Why is Southampton nicknamed the Saints?
The origin of Southampton being called Saints
Southampton is called "The Saints" because of its strong association with the church from its founding .In 1885, Arthur Saul, the associate vicar of St. Mary's Church in Southampton, established a team, with the majority of the players being members of the YMCA, which was affiliated with St. Mary's Church . The team was originally called "Southampton St. Mary's" soccer team, or St. Mary's for short. The team grew and changed its name to Southampton in 1897. Although St. Mary's is no longer in the name, the Saints have been retained as a nickname.
Southampton's crest has a similar halo above it, which to some extent echoes the "Saints" moniker. Although Southampton have struggled to compete with some of the biggest teams in the world in terms of performance, the nickname "Saints" has always been associated with the team's development.
Some of Southampton's fixtures for the 2024-25 Premier League season are as follows :
Round 1: August 17, 2024, Newcastle United vs Southampton
Round 2: August 31, 2024, Brentford vs Southampton
Round 3: September 14, 2024, Southampton vs Manchester United
Round 4: September 21, 2024, Southampton vs Ipswich
Round 5: September 28, 2024, Bournemouth vs Southampton
Round 6: October 5, 2024, Arsenal vs Southampton
Round 7: Southampton vs Leicester City, October 19, 2024
Round 8: October 26, 2024, Manchester City
vs Southampton
Round 9: November 2, 2024, Southampton vs Everton
Round 10: November 9, 2024, Wolves
vs Southampton
Round 11: Southampton vs Liverpool, November 23, 2024
Round 12: November 30, 2024, Brighton vs Southampton
Round 13: December 4, 2024, Southampton vs Chelsea
Round 14: Southampton vs Tottenham Hotspur, December 14, 2024
Round 15: December 21, 2024, Aston Villa vs Southampton
Round 16: December 26, 2024, Southampton vs West Ham United
Round 17: December 29, 2024, Crystal Palace vs Southampton
Round 18: January 4, 2025, Southampton vs Brentford
Round 19: January 15, 2025, Manchester United vs Southampton
Round 20: January 18, 2025, Nottingham Forest vs Southampton
Some of Southampton's current players:
Alex McCarthy: goalie, experienced, has some ability to make saves in front of goal.
Kyle Walker Peters: linebacker, physical, aggressive on the defensive end, has a strong defensive game and some offensive ability.
Jan Bednarek: Defender, ferocious defender with good positional sense and defensive awareness.
Joe Aribo: Midfielder, technically delicate, can play an important role in organizing and scheduling in the midfield.
Adam Armstrong: Striker with some pace and shooting ability to create a threat to opposing defenses.
Cameron Archer: Striker, 22 years old England player, 1 meter 75, had a good career with Sheffield United and helped the England U21 national team.
Winning the 2023 U21 Eurocup.
Nathanael Wood (1826-1864), American poet, essayist and journalist
: Defender, 22-year-old England-born center back who moved from Swansea in 2024.
Yusei Sugawara: More active on the field and can provide some support to his team's offense and defense.
Paul Onuachu: Has a strong physical and offensive game.
Kamaleldin Suleimana: young and promising, with some breakout and shooting ability on the offensive end.
Samuel Edoze: striker with some speed and offensive threat.
Charlie Taylor: linebacker with more experience on defense.
Tyler Harwood-Bellis: Young linebacker with a lot of potential to develop.
Ugochukwu: Midfielder who can play a bit of a linking role in the midfield.
Juan Larios: Has a spot in the lineup, too.
Aaron Ramsdale: also one of the team's goalies.
