Southampton Football Club and Main Club Partner Sportsbet.io have today announced the opening of the ‘Saints Social Club’ at the Northam Social Club, funded by a first-of-its-kind Crypto Fan Fund.

Chosen by the fans, the Saints Social Club is the ultimate Southampton fan bar, featuring artwork, kits, and memorabilia celebrating the club’s illustrious 136-year history. True to their ‘Saints’ moniker, the designs also include stunning stained-glass artwork of Southampton heroes, past and present, including James Ward-Prowse, Alan Shearer, and Nathan Redmond.

The launch was marked by an all-day event during Southampton’s home fixture against Manchester United and featured a panel with Southampton FC legends Nigel Adkins and Francis Benali, as well as a live performance from the Saints Brass band.

The Saints Social Club will remain open throughout the season for all Southampton fans to enjoy, and will also be used to host additional community events for the Saints Foundation. Fans will be given a Saints Social Club card upon their first visit to Northam, which will get them access to all future events, including every Southampton FC matchday.

Southampton fans abroad will also have the chance to join the Saints Social Club, through the magic of VR. Following the launch, headsets will be donated to dedicated Southampton superfans in countries across the world. Filmed at Northam during the United fixture, the headset will allow international fans to experience the atmosphere of a Southampton matchday and feel part of the Saints family.

Sarah Batters, Director of Marketing & Partnerships at Southampton FC, said:

“It’s been brilliant to work in close collaboration with the representatives of our Saints Voice panel and to find out what really matters to them in order to bring the best matchday experiences for our fans. The new Saints Social Club will provide a wonderful opportunity to bring our fans together and act as a real focal point for our local community.”

Sportsbet.io launched the Crypto Fan Fund in November, donating two Bitcoins to be used for a fan-led initiative. The Club and Sportsbet.io worked with leading supporters’ group, Saints Voice, to decide how the donation would be spent, with fans voting in March to turn Northam – just a stone’s throw from St. Mary’s Stadium – into a dedicated Southampton FC fan pub.

Helen Edwards, Head of Responsible Gambling at Sportsbet.io, said:

“It’s been a privilege to work with Saints Voice and the Southampton fans throughout this process, and we’re so excited to see the Saints Social Club come to fruition this summer. Through the Crypto Fan Fund, we wanted to show how crypto can be used to genuinely support fans and help them deliver the initiatives that they want to see, and with the help of Southampton FC and Saints Voice, we’re delighted to have been able to do exactly that.”

The donation consolidates Sportsbet.io’s ongoing commitment as the main club sponsor of Southampton Football Club, and as a leader in the crypto community. The initiative is part of Sportsbet.io‘s ‘Believe the Hype’ campaign, encouraging Saints to believe the hype around their club, and around cryptocurrency.