Southampton F.C. - Sponsors

Sponsors

Seven companies have sponsored the club, thus appearing on the player's shirts, over the course of its history. The first company to do so was photocopier manufacturer Rank Xerox who sponsored the club for three years from 1980. Air Florida briefly sponsored Southampton in 1983 before Draper Tools, who have a large factory in nearby Eastleigh sponsored the club for nine years between 1984 and 1993. Millbrook based company Dimplex, who produce electrical goods such as heaters were the next brand name to appear on the club's shirts and merchandise. They began sponsoring in 1993 before the deal ended in 1995. The Sanderson Group PLC took up the mantle, for four years from 1995, also sponsoring Sheffield Wednesday at the same time.

Investment company Friends Provident were the final sponsors of the club's time at The Dell. Their deal began in 1999 and was renewed shortly before the naming of St. Mary's Stadium, to which they also bought the naming rights. However they chose not to renew either deal in 2006, after which budget airline Flybe.com stepped in.

On 2 February 2010, Southampton announced that they would be without a main shirt sponsor for the 2010–11 season for the club's 125th anniversary. Nicola Cortese said Southampton could do this due their strong financial position.

In the summer of 2011, Southampton agreed a three-year deal with aap3 to become the main club sponsor; the partnership with the Southampton based business and IT solutions provider started at the beginning of the 2011–12 season and run until June 2014.