“Plans in place” for the eventual enlargement of St. Mary’s Stadium have been disclosed by SAINTS CEO Phil Parsons.

With safe-standing and improvements to the spectator facilities, the club has already taken significant steps to enhance the matchday experience in advance of the upcoming season. Currently with a slightly decreased capacity due to block closures, St Mary’s is the largest stadium in the southeast. Parsons alluded to grand long-term ambitions to renovate St. Mary’s and make other renovations while speaking on BBC Radio Solent. The most difficult aspect of his work, he explained, is that even if we perform to the highest standard off-field, people will forget the positive things that happened there.

Many positive things are happening; for example, we have 50,000 users utilizing our systems through our own app. “In the long run, I want to make more improvements to the stadium; we have plans to eventually grow St. Mary’s.” Everyone claimed you wouldn’t fill St. Mary’s when the Dell was full, but we are filling St. Mary’s,” Parsons continued. “Being a single-city team gives us a significant edge, in my opinion. Our supporters are great; we all have bad days occasionally and are passionate about football. “Even though I didn’t play well in return that day, they might still yell at me, but whatever! “It’s about how we make the place feel good and make sure visitors have a good time on Saturday afternoons.”

According to recent plans for planning permission, the Saints want to build a new fan area that might be utilized to broadcast other events. A stage and fan zone marquee with screens will be installed behind the Northam Stand as part of the redevelopment. A third section would be constructed behind the Kingsland Stand, and behind the Chapel Stand there would be a stage, food and drink stands, and a new 4G playing surface.