- Address: Britannia Road, Southampton
- Country: United Kingdom
- Capacity: 32,000
- Opened: 1 August 2001
- Main use: Football
- Tenants: Southampton FC (football)
Extra stadium info – St. Mary’s Stadium
The construction of the St. Mary’s Stadium started in 2000 and its construction costs were £32 million. The venue opened with a football match between Southampton Football Club, nicknamed The Saints, and the Spanish side RCD Espanyol. The Spanish visitors won the game. On 16 October 2002, the St. Mary’s Stadium hosted its first-ever match of the national football team of England. 32,000 people attended the game, which ended in a 2-2 draw. It was a qualifier for the European championship for national football teams.
The Saints
Southampton FC was founded in 1885 under a different name. The club was founded by members of the St. Mary’s Church. In 1976, they won the FA Cup for the first time in their history. They won the competition after beating Manchester United in London in front of 99,000 spectators. Southampton Football Club drew an average attendance of 30,000 in their 19 home matches in their first-ever Premier League season at the stadium. It became one of the first English sports clubs with 1 million followers on its main social media page. The Saints have a long-standing rivalry with Portsmouth FC. The matches between both clubs are known as South Coast derbies.
