Who is the Southampton Owner? A Detailed Timeline of the Southampton Ownership History

Southampton Football Club is an epitome of British ethnic Christianity. Its rich tradition and roster of great footballers have made the Hampshire-based club one of the most popular teams in the country. Founded in 1885, Southampton FC has a faithful fanbase in England, demonstrating the club’s deep-rooted history with the Church.

Even the club’s nickname, “the Saints,” originates from its founding fathers, who were affiliated with the largest Church in Southampton. Interestingly, despite being one of the founding members of the English Premier League, Southampton has not won the league and has only one major title to date— the FA Cup in 1976. The club’s successes and challenges alike have occurred under the watch of various influential Southampton owners. Their journey from the Southern League to the English top flight has been handled with dedication by the club’s leadership.

This article will explore the rich history and ownership of Southampton FC. It aims to help readers appreciate the beautiful journey of this club, which was founded almost 139 years ago by devout individuals.

Background of Southampton FC

In Southampton city of Hampshire, the active members of the St. Mary’s Church founded an English football club in 1885 and named it Southampton St Mary’s. The soccer team joined the Southern League in 1894 after dropping the name of St Mary’s from their name. Back then, the club from Southern Britain used to play its home games in the Antelope Cricket Ground and County Cricket Ground until 1898 before moving to Dell. 

Despite being blessed with a renowned youth academy, the Saints could not contribute much to the top-division league in England. After winning the Southern League, the then owners of Southampton set their eyes on the second division. However, they had to be satisfied with five more titles in the Southern League, and a rivalry between them and Portsmouth was created in the process due to regional differences. After winning two third-division trophies, Southampton finally made it to the English top flight in 1966. 

The proudest moment in the Saints’ history was their famous 1-0 victory over the overwhelming favorite Manchester United in the 1976 FA Cup final and lifted their first ever major title. Between 1978 and 2005, Southampton has never been relegated and produced a second-placed finish in the Premier League table, behind Liverpool in 1984, the best ever position in the league of the Saints. Since then, they have never won a title except the 2010 Football League Trophy. 

Even their home ground shift from Dell to St Mary’s Stadium could not change their fate on the pitch. With them failing continuously, questions have been raised multiple times on the future plans of Southampton owners. On that note, let’s have a look at the history of the club’s ownership.

Also read: Who is the Newcastle United owner? A Detailed Timeline of the Newcastle United Ownership History

History of Southampton Owners

It’s been already stated that Southampton FC was founded by the St. Mary’s Church of Hampshire. Since its inception in 1885, the members of the Church have been the owners of Southampton. The club formed a welfare fund to develop the team every season. The Church administration steered the club through both happy and tough times. 

When the Saints were bracing for a financial disaster, the German-born Swiss businessman Markus Liebherr came to their rescue and bought the club out of the Church. That’s how he became the first lone owner of Southampton in the summer of 2009. With the change of the Saints’ ownership, the fans’ mood took an upswing. The St Mary’s Stadium, modern facilities, talented players – it all went well in their favor. Even after Liebherr’s unfortunate demise, his daughter Katharina guided the club to some great achievements in the English top flight and other tournaments. Six consecutive top-eight finishes in the league, the EFL Cup runners-up honor and constant successful home games – all these were achieved when Katharina was at the helm of Southampton ownership.

But, the true downfall of the Saints began when the Chinese businessman Gao Jisheng bought 80% shares of the club from Liebherr’s daughter in 2017. The Chinese investor had the controlling power in the club’s board until the majority of the stakes was sold to Sport Republic in 2022.

New Ownership Era under Sport Republic

Back in January, 2022, the investment firm Sport Republic, backed by the Siberian billionaire Dragan Solak took over. The organization, which is heavily invested in the sports and entertainment industry, acquired 80% shares of Southampton FC from Gao Jisheng for over £100 million. 

The shareholder of the remaining 20% in the club ownership remains Katharina Liebherr, who inherited the club from his father in 2010. With the takeover of the 80% shares, Solak became the new owner of the Saints. The industrialist has a whopping net worth of £1.24 billion, as of 2024. It has been reported that his company’s revenue has been growing since he entered into the Saints’ director board. The Siberian has made sure that everyone in the world knows who owns Southampton.

What is Southampton’s current ownership situation?

Supporting Southampton Football Club has been challenging for the Saints’ fans over the past few seasons, given the club’s continuous struggles on the field since Sport Republic’s takeover in 2022. Fans believe Southampton needs a complete reset.

Shortly after Dragan Šolak became the lead owner of the English club, Southampton faced relegation from the Premier League, finishing at the bottom of the table in the 2022-23 season. After an 11-year run in the top division, the Saints were forced to leave England’s biggest league, largely due to the club’s instability. In the last 12 months, St Mary’s Stadium has seen four different managers, highlighting the team’s troubled situation.

However, Premier League football has returned to St Mary’s after the team secured a top-four finish in the EFL Championship and won the play-off final last season. The greatest challenge ahead for Šolak’s Sport Republic will be winning back the support of loyal fans, both on and off the pitch, in the coming years.

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