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 After over 30 years of trying Southampton finally managed to move into a
new ground for the 01/02 season

Vital Statistics

Capacity : 32689 (all seated). This is everything including dugout spaces and the press box so don't expect any sellouts ! The usual figure is 32521. 

Expansion capability of an additional 5000 minimum for each stand.

Cost To Construct : £30 million

Pitch Size: 105m X 68m (115yds X 75yds).

Away Support : Initial block of 900 in North Stand up to 10% capacity or 15% for Cup games.

Young Saints : approx 1300 seats in South Stand.

Parking facilities :

255 car spaces

200 Disabled Spaces

420 Cycle Spaces

170 Motorcycle Spaces

Emphasis on use of Public Transport with Park and Ride and low floor shuttle buses linking ferry, rail and urban areas.

Saints will provide satellite car parking at a variety of sites throughout the city, such as The University,

Ordinance Survey (Maybush), Meridian, to minimise congestion. Persons using these car parking facilities will also be given free bus rides to the ground. Free bus rides are also to be available to those who present a match ticket.

Local railway station will hopefully be opened.

Large Video Screens which will show after match highlights and interviews.

Executive boxes for 410

Supporters Social Club for 600

City Training Centre

Hospitality suites catering for 900

Banqueting facilities for 500-550 people

Conference dining for 150

Restaurant seating 120

8000 sq. feet of office space.

Saints Superstore

13 food outlets on the stadium concourse

Separate alcohol and hot drink stalls

11 drinks bars

270 catering staff available on match days

Cyclists will be linked with the National Cycle Network.

Security: CCTV coverage of all areas

To maximise revenue the new ground will cater for non-footballing events such as Music Festivals, Antique Fairs, Big screen nights, Exhibitions, Supporter's Club events, Dinners etc




Ticket Details

Visit the official site for a full breakdown of ticket banding, prices for both league and cup games and season ticket information




Ground Details

The new Stadium is called St. Mary’s. The 35 acre site is situated in Britannia Road in St. Mary's will be completed by August 2001.The Stadium will seat 32000 at a cost of £30 million to the club. The club was originally called Southampton St. Mary’s with close church links. The move to the gas works site is not only a move into the city centre but also a move back to the club’s traditions. The people who designed the ground have also designed the Riverside and Pride Park.

One of the main problems facing Southampton’s survival in the Premiership is the lack of adequate revenue being taken in at the gate.

The resulting loss in finance affects the club in all areas of its operation from player wages and purchasing power to improvement of general facilities.

It has therefore been the plan for many years to move form the Dell to a new stadium. These plans were floundering along for what seemed like forever when the club was taken over. Since then there has been a concerted effort by the board to get the project completed. They have faced severe difficulties in trying to obtain planning permission for a new ground. The board’s initial plan was to move to Stoneham and I have given a summary of the project’s progress below. In fairness to the board although Stoneham proved to be a hopeless endeavor it was still worth undertaking as the most sought after site. The St. Mary’s location had been considered in parallel with Stoneham and delays have been considerably reduced in having an alternative to Stoneham available.





St. Mary's Cost Breakdown

The £30 million total cost of the ground consists of the following:-

Ground Construction £ 20 800 000 (of which £4.3million for the site)

Site Clearance £ 2 000 000 / £ 3 000 000

New Transport Routes (road/bridge) £ 1 500 000

Rail/bus links and legal costs also mentioned to make up the remaining £5 million.

Fund Raising

Loan from Deutsche Genossenschaftsbank AG £ 12 000 000

Sovereign Finance Plc £ 5 000 000

The above are the constituents of an overall £17 million loan.See loan details for more

Sponsorship (stands etc) £ 1 200 000

New Share Issue £ 3 000 000 see Shareholders of Southampton FC for more details.

Sale of The Dell to Barratt Homes £ 5 000 000

Football Trust Grant £ 3 600 000

Loan Details

The £17 million loan is over ten years.Payment shall be made at 1.75% above current interest rates over this period.

Generated Gate Revenue

It is expected that the for the 32 000 capacity gate that:-

six games will sell-out, six games will have a gate of 27,000 and for seven games 23,000 will attend.

This will increase turnover by £4-5 million.Taking into account loan repayments the result is a £2-£2.5 million increase in revenue over the first ten years.





Construction Timetable

Start of 99/00 Season – Funding in place.

Autumn/Winter 1999- Site clearance. Removal of existing structures form St. Mary's site.

June 1st 2000 – Commencement of Stadium construction.

May 2001 - Last game at the Dell ( possibly against Brighton , our first opponents and with a Saw Doctors concert and a £150/head gala dinner)

July 2001 – Stadium completion (was June 2001)

Close Season 2001 – First game. Chairman Rupert Lowe would like first game to be Le Tissier’s testimonial.




