Southampton FC boss reaffirms vision to redevelop St Mary's waterfront | Daily Echo

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SAINTS chief operating officer Jonathon Clarke has reaffirmed the club's "long-term vision" to significantly redevelop St Mary's waterfront.

Clarke joined the club's executive team from Oxford United in November 2025 and boasts extensive experience in operations and real estate.

CEO Phil Parsons, with the backing of Saints owners Sport Republic, is exploring the redevelopment of the area surrounding St Mary's Stadium.

Nearly two years ago, the club signed a memorandum of understanding with the city council to explore how that redevelopment could be done.

It included the possibility of commercial, residential and leisure developments, as well as enhanced transport and infrastructure plans.

Having already launched new fan zones, entertainment spaces and a pub, Clarke insisted further developments are wanted but will take time.

"Our vision is to create a world-class, year-round waterfront destination for Southampton, where community, sport, entertainment and maritime heritage come together," he said, ahead of speaking at the 2026 TheStadiumBusiness Design & Development Summit.

Saints chief operating officer Jonathon Clarke (Image: Southampton FC)

READ: Saints sign memorandum of understanding with council

"We are looking at how the stadium can sit at the heart of a broader destination - one that works for supporters on matchdays, but also has relevance for residents, visitors, businesses and the wider Southampton community throughout the year.

"It is important to stress that this is a long-term vision and that there is still work to do before we can talk about the detail.

"There is a significant amount of development work underway, but we are deliberately taking a measured approach.

"The immediate focus is on developing the vision, understanding the opportunities and constraints, and working with the relevant stakeholders.

"There will be a number of milestones as the project progresses, but we don’t want to get ahead of the appropriate planning and consultation processes.

"We will communicate more as individual elements become sufficiently developed. The exciting part is the scale of the opportunity.

"You are not simply looking at a stadium project; you are considering how a major sporting venue can contribute to the identity and future of an entire part of a city.

"The challenge is equally significant. There are many stakeholders and competing considerations, and we need to make sure that what we develop is commercially sustainable, operationally practical and, most importantly, delivers genuine value for supporters and the community.

"Our ambition is to broaden the experience around St Mary’s. The stadium already has a strong identity, but there is an opportunity to make the area around it much more engaging and connected.

"For supporters, that could mean a stronger sense of arrival and destination on matchdays.

"For the community, it is about creating an environment that has value beyond football and can support activity throughout the year."

Saints view plans to redevelop the surrounding area as crucial to the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of its football team.

Saints have relied heavily on player trading to be sustainable but believe expansion projects will allow them to create a more competitive team within Squad Cost Ratio rules, which tie spending limits directly to yearly revenue.

They want the St Mary's Stadium footprint to be the premier entertainment destination on the south coast all year round and not just on matchday.