St. Mary’s Stadium Capacity, Tickets, Seating Plan, Records, Location, Parking
St. Mary’s Stadium is a football stadium located in Southampton, England. It is the home stadium of Southampton F.C., who play in the Premier League. The stadium has a seating capacity of 32,384 and was opened in 2001. It was built on the site of the club’s previous stadium, The Dell.
The Taylor Report of 29 January 1990 required all First and Second Division clubs to have all-seater stadiums in August 1994, Southampton’s directors initially decided to upgrade The Dell into an all-seater stadium (which was completed in 1993) but speculation about relocation continued, especially since an all-seat Dell had a capacity of just over 15,000; despite this, Southampton continued to defy the odds and survive in the new FA Premier League after 1992.
After a protracted and ultimately unsuccessful attempt to build a new 25,000-seat stadium and entertainment complex at Stoneham, on the outskirts of Southampton, the council offered the club the chance to build new land on the disused gas works site. in the heart of the city, about a mile and a half from The Dell.
The move was cited as the club’s homecoming because the club was formed by members of nearby St. Mary’s Church, such as the St. Mary’s Church Young Men’s Association football team before becoming Southampton St. Mary’s FC and eventually Southampton FC. Construction began in December 1999 and was completed by the end of July 2001, with work on the 32,689-seat stadium itself and improvements to local infrastructure costing a total of £32 million.
The Saints have been in residence since August 2001 when they moved out of The Dell, which for the last few years of its life held just over 15,000 spectators, less than half the size of the new stadium. The first game was played on August 1, 2001, against RCD Espanyol, the Spanish team winning 4-3.
The first competitive hat trick at the stadium was scored by Stafford Browne for Aldershot Town in a 3–1 win over Havant & Waterlooville in the Hampshire Senior Cup Final on 1 May 2002.
In 2022, the stadium was used as one of the venues to host the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022. It was used to host Group A matches, which were hosted by England.
| Built In: | 2000 – 2001 |
| Capacity: | 32,384 |
| Home Teams: | Southampton FC |
| Ground Size: | (115 yd × 74 yd) |
St. Mary’s Stadium History
St Mary’s Stadium was built between December 1999 and July 2001 at a total cost of £32 million. It was officially inaugurated on August 1, 2001 with a friendly between Southampton and Spanish Espanyol (3-4). Until 2006 the stadium was called The Friends Provided St Mary’s Stadium as part of a sponsorship deal.
Name
The official name of the field at the opening was ‘The Friends Provident St Mary’s Stadium’. Initially, the club wanted the course to be named after the sponsors, but pressure from fans influenced the decision to include a non-commercial title. In 2006 new sponsor Flybe decided not to buy the naming rights to the stadium, meaning it was renamed ‘St Mary’s Stadium’.
Stadium Capacity
St. Mary’s Stadium has a seating capacity of 32,384.
St. Mary’s Stadium Seating Plan
The seating plan for St. Mary’s Stadium can vary depending on the event or match taking place, but generally, it is divided into several sections:
- The Northam Stand: This is the main stand of the stadium and is where the VIP seating and corporate boxes are located.
- The Itchen Stand: This stand is located on one side of the stadium and is where the home supporters sit.
- The Kingsland Stand: This stand is located on the opposite side of the stadium and is where the away supporters sit.
- The Chapel Stand: This stand is located behind one of the goals and is primarily for home supporters.
- The Channon Stand: This stand is located behind the other goal and is primarily for away supporters.
The seating plan will change depending on the type of game, home or away allocation, and also the demand.
Notable Events & Records
Notable matches
St Mary’s Stadium has hosted two full England internationals, a 2-2 draw between England and Macedonia in October 2002, while Wembley Stadium was out of service due to redevelopment and the Football Association decided that England matches would be played at various venues around. the country. David Beckham and Steven Gerrard scored for England. The second was a 5–3 win against Kosovo in a Euro 2020 Qualifier on 10 September 2019. Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane, and Jadon Sancho all scored for England. There has also been an international between Japan and Nigeria.
The stadium hosted European football for the first time in September 2003, when the Saints faced Romanian side Steaua Bucharest in the first round of the UEFA Cup. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.
In 2016, Southampton had their first foray into the UEFA Europa League and their opening game against Czech side Sparta Prague ended in a 3-0 win. Later, in the group stage, they faced former champions Inter Milan and won 2-1.
The venue played host to two England under-21 internationals. The first was a 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying Group 3 match against the Republic of Ireland under-21 team on 20 November 2008. The hosts crushed the visitors 3- 0 thanks to Stephen O’Halloran’s own goal in the 60th minute followed by James Milner. the sixty-eighth minute goal and Theo Walcott’s seventy-eighth minute goal with 31,473 in attendance. The other was an international friendly against Norway under-21s on 28 March 2011. The hosts beat the visitors 2–0 with goals from Daniel Sturridge in the ninth minute and Danny Rose in the fortieth minute with 18,000 in attendance.
In 2022, the venue hosted 3 UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 matches. Thursday, July 7: Norway – Northern Ireland Monday, July 11: Austria – Northern Ireland Friday, July 15: Northern Ireland – England
Between Monday 1 June and Friday 5 June 2015, St Mary’s Stadium hosted a world record match for the longest continuous football game ever played. Players from the Southampton-based charity Testlands Support Project played for 102 hours straight, surpassing the previous record of 101 hours.
Record attendance
32,363 v Coventry City, Championship 28 April 2012
Upcoming Events
Not Yet.
Parking
The cost to park at the stadium is £6.00 which is payable on entering the car park. Southampton Football Club welcomes any supporter who requires the help of a guide dog.