Potted History of St. Mary's

19/4/01 Stands named

The names of the stands at St. Mary's have been unveiled. They have not been named after great players but simply geographically.The main stand will be the Itchen Stand, the gasworks end will be the Northam Stand, the opposite goal will be the Chapel Stand and the fourth side will be the Kingsland Stand.

Head of Marketing Paul Blanchard said: "We did consider naming the stands after players or managers but they are being represented in the Hall of Fame instead.

"As Southampton City Council and our new neighbours have been so supportive of our move we felt it would be fitting to name the stands by location.

"We may add sponsors' names but these will be as well as rather than instead of the current names."


3/04/01 Drink Up Saints !!!

Saints have signed a deal earning the club £1 million over the next 10 years from Carlsberg-Tetley, who will supply the beer for St. Marys. A buoyant Rupert Lowe (free samples ?) said: "This is a major deal for the club and one that will be of great interest to supporters. Players and managers may come and go but the beer is here for the next ten years."

30/8 Main concrete subframe has been completed.

1/6/00 - As planned the construction of the new stadium begins.

17/2/00 It is announced that construction on the new stadium will commence on 1st June 2000.

2/00

Archeologists may be off site in mid-April.

01/00
Archeologists have uncovered a Saxon brooch and may wish to extend their dig .This may require a delay in construction

11/10/99 AGM and EGM
Shareholders ratify the selling of the Dell to Barratt homes and the purchase of the St. Mary's gasworks site. This was the last stage to be completed and the construction can now proceed as scheduled. Many issues concerning transport to the new ground were raised. Current transport plans can be found in the St. Mary's vital stats section of this page. Current funding breakdown can be viewed at in the Cost Breakdown section.

10/99 Shareholder approval will be sought at a shareholders meeting this month.

09/99 £1.2 Million is expected as revenue for sponsorship. Included in this is the corporate naming of the stands. Disappointing news to those hoping for a Ted Bates stand etc.

09/99 From club's financial report.

'The Company has entered into agreements for committed construction loan

facilities from MeesPierson NV ("MeesPierson"), and offers of long term finance

facilities have been received from Deutsche Genossenschaftsbank AG ("DG Bank")

for £12 million and long term asset finance facilities from Sovereign Finance

Plc ("Sovereign") for £5 million. The total construction loan facility from

MeesPierson is £17 million and the DG Bank and Sovereign facilities will be

utilised to discharge the construction loan borrowings drawn down from

MeesPierson on completion of the Development.'

09/99- 7626426 shares of the club have been purchased by five individuals at 40p a share Rupert Lowe speaks at the stock exchange in an effort to raise the thirty million pounds necessary to build St.Mary's. Five investors have emerged to put seven million pound each into the project. In addition to these funds the disposal of the Dell to property developers could net the club another five million pounds. A new share issue is also expected to raise £3 million for the project.

09/99 As soon as the Dell is sold for £5 million, £4.3 million is immediately used to purchase the St. Mary's gasworks site.

09/99- The Dell is up for sale as Saints prepare for move to Stoneham for start of 01/02 season. In subsequent news the Dell is conditionally sold to Barratt homes for £5 million. It is conditional dependant on the shareholders accepting the arrangement. If no agreement is reached the contract to sell will terminate on December 31st.The £5milion may be increased dependant on the structures Barratt place on the site.

09/99- New share offer announced which will hopefully give the club a further £3 million.

06/99-Board considering leasing options and prepare for problems with Utility services.

06/99- Archaeologists are keen to preserve the Saxon town of Hamwick which stretches onto the St.Mary's site. The club intends to leave this site undisturbed under the stadium.

06/99-Site clearance. In addition to the concrete structures on the St. Mary's site there are also; an electricity substation, Main foul drain, a high pressure gas main and telecomms equipment.

06/99- John Mowlem revealed as the preferred contractor for the new ground.

06/99 - The architects behind the Riverside and Pride Park, Miller Group, will also design St. Mary's.

06/99 – The £30 million funding for the New Stadium should be in place by the start of the 99/00 season. Six banks are said to be interested in investing in the project. In addition to this extra shares may be floated in Southampton F.C.’s parent company Southampton Leisure Holdings plc. The club will also utilise a £3.5 million Football Trust grant.

05/99 – For obvious reasons Chairman Rupert Lowe re-states that the move to St. Mary’s will be dependent on the club retaining its Premiership status.

05/99 – The Stadium Opposition Group have challenge thrown out by Southampton City Council. They claimed that approval had been granted without a full impact assessment and wanted a planning inquiry to be executed.

05/99 – Deputy Prime Minister gives approval for the stadium to be built. Is there anyone who doesn’t have to give approval?

04/99- Plans now passed to Department of the Environment for final approval. Secretary of State John Prescott will inform club within 28 days.

