In a climate where pubs are being hit hard by the cost of living crisis, extra foot traffic from Saints' home games at St Mary’s Stadium is vital for some venues.
With the club back in the Premier League this year, only 11 more home fixtures remain, including today’s Boxing Day match against West Ham.
Pub landlords revealed to the Echo that the extra footfall makes a marked difference.
Tom Dyer owns several venues which are hotspots for football fans across Southampton, including XOXO on Oxford Street, The King Canute on Canute Road and London Road Brew House.
Tom Dyer owns several football hot spots across Southampton. (Image: Tom Dyer) He explained to the Echo that being in the Championship is actually a lot better for business than the Premier League.
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“I’m a massive Saints fan so it’s tricky for me, cause in a way I don’t mind relegation,” Tom joked.
“It’s better for us being in the Championship because you get more games, an extra four games a year, and you get more 3pm kickoffs on a Saturday, which are the best days for us.
Tom explained that when Saints play teams playing in European competitions, their Saturday 3pm kick offs often get moved.
XOXO on Oxford Street, which is one of Tom's most popular summer venues. (Image: Google Maps) This is not a problem in the Championship, so 19 games were played at St Mary's at 3pm on a Saturday last season.
But this year, Saints are only scheduled to have 12, and this could change before the end of the season as TV games are yet to be allocated.
Tom explained that 3pm Saturday kickoffs are ‘the dream,’ and games that get moved for European teams, like the 7pm Sunday start time against Tottenham, do not have the same impact.
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The Dancing Man Brewery’s Wool House bar on Town Quay has the additional advantage of being positioned right next to the Red Funnel ferries, meaning that fans from the Isle of Wight often pop in for a pint.
“The marked difference you notice is during the Saturday afternoon fixture, trade can go up as much as 25 per cent,” said Aidan Lavin, brewing director at Dancing Man Brewery.
Aidan Lavin, brewing director at Dancing Man Brewery, said business can go up 25%. (Image: Dancing Man Brewery) “A lot of travelling fans from the Isle of Wight will often stop at the nearest pubs, whether it’s us or the Platform Tavern.”
Despite the sharp increase in trade, Dancing Man Brewery only usually rota in one extra member of bar staff.
Aidan explained that Wool House is a mixed pub, and away fans often flock to the south of the city for their specialist craft beer options.
“Travelling fans tell us that they google ‘Southampton craft beer’ and we come up first,” Aidan explained.
“We’re well established and 10 years into the game now, so when people realise how close we are to the stadium, they often spend a lot of time in there before the game.”
Dancing Man Brewery has run the Wool House on Town Quay for 10 years. (Image: Google Maps) Tom agrees that away fans can bring a venue so much extra business.
“Away fans treat it more like a day out, they know they’re out for the entire day, and they make the most of that,” Tom explained.
Cup draws can be massive for pubs in the local area.
“Getting a home draw is massive, it’s why I always watch the draws,” Tom explained.
“Getting Liverpool on a Wednesday in December was fantastic, it’s amazing for us and it generates a lot of revenue on otherwise slow days.”
Saints and Southampton City Council recently revealed ambitious redevelopment plans to transform St Mary’s waterfront with new entertainment venues.
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The club want to expand the stadium and surrounding areas, eventually bringing in extra transport infrastructure to support the development.
The King Canute is a mixed fan pub and one of Tom's newest venues. (Image: Google Maps) A local business owner like Tom does not believe in the plans.
“I think putting a train station down there, it’s really going to hurt the trade in the city centre.
“This could kill pubs. A lot of pubs rely on the football trade, pubs would die without it.”
He also dislikes the decision to open The Dell, a pub inside St Mary's, open seven days a week.
Tom said that he thinks it looks 'awful' and does not have the identity of a proper pub.
He said: “It looks like a sterile airport bar and it’s got no atmosphere at all, that’s as a Saints fan saying that. It kind of kills pub culture when they try to do that. People should want to go in a proper pub.”
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