Why is Southampton FC referred to as “the Saints”?
We looked at how Southampton came up with the moniker “Saints.”
The Saints, which refers to Southampton, got their start as a church football team in 1885, created by members of St. Mary’s Church of England Young Men’s Association.
The club’s emblem features a football with a halo to symbolize their moniker, as well as representations of the New Forest, Southampton’s links to the sea, and the white rose of the city.
The animosity between Southampton and Portsmouth dates back to their early economic and civic competition, with Southampton being a port city and Portsmouth having a more distinguished military past.
After sliding into the EFL, Southampton will be expecting to immediately return to the Premier League.After a shockingly unsuccessful season in which Ralph Hasenhuttl, Nathan Jones, and Ruben Selles all failed to turn things around, the Saints were demoted to the Championship in 2023.
The club’s 11-year tenure in the top division came to an end, ending a successful run that included a sixth-place finish in the 2015–16 campaign, participation in the Europa League for two straight years, and a trip to the EFL Cup final in 2017, where they lost to Manchester United.
Russell Martin relocated to St. Mary’s from this summer, and the 37-year-old will be striving to lead his team back to the Premier League at the earliest opportunity despite the loss of important players like James Ward-Prowse, Romeo Lavia, Tino Livramento, and Nathan Tella.
We’ve looked at how Southampton’s team came to be known as the Saints and how that moniker came about.
Why are Southampton nicknamed the Saints?
Southampton was established on November 21st, 1885 at St. Mary’s Church by members of the St. Mary’s Church of England Young Men’s Association. Southampton’s nickname, the Saints, comes from its early days as a church football team.
The initial name was sometimes shortened as St Mary’s Y.M.A. before becoming just St Mary’s in 1887–1888. When the team entered the Southern League in 1894, the name changed once again to Southampton St Mary’s.
The club changed its name to Southampton FC and established a limited company after winning the Southern League in the 1986–87 season. This name has remained the same ever since.
A pivotal time in the club’s history, Southampton started playing at The Dell in 1898 and stayed there for the next 103 years until moving to St. Mary’s in 2001, which was viewed as the club returning home because it was founded by parishioners of the nearby St. Mary’s Church.
The club’s crest features a football with a halo on top, reflecting the nickname.
The white rose is a representation of the city, which is also included on the coat of arms, while the tree on the crest stands in for the New Forest and Southampton Common. The water also alludes to Southampton’s links with rivers, seas, and oceans.
Many football fans have covered Southampton’s club hymn, “When The Saints Go Marching In,” although the lyrics don’t need to be changed because of the team’s moniker.
Even now, the club’s beginnings are significant to its supporters, but its geographic position and city’s history are equally crucial to their identity, as seen by their fierce rivalry with Portsmouth.
The rivalry predates football, as author Colin Farmery stated in a 2019 interview with The Guardian.
Portsmouth was a military port, but Southampton was a commercial port. Due to Southampton’s greater wealth, there was perpetual civic and commercial competition.
Since Pompey has spent a large portion of their recent history in League One or Two, meetings between the two teams have become more rare. Their most recent encounter took place in the EFL Cup in September 2019, when the Saints easily defeated Pompey 4-0 at Fratton Park.
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