Southampton FCSouthampton FC was founded on 21 November 1885 by a young men's association connected with St Mary's Church, which gave the club both its nickname, The Saints, and, much later, the name of its current stadium. Known as St Mary's until 1897, the club has played in red and white since almost the very beginning.
The defining moment in Southampton's history remains the 1976 FA Cup final. Then a Second Division side managed by Lawrie McMenemy, Southampton beat a strongly favoured Manchester United 1–0 at Wembley, with Bobby Stokes scoring the winning goal in the 83rd minute. It is remembered as one of the biggest shocks in the competition's history and remains the club's only major trophy to date; Southampton also lost FA Cup finals in 1900, 1902 and 2003, as well as League Cup finals in 1979 and 2017.
Since 2001 the Saints have played at St Mary's Stadium, built close to the church that gave the club its identity. For more than a century before that, from 1898 to 2001, their home was The Dell.
Southampton has also built a distinct reputation for developing young footballers. The club's academy has produced players including Alan Shearer, Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana and James Ward-Prowse, several of whom went on to represent England and win major honours, including European trophies, with bigger clubs. That production line, and the transfer income it generates, has become central to the club's business model.
The club's history has also included serious difficulties. After 27 consecutive seasons in the top flight, Southampton was relegated from the Premier League in 2005, and four years later, amid severe financial problems, dropped as far as League One, the third tier of English football. The club recovered to win back-to-back promotions in 2010–11 and 2011–12, returning to the Premier League. That capacity to rebuild after hardship has repeatedly shaped Southampton's story in the 21st century.