St. Mary’s Stadium, where Southampton plays its home matches, was opened in 2001. The need for a new facility in the town had been discussed since the mid-1980s, when the club was at the peak of its popularity, finishing as runners-up in England in 1984. However, before the decision to build the new stadium was made, the previous facility, The Dell, underwent a modernization.

Taylor's report drove changes

Ian Crump reminded in the Daily Echo how other projects were considered before the final decision to build St. Mary’s Stadium. For many years, an investment in Stoneham was seriously considered. Plans for Western Esplanade emerged in the 1940s, and Wide Lane was considered in the late 1970s, with suggestions that it could accommodate up to 40,000 people.

Concerns arose in 1989 following the potential impact of the Taylor Report after the Hillsborough stadium disaster. There was consideration to reduce The Dell's capacity to 12,000 seats, underscoring the urgent need for a new facility. Following renovations in 1994, Southampton's stadium could hold 15,200 fans, but the prospect of reducing capacity by 20% did not satisfy the club's management.

Stadium 2000... or rather 2001

There were concerns that with such a low seating capacity, ticket prices could rise so high that only a few fans would be able to afford to attend the team's matches. On the other hand,without increases, the club could face a dramatic financial situation and struggle to compete at the highest level.

In the early 1990s, a campaign began for the construction of a completely new stadium on the site of the aforementioned Stoneham. However, there was a serious problem with this plot as it lay precisely on the border between Southampton and Eastleigh. The project was named Stadium 2000, referring to the planned opening date of the complex.

After years of disputes, the Southampton City Council could offer the club unused land where a gasworks had previously been located as a site for the new stadium. However, there was not enough space for all additional sports facilities and commercial opportunities needed to finance the entire project.

Construction of the current Southampton stadium took place from December 1999 to July 2001 and cost approximately £32 million. The result was single-tier stands for 32,689 spectators, with the possibility of expansion to around 50,000 by removing the roof. The club can generate revenue from 42 business suites and four large banquet halls named after the greatest Saints players.