|
Quick Facts: |
| |
Nickname:
Saints
Founded: 1885
Clothing: Adidas
Sponsor: Friends Provident
Stadium: Friends Provident St. Mary's Stadium (attendance:
32551) |
|
|
|
Club Honors |
»F.A. Cup winners:
1976
| |
History |
|
|
Formed in 1885 and originally named Southampton St Mary's, the
Saints were an original member of the Football League's Third
Division in 1920. Under the leadership of Jimmy McIntyre,
Southampton topped the newly-formed Third Division (South) in
1922. A 30-year spell in the second tier ended in relegation,
but a golden era began with promotion to the First Division in
1966 and the arrival of European football on the south coast.
Relegation in 1974 was quickly forgiven as the most memorable
day in the club's history arrived in 1976 when the Second
Division side, managed by Lawrie McMenemy, won the FA Cup for
the first time with a sensational 1-0 victory over Manchester
United. Big-name signings Alan Ball and Kevin Keegan confirmed
the Saints' emergence in the top flight and a second-place
finish to Liverpool was achieved in 1984. A move to the
impressive St Mary's stadium in 2001, after over 100 years at
The Dell, signalled the ambitions of the Saints for the 21st
century. |
|
|
|
