Southampton FC have announced exciting plans for the club over the next 5 years when in conjunction with Southampton City Council they will build and open a theme park around St Mary's Stadium.

Sometimes fate lends a hand when you are planning for the future, firstly the gasometers behind the Northam End were removed, then part of the industrial estate behind the Chapel end mysteriously burnt down, thus creating a large amount of land suddenly available for development.

In stepped Southampton City Council who have slapped compulsory purchase orders on the rest of the Industrial estate and also surrounding industrial units.

Add to that the land available opposite the Itchen Stand which is currently a cement works and opportunity was knocking.

Southampton City Council who have been working in tandem for the last year on the plans and later this morning in a press conference on top of the Bargate, both parties will jointly announce the plans for "Southampton World"

This will be a leisure experience that focus's on Southampton FC and indeed the city as a whole with rides for the thrill seekers and other attractions.

It will be entered by a full scale replica of the Bargate which will be built at the end of Britannia Road's junction with Northam Road and guests will enjoy a stroll to the Stadium itself, down a magnificent walkway flanked with retail & eating options.

St Mary's Stadium will be the centre point of the entire park, think Cinderella's castle at Disney World, although I understand it won't be painted pink, but there will a second tier added to all 4 sides, and possible even a 3rd, meaning that it will be visible from miles around and will become only the second man made feature after the Great Wall of China to be visible from space.

Surrounding it will be a series of rides based on Saints legends, The Matt Le Tissier Slalom will take guests on a thrilling run through the midfield, twisting and turning as the likes of Roy Keane & Terry Hurlock try to scythe him in half, before you then become the ball and fly deftly over the head of Peter Schmeichel.

For those who seek something a little more dangerous, there is the Francis Benali Red Carder, this is more Indiana Jones than Paul Jones, join Franny in a series of life threatening tackles on opponents before the frightening finale, a steep drop in the dark before a two footed challenge on John Fashanu, this is the longest ride in the park, it will last for over 6 weeks due to several 3 game suspensions.

There will also be the Rickie Lambert Thuderbolt, the Mick Channon Windmill and the Sulemana Runaway Train, this will see guests propelled up and down a football pitch touchline, stopping and starting, twisting and turning but ultimately getting nowhere, it ends in it hurtling towards the Itchen Stand, seemingly to destroy both the train and stadium, you think you are about to be saved when Alex McCarthy dives to stop the train dead in it's tracks, but it slips under him and continues on it's fatal course, but this being Southampton it runs out of steam in the final moments.

This will generate billions for the Southampton economy, in construction workers, followed by hundreds of workers in the park when it opens in 2030.

Also it will aid in attracting major signings to the club, it will provide them with guaranteed employment after they finish playing, not everyone can have their own ride or Happy meal named after them, but unlike Disney where you know it is someone dressed up as Mickey Mouse, here you will get the real deal, actual ex players making appearances, signing autographs, posing for photos and delighting the youngsters, who will see names from the history books there in the flesh.

It is hard to imagine Mo Salah for instance wanting to join a club in Saudi Arabia and get astronomical wages for just a couple of years, when he could join Southampton and have a career for life and stay in the limelight.

But it will also prove beneficial to the club, no longer will we sign players who will underperform and then sit on fat contracts not getting near the first team, they will more than cover their salary's by working in the park, with the price of Coke ( No not that version, the soft drink) going through the roof and Hot Dog prices set to hit £20, our average failure will be able to cover the price of his wages in just two shifts a week in the remainder of his contract.

This shows the forward thinking of Sport Republic, they realise that football clubs cannot prosper unless they generate other income streams and this will only be potentially dwarfed by the Manchester United plans recently unveiled.

Sport Republic and indeed Southampton City Council for imposing charges in certain car parks have been criticised in recent weeks, but not this time, this is a wonderful boost to both the Football Club and our great City.

Southampton will be flooded with tourists, not just on a matchday but on 7 days a week.

All Photos Via Reuters

Bowlercow added 11:02 - Apr 1 Yep I just can't wait for this But I will still have a pre match pint in the PoW
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