Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football club, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club compete in the Premier League, having gained promotion in the 2011–12 season, finishing as runners up in the Championship. After 27 years playing top-flight football the club was relegated to the Championship in 2005, before being relegated further to League One in 2009. After a year playing football in the third tier, the club secured back to back promotions under the new and current management of Nigel Adkins.
The Saints' home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club moved to in 2001 from The Dell. The club has been nicknamed "The Saints" since its inception in 1885 due to its history as a church football team, founded as St Mary's Church of England Young Men's Association (or St Mary's Y.M.A) and has since played in red and white. The club has a long standing rivalry with Portsmouth F.C due to its close proximity and both cities' respective maritime history. Matches between the two sides are known as the South Coast Derby.
The club has won the FA Cup once in 1976, and their highest-ever league finish was second in the First Division in 1983–84. Southampton were relegated from the Premier League on 15 May 2005 ending 27 successive seasons of top division football for the club.
On 8 July 2009 the club was purchased by Swiss businessman Markus Liebherr, who died on 10 August 2010. In September 2010, Nigel Adkins was appointed manager on a three-year deal, and yielded successive promotions in his first two seasons as manager.
Read more about Southampton F.C.: Non-playing Staff, Stadium and Training Facilities, Anthem, Crest, The Saints Academy, South Coast Derby, Hagiology Publishing, Club Honours, Most League Goals, Sponsors, Club Records