St Marys Home of the Saints led by Chris Panayi
Report
On 9th April 2026 we were privileged to have a full behind the scenes tour of St Mary’s Stadium home to Southampton Football Club. Members will remember The Dell, the original Southampton FC ground, which The Saints occupied from 1898 until 2001 when the move to St Mary’s was complete. This new stadium was built at a cost of £32 million and with a capacity of 32,384 is currently the largest football stadium in South East England. Nearby is St. Mary's Church where the football team of St. Mary's Church Young Men's Association started their journey in 1896.
Our guide for the visit was a life long supporter of the Saints and extremely knowledgeable. We were privileged to visit many back room areas including a mural depicting the history of the club and some of its famous players, corporate hospitality boxes and the four restaurant lounges named after Terry Paine, Mick Channon, Bobby Stokes and Matt Le Tissier. We also accessed the Director's box, press room and entertainment zone. The players changing rooms and family hospitality areas were impressive and a very high standard. Visiting teams have the same professional facilities but at a more basic level! The pitch side tour explained the home and away seating areas, the press, TV and radio facilities and Director’s match day seats. The ground staff explained care of the playing surface and we had the opportunity to visit the dugouts and recline in team’s pitch side (heated) seats.
There was an impressive array of trophies and of course the FA Cup from 1976 was on prominent display. Throughout the tour it was impossible to escape the history of the Saints and the deep sense of pride of everyone involved. Amidst the Saints current run of success, and a Wembley fixture looming, the tour made us feel part of a very special time for the club.
