Southampton F.C.: Difference between revisions

'''Southampton Football Club''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=en-uk-Southampton.ogg|s|aʊ|θ|ˈ|(|h|)|æ|m|p|t|ə|n}}) is a professional [[Association football|football]] club based in [[Southampton]], [[Hampshire]], England. The club competes in the [[Premier League]], the top tier of [[English football league system| English football]], after achieving promotion in the [[2024 EFL Championship play-off final]]. Its home ground since 2001 has been [[St Mary's Stadium]], before which it was based at [[The Dell (Southampton)|The Dell]]. The team play in red and white shirts. They have been nicknamed "The Saints" because of the club's beginnings as a church football team at [[St Mary's Church, Southampton|St Mary's Church]]. Southampton shares a long-standing [[South Coast derby]] rivalry with [[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]], in part due to geographic proximity and both cities' respective [[maritime history|maritime histories]].

On 21 June 2023, the club appointed [[Russell Martin (footballer)|Russell Martin]] as manager on a three-year contract.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 June 2023 |title=Russell Martin: Southampton name Swansea City boss as new manager |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65980277 |access-date=22 June 2023 |website=BBC Sport}}</ref> Southampton returned to the Premier League at the first attempt, defeating [[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]] in the [[2024 EFL Championship play-off final|play-off final]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cd11vdnwwjdt |title=Leeds United 0–1 Southampton |first=Ian |last=Woodcock |website=BBC Sport |date=26 May 2024 |access-date=26 May 2024}}</ref> On 15 December 2024, Martin was sacked as Southampton sat 20th in the Premier League table with only 5 points after 16 games following a 5–0 defeat at home by Tottenham Hotspur. He was replaced in the interim by [[Simon Rusk]], the [[Southampton F.C. Under-21s and Academy|Southampton U-21s]] head coach.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brewin |first=John |date=15 December 2024 |title=Russell Martin sacked by Southampton after humbling Tottenham defeat |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/dec/15/russell-martin-sacked-southampton-after-defeat-tottenham |access-date=15 December 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Premier League Table |url=https://www.premierleague.com/tables |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241216023239/https://www.premierleague.com/tables |archive-date=16 December 2024 |access-date=15 December 2024 |website=[[Premier League]]}}</ref> Six days later, [[Ivan Jurić]] was appointed the next manager on an 18-month deal.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 December 2024 |title=Saints appoint Ivan Jurić as Men's First Team Manager |url=https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/saints-appoint-ivan-juric-as-mens-first-team-manager |access-date=22 December 2024 |website=[[Southampton F.C.]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=21 December 2024 |title=Southampton appoint Juric as new manager |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c1wqlnvwzqdo |access-date=22 December 2024 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>

