Southampton visitor guide (St Mary's Stadium, Saints), England

St Mary's Stadium has been the home of Southampton F.C. since August 2001. It replaced The Dell, the clubs faithful home since 1898 and is currently southern England's largest football stadium (excluding London). The 32,689 capacity all-seater venue cost £32 million to build and has a 4-star rating from UEFA. The club's move here was seen by some as a homecoming as the original team was founded at nearby St Mary's church in 1885. The stadium's bowl design completely surrounds the pitch; the four stands are the same height, which gives the ground a tidy, streamlined appearance. As well as Southampton F.C.'s home games, St Mary's Stadium has also hosted international football matches and UEFA Cup fixtures. Other events to take place here have included musical concerts by artists such as Elton John, Bon Jovi and Craig David.

Visiting supporters will find themselves seated in the Northam Stand at one end of the pitch. The normal away allocation is 3,200 but this can be increased to 4,750 should demand require. As is to be expected from such a modern ground, the views of the action are exceptional. The facilities are impressive too; the away stand has a Ladbrokes and refreshment stands serving food and drink. Television screens in the concourse area keep fans up to date on the game as they queue for match favourites such as pies, burgers, hot dogs and beer.

The ground is located close to Southampton City Centre; fans looking for a hotel near St Mary's Stadium will find a wide range of accommodation within one mile of the pitch.

Getting To St Mary's Stadium

By Car

Away fans travelling to the St Mary's Stadium by car are advised to avoid Southampton City Centre on a match day, as congestion is a major problem. A dedicated park and ride service has been set up for visiting supporters. The service begins two hours before kick off and costs £5 per vehicle. To reach the park and ride leave the M27 at Junction 8 and follow the signs for the A3024 heading towards Southampton. The park and ride scheme is well sign posted from Junction 8 and won't be hard to find. The journey from here to the ground takes about 25 minutes.

Fans that do decide to venture into the city will find a severe lack of parking spaces near the stadium. It is best to follow the signs for the city centre and use one of the many multi-storey car parks available. It should be noted that post match traffic is heavy and leaving Southampton will take much longer than it did to arrive.

A good way to overcome the parking problem is to choose a hotel near St Mary's Stadium and take advantage of the parking provided by the hotel.

By Public Transport

Fans arriving in Southampton by train will find that the station is about a mile from the St Mary's Stadium. Shuttle buses run to the ground from outside the station but fans that fancy the walk will find that the journey on foot takes 20-25 minutes. To get to the ground on foot, turn left from the stations Southern exit/entrance and head along the Western Esplanade. This becomes Civic Centre Road, keep heading down this road and pass over the crossroads into New Road. Keep on down New Road and you will eventually reach Northam Road and the ground.

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