 6889 448

The Southampton Twitter Profile

The Official Facebook Account for Southampton is: https://www.facebook.com/southamptonfc/

The Official SnapChat Account for Southampton is: https://www.snapchat.com/add/southamptonfc

The Official TikTok Account for Southampton is: https://www.tiktok.com/@southamptonfc

The Official Youtube Account for Southampton is: https://www.youtube.com/user/theofficialsaints

The Official Club Website News feed can be viewed below:

Categories: Southampton
Zoe Ball

Zoe Ball is a senior football journalist at Football24-7.
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