Southampton Football Club is an English Premier League football team with its home base in Southampton, Hampshire. Prior to 2001, they were stationed at The Dell; St Mary’s Stadium is now their home field. Red and white shirts are worn by the team. Due to the club’s beginnings as a church football team at St Mary’s Church, they have earned the moniker “The Saints.” Portsmouth and Southampton have a protracted South Coast derby rivalry, in part because of the two cities’ closeness to one another and their shared nautical past.
History of Southampton F.C.
Southern League and the Foundation (1885–1920)
On November 21, 1885, representatives of the St. Mary’s Church of England Young Men’s Association established Southampton at St. Mary’s Church.
The majority of the early games for St. Mary’s Y.M.A. were played on The Common, where games were regularly ruined by pedestrians who insisted on utilizing their right to roam. The County Cricket Ground in Northlands Road or the Antelope Cricket Ground in St. Mary’s Road hosted more significant contests, such as cup games.
Joining the Football League (1920–1966)
Southampton joined the newly created Football League Third Division in 1920 following World War I, which eventually split into South and North parts. With the promotion, the 1921–22 campaign came to a successful conclusion and the start of a 31–year tenure in the Second Division.
With 14 victories, 14 victories, 14 draws, and 14 losses for 42 points, or one point per game, the 1922–23 season were a rare “Even Season.” The team’s goal differential was likewise equal, and they were placed in the middle of the table.
They lost to Sheffield United 2-0 in 1925 and to Arsenal 2-1 in 1927, respectively, in the FA Cup semi-finals.
First Division advancement and cup victory (1966–1977)
In 1966, Martin Chivers scored 30 of the Saints’ 85 goals in the league as they finished runners-up and were promoted to the First Division.
In his first season, Ron Davies scored 43 goals for the next season. Saints remained among the elite for eight years, with seventh place in 1968–69 and 1970–71 as their highest placings.