04/99 – Club awarded £3.5 million from football trust to be spent on the development costs in constructing new stadium.

04/99 – A12 hour planning meeting by Southampton City Council gives permission for St. Mary’s to be built.

03/99 – In addition to a new stadium the club are keen to move to new training facilities. The club currently trains at Long Lane, Marchwood. This is a 6.5-acre site and the club cites size parking and traffic difficulties in their decision to look for a new site. The club has suggested that a possible location would be at Long Farm larger site also in Marchwood.

12/98 – Club submit plans for move to St. Mary’s to Southampton City Council.

12/98 – Sports Minister Tony Banks gives support to building of new stadium. He will try will contact other ministers to overcome any further problems.

12/98 – For obvious reasons Chairman Rupert Lowe states that the move to St. Mary’s will be dependent in part on the club retaining its Premiership status.

11/98 – Southampton still trying to get approval for construction at Stoneham. The Stoneham ground will be a community stadium with a 25 000 capacity and will cost £30 million

11/98 – Eastleigh Borough Council give approval dependant on roof size and other issues being resolved. Southampton City Council and Hampshire County Council will also have to approve the site. As they have been unable to agree a resolution for months the outcome of the Stoneham proposal still looks to be in doubt. St.Mary’s is looking like the best option.

10/98 – Plans for £50 million Stoneham Sports Complex blocked by Eastleigh Borough Council. Eastleigh objects to plans for a cinema and retail park to be part of the Complex. Southampton are determined to include these aspects of the plan in an effort to recoup funding losses accrued by Stadium construction. Without them the plan is no longer viable and St.Mary’s looks to be the only way forward.

10/99 – Rupert Lowe holding talks with Southampton City Council concerning viability of St. Mary’s site.

9/98 – Southampton City Council lend support to St. Mary’s site after Eastleigh continue to block Stoneham plans.

7/98 – Southampton are considering plans to build a hotel on the Stoneham site in place of the originally proposed Cinema and Retail Park.

6/98 – Eastleigh Council propose to increase the capacity of the ground form 25000 to 320000. This would be in place of the Retail Park and the cinema. Eastleigh is concerned that these facilities will have a detrimental impact upon their own economy. Frankly this looks ill-advised attempt to gain revenue and a move to the gasworks seems far more likely.

5/98 – The Stoneham issue will be settled at the June County Council meeting. With the three councils involved unable to agree on anything it seems probable that the club will simply choose to plan with Southampton City Council to develop the St. Mary’s site.

5/98 – Pro Stadium supporters ask for fans to make themselves heard by voting for pro stadium councillors at the council elections. It is believed that the majority of current Eastleigh councillors are opposed to the idea.

3/98 – Rupert Lowe meets with Eastleigh council. The council is still opposed to the idea. They believe that the development of the only green field site between themselves and Southampton will cause them to lose their identity as a separate borough. The lack of access roads was also put forward as being a problem as was the economic impact of having a retail park and cinema taking business away form the Eastleigh.

02/98 – In a poll of 38000 people35 800 are in favour of the move to Stoneham.

02/98 – Southampton’s two labour MPs give their support for the Stoneham project believing it will have wide spread benefits for the community.

01/98 – Referendum commences to gather support for the new stadium.

11/97 – Hampshire County Council are unwilling to attend a meeting to finalise the Stoneham plans despite having known about the meeting for months. This might place a 3-month delay on the development schedule while the council sifts through the plans again. Had the plans been accepted the next stage would have been to seek permission to build the stadium. This is just one of many delays the council has placed upon the project in what appears either small minded bureaucracy or a deliberate attempt to stonewall proceedings. Previously the council had delayed the project by 10 weeks in order for it to conduct a review after a change in administration. Hampshire council even state that it was due to tardiness by the club!

In order to build the Stoneham stadium 3 councils have to be involved.

Southampton City Council – planning authority and part landlord of site.

Hampshire County Council –

Eastleigh Borough Council – local planning authority.

11/97 - Application made for a £10 million lottery fund grant to aid development of the Stoneham stadium. It will be 6 months before a response is expected.

10/97 – All 3 councils endorse community sports facilities as part of the Stoneham plan.

10/97 – Councils confer with club over bid for lottery grant.

10/97- Road to Stoneham campaign gets under way to promote the stadium in the community.

10/97 – Hampshire council approve plans for lottery application.

10/97 – Hampshire Council sub committee due to discuss the Stoneham issue. This is crucial in obtaining lottery funds. Eastleigh council will also have to agree.

Summer 97 – Stoneham project reviewed successfully by all parties.

04/97 – Memorandum of agreement signed by club and the three participating councils.

County Architects Department is chosen as concept architects for Stoneham.

1994 – Planning Appeal submitted. Full public consultation involved.

1990 Southampton begin plans again for move to a new stadium.

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