Thirteen companies have sponsored the players' shirts since shirt advertising was permitted in English football. The first company to do so was photocopier manufacturer [[Rank Xerox]] which sponsored the club for three years from 1980.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Simpson |first=Gordon |date=7 February 2010 |title=The rise of the football shirt sponsor |url=https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/4993572.the-rise-of-the-football-shirt-sponsor/ |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=Southern Daily Echo}}</ref> Other sponsors have been [[Air Florida]] (1983),<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Sheldon |first=Dan |date=22 July 2021 |title=From modern-day retro nods to classics that survived defunct sponsors – what is Southampton's best kit? |url=https://theathletic.com/2717070/2021/07/21/from-modern-day-retro-nods-to-classics-that-survived-defunct-sponsors-what-is-southamptons-best-kit/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=The Athletic}}</ref> [[Draper Tools]] (1984–93),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rees-Julian |first=George |date=23 June 2023 |title=Saints sponsor Draper Tools returns ahead of 2023–24 season |url=https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/23609161.saints-sponsor-draper-tools-returns-ahead-2023-24-season/ |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=Southern Daily Echo}}</ref> [[Dimplex]] (1993–95),<ref name=":2" /> Sanderson (1995–99),<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 May 1995 |title=Sanderson turns in a set of Premier League interims |url=https://techmonitor.ai/technology/sanderson_turns_in_a_set_of_premier_league_interims |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=Tech Monitor}}</ref> [[Friends Provident]] (1999–2006),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Givens |first=John |date=30 March 2006 |title=Friends Provident pulls plug on Saints sponsorship deal |url=https://citywire.com/new-model-adviser/news/friends-provident-pulls-plug-on-saints-sponsorship-deal/a272674 |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=Citywire}}</ref> [[Flybe (1979-2020)|Flybe]] (2006–10),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lewis |first=Gareth |date=2 February 2010 |title=Flybe ends Southampton FC shirt sponsorship deal |url=https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/4884757.flybe-ends-southampton-fc-shirt-sponsorship-deal/ |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=Southern Daily Echo}}</ref> aap3 (2011–14),<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 March 2011 |title=Southampton company aap3 to take over as Saints sponsors |url=https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/8917321.southampton-company-aap3-to-take-over-as-saints-sponsors/ |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=Southern Daily Echo}}</ref> Veho (2014–16),<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 May 2014 |title=Veho announced as new main sponsor for Southampton FC |url=https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/business/11204107.veho-announced-as-new-main-sponsor-for-southampton-fc/ |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=Southern Daily Echo}}</ref> [[Virgin Media]] (2016–19),<ref>{{cite web|title=Virgin Media become Southampton's main club sponsor|url=http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/20160608-southampton-virgin-media-announce-shirt-partnership-3138459.aspx|publisher=Southampton FC|access-date=8 June 2016|date=8 June 2016|archive-date=15 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815130434/http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/20160608-southampton-virgin-media-announce-shirt-partnership-3138459.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> LD Sports (2019–20),<ref>{{cite web |date=13 May 2019 |title=LD Sports becomes new Main Club Sponsor |url=https://southamptonfc.com/news/2019-05-13/southampton-football-club-ld-sports-new-front-of-shirt-sponsor |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515071413/https://southamptonfc.com/news/2019-05-13/southampton-football-club-ld-sports-new-front-of-shirt-sponsor |archive-date=15 May 2019 |access-date=15 May 2019 |publisher=Southampton FC}}</ref> and [[TGP Europe|Sportsbet.io]] (2020–24).<ref>{{cite web |date=25 August 2020 |title=Saints welcome Sportsbet.io as Main Club Partner |url=https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2020-08-25/southampton-football-club-sportsbetio-main-club-partner |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923190602/https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2020-08-25/southampton-football-club-sportsbetio-main-club-partner |archive-date=23 September 2020 |access-date=25 August 2020 |publisher=Southampton FC}}</ref> Since 2024, the shirt sponsor is Rollbit.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 July 2024 |title=Rollbit announced as Front of Shirt Partner |url=https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/rollbit-announced-as-front-of-shirt-partner |access-date=15 July 2024 |website=Southampton FC}}</ref> In addition, Virgin Media was Southampton's sleeve sponsor from 2017 to 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Virgin Media agree new three-year deal |url=https://southamptonfc.com/news/2019-05-13/southampton-football-club-ld-sports-new-front-of-shirt-sponsor |publisher=Southampton FC |access-date=11 May 2019|date=10 May 2019}}</ref> [[JD Sports]] was the sleeve sponsor for the [[2022–23 Southampton F.C. season|2022–23]] season.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tanner |first=Jack |date=3 August 2022 |title=Saints confirm JD Sports as official sleeve partner |url=https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/20598210.saints-confirm-jd-sports-official-sleeve-partner/ |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=Southern Daily Echo}}</ref> Mairon Freight UK was the sleeve sponsor for the [[2023–24 Southampton F.C. season|2023–24]] season.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Mairon Freight UK: New sleeve sponsor agreed |date=24 August 2023 |url=https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/mairon-freight-uk-new-sleeve-sponsor-agreed |access-date=27 August 2023 |website=Southampton FC}}</ref> Since 2024, the sleeve sponsor is [[P&O Cruises]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 August 2024 |title=P&O Cruises announced as our Official Sleeve Partner |url=https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/p-and-o-cruises-announced-as-our-official-sleeve-partner |access-date=6 August 2024 |website=Southampton FC}}</ref>

The South Coast Derby is the name given to matches between the Saints and their fierce nearby rivals, [[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]], from the city of the [[Portsmouth|same name]], 19 miles (31&nbsp;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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/copa90/2019/nov/22/southampton-portsmouth-story-south-coast-derby-documentary-film|title=Southampton v Portsmouth: the strange story of the south coast derby|date=22 November 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=26 November 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

{{updated|311 AugustJanuary 20242025}}<ref>{{cite web |title=First team |url=https://southamptonfc.com/first-team |publisher=Southampton F.C.}}</ref>{{About||recent transfers|2024–25 Southampton F.C. season#Transfers}}

| Assistant head coachmanager || ''Vacant''[[Matteo Paro]]

| First team sportsfitness scientistcoach || Rhys[[Stjepan OwenOstojić (footballer)|Stjepan Ostojić]]