The English Football League (EFL) Championship team – the Southampton F.C. – recently announced that the Oak View Group (OVG), a global leader in venue development, management and hospitality, has been appointed to deliver a world-class food and drink offering at their home venue – the St Mary’s Stadium in Hampshire, England (UK).
‘southamptonfc.com’ stated that the OVG will take on food and beverage (F&B) operations at the stadium and will work closely with the club to elevate the experience for the supporters providing new menu items, shorter wait times, better service, and other benefits.
Preston (UK)-based the English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League it is the oldest football league in the world and was the top-level football league in England from its foundation until 1992 when the top 22 clubs split from it to form the Premier League, the highest level of the English football league system. The Football League was rebranded as the ‘English Football League’ (EFL) starting with the 2016-2017 seasons.
The Southampton Football Club is a professional football club based in Southampton, Hampshire, England (UK). The club competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The St Mary’s Stadium serves as their home arena.
The St Mary’s Stadium is a seated but also a safe-standing football stadium in Southampton, Hampshire, England (UK) which has been the home stadium of the EFL Championship club Southampton F.C. since 2001. The stadium has a capacity to pack in 32,384 fans and is currently the largest football stadium in South East England.
The Oak View Group, LLC is an American professional sports and commercial real estate company based in Denver. It manages several sports venues including the 18,300-capacity Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, which was constructed under the company’s supervision.
‘southamptonfc.com’ further stated that the OVG will introduce a wide range of grab-and-go options at the concourses throughout the stadium as well as premium offerings in the hospitality suites to deliver an outstanding matchday experience for all the fans. In addition, all non-matchday conferences and events will also be catered by the OVG.
This announcement marks the latest step in the expansion of OVG’s hospitality offering to the United Kingdom and European sports and entertainment venues. This includes at the 23,500-capacity Co-op Live in Manchester – the largest indoor arena in the United Kingdom – and through a joint venture with the City Football Group (CFG) to deliver catering at the 53,400-capacity Etihad Stadium. The OVG is also supporting the other iconic British venues such as the 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, the 61 276-capacity Anfield Stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, and the 67,144-capacity Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland. Their delivery in the UK is emulating the success of their model in the United States where it provides high quality offerings at notable venues such as the 10,600-capacity Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri, the 42,901-capacity Citizens Banks Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the 92,100-capacity Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
More detailed information on the elevated matchday experience for the supporters will be announced in the run-up to the new season.
Gushed Greg Baker, Southampton Football Club Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), “We’re delighted to be entering this new partnership with the OVG which represents a significant step forward in enhancing the food and beverage (F&B) experience for our fans. This collaboration will elevate the quality of service and broaden the variety of food offerings to create an even more enjoyable experience at the St Mary’s Stadium.”
Maintained Mark Donnelly, OVG Executive Vice-President (VP), Venue and Operations, “We’re delighted to be partnering with such a historic and respected club like the Southampton F.C. The St Mary’s is an iconic venue and we’re excited to bring the OVG’s signature hospitality experience to its fans. From premium offerings to everyday matchday favorites our goal is to deliver exceptional food and drink, week in, week out. This partnership represents another important step in the growth of our footprint in the United Kingdom and deepens our commitment to elevating the hospitality experience across the football clubs nationwide.”
Commented Michalis Fragkiadakis, OVG Senior Vice-President (VP), Hospitality Strategy, “We’re proud to be partnering with the Southampton F.C. and excited to bring our innovative approach to hospitality thus raising the bar for food and drink at one of the United Kingdom’s leading football clubs. We are fans-first and believe food and drink are central to the fan experience and we’re committed to doing this at every level at the St Mary’s Stadium.”
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