SOUTHAMPTON

Southampton Football Club is an English professional football club based in Southampton, Hampshire, England.

History

Southampton plays in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. They are one of the founding members of the Premier League. Moreover, they have spent the majority of their history in the top flight since their first promotion to it in 1966. It was their longest continuous period, lasting for 27 seasons between 1978 and 2006.

Their home ground since 2001 has been St Mary’s Stadium. Prior to this, they were based at The Dell. The club has been nicknamed “The Saints”. It has been since its inception in 1885 due to its history as a church football team.

Meanwhile, the club was founded as St. Mary’s Church of England Young Men’s Association and plays in red and white shirts.

Rivalries

Southampton has a long-standing rivalry with Portsmouth. Meanwhile, it is due in part to geographic proximity and both cities’ respective maritime histories.

The South Coast Derby is the name given to matches between the Saints and their fierce nearby rivals, Portsmouth F.C., which is 19 miles (31 km) from Southampton.

The South Coast derbies are also referred to as the Hampshire Derby. Including Southern League games, there have been 71 games between the two clubs, with Southampton winning 35 and Portsmouth 21.