LARGE barriers have been erected around St Mary's Stadium.

The walls have been erected around the entirety of the stadium and stand roughly 8ft tall with what is believed to be one entrance in and out of the grounds.

It is reported that the barriers have been put in place as all Premier League clubs will have green, amber and red zones and will need to control who has access to the stadium.

As the stadium is on a road, the club have erected the barrier to make it easier to control access to the site.

The red zone will be the most severely restricted area and includes places such as the pitch, the tunnel, technical areas, changing rooms.

These areas will be limited to 105 people maximum, which includes players, coaching staff, match officials and all the essential staff only.

The amber zone will be restricted to the minimum number of staff required to meet the minimum contractual requirements for broadcasting, media and club staff.

The green zone is outside the stadium, for example the car park.

The Daily Echo has contacted Southampton FC for a comment on why the walls have been put in place.

It comes as St Mary's has been listed as one of four possible neutral venues if it’s needed.

The Premier League wants a contingency plan in place for when top-flight teams are unable to play at home due to safety concerns.

This could be derby matches where it's feared supporters could congregate outside the stadium and break the strict social distancing rules put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Reports surfaced that Liverpool’s tie with Everton on June 21 could take place at St Mary’s for that very reason.