Southampton FC: St Mary’s Stadium and Staplewood network infrastructure
Long-term fibre, structured cabling and wireless infrastructure supporting St Mary’s Stadium and the Staplewood training campus.
Southampton FC: St Mary’s Stadium and Staplewood network infrastructure
Long-term fibre, structured cabling and wireless infrastructure supporting stadium operations and elite football performance.
Since an initial fibre project in 2011, ACCL has delivered successive network infrastructure programmes at St Mary’s Stadium and the Staplewood training campus, supporting match-day operations, broadcasting, wireless connectivity, security and elite football performance.
The result
The completed programmes provided Southampton FC with:
- A 10Gb stadium fibre backbone
- Four stadium comms rooms connected
- Around 500 Cat6A outlets at Staplewood
- Approximately 6km of external OS2 fibre
- Wireless capacity expanded to around 130 access points
- Dedicated connectivity for broadcasting and photographers
- A physical network supporting CCTV, analytics and performance systems
- Long-term infrastructure designed to accept future technology without repeated rebuilding
Services delivered
Overview
Southampton Football Club operates across St Mary’s Stadium and the Staplewood training campus. Its communications infrastructure supports far more than corporate IT, extending to match-day operations, digital displays, broadcasting, CCTV, Wi-Fi, video analytics and football performance technology.
ACCL’s relationship with the club began with a fibre installation at St Mary’s in 2011 and developed into a long-term programme across both operational sites.
The challenge
The club needed a physical network that could support evolving technology without repeated rebuilding. At St Mary’s, upgrades had to protect live stadium operations and return services to use within tightly controlled windows. At Staplewood, the infrastructure needed to reach a central building, remote facilities, camera positions and lighting columns while coordinating with an approximately 18-month construction programme.
The design also had to accommodate different operational environments, from public concourses and communications rooms to external ducts, football pitches and specialist training facilities.
Creating the 10Gb stadium core
ACCL connected the stadium’s four communications rooms using seven-core 5mm blown-fibre duct. Routes were primarily supported on containment above the public concourse, with sections of approximately 300 metres installed between rooms.
Once the duct network was in place, compressed-air installation techniques were used to install three 12-core OM4 multimode fibre bundles. The new backbone enabled the stadium network to operate at 10Gb and left spare duct capacity through which further fibre could be introduced as requirements developed.
Twenty engineers, one Bank Holiday migration
After the fibre and switching upgrades, ACCL rationalised the stadium communications cabinets, replacing and reorganising patch leads and rebuilding connections within the live network environment.
A 20-person engineering team completed the migration during a Bank Holiday weekend. Connections were broken down and rebuilt to a controlled plan so the network could be fully operational again for the following working day. The resulting cabinets were cleaner, easier to manage and better arranged for cooling, fault finding and future maintenance.
Expanding stadium-wide Wi-Fi
With the core network established, ACCL initially installed and supported an HP-based wireless solution across St Mary’s. As demand increased, the club moved to a new generation of wireless technology.
ACCL supported the expansion from approximately 70 HP access points to around 130 Meraki access points. The work was delivered during the football off-season in an approximately six-week programme, allowing the expanded platform to be operational before the new season.
Project context
Stadium and elite training campus · Southampton
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Connectivity for the match-day environment
Modern stadium technology extends well beyond offices and communications rooms. ACCL installed additional fibre around the pitch to support digital advertising systems and the stadium’s two large video screens.
A separate network provided connectivity for outside broadcast organisations and match-day photographers, giving specialist users access to dedicated infrastructure during live events.
Building the Staplewood campus network
When Southampton FC redeveloped its Staplewood training facilities, Wayne Connors advised on the communications and cabling strategy. ACCL installed approximately 6km of Leviton 12-core OS2 singlemode fibre, using external duct routes to connect the main building with remote facilities, outbuildings and lighting-column locations.
Inside the main training facility, approximately 500 Leviton Category 6A outlets were installed around a central communications room. The certified structured cabling system supported corporate IT, Wi-Fi, CCTV, access control, IP audio, building systems and coaching technology, with a 25-year Leviton system warranty submitted following completion.
Fibre connections to camera positions and lighting columns also provided the physical platform for CCTV, video analytics and future IP-connected technology across the campus.
Maintaining connectivity during change
The Staplewood programme extended across approximately 18 months and had to remain coordinated with the wider construction programme. During the relocation of the site’s ISP connection, ACCL established temporary communications arrangements so construction and technology works could progress without unnecessary interruption to the club’s day-to-day operations.
Technologies used
ACCL’s role
Across St Mary’s and Staplewood, ACCL provided a coordinated infrastructure service that included:
- Fibre backbone design
- Cat6A structured cabling
- External duct distribution
- Stadium and campus Wi-Fi
- Fibre installation and splicing
- Cabinet and patch-lead rationalisation
- Broadcast and photographer connectivity
- Temporary services during the ISP relocation
- Testing, certification and warranty submission
- Coordination of a 20-person Bank Holiday migration
- Infrastructure for CCTV, analytics and digital displays
- Long-term coordination across stadium and training-campus programmes
A platform for future football technology
By investing in the fibre, structured cabling and wireless foundations first, Southampton FC gained a platform capable of supporting Wi-Fi, CCTV, video analytics, digital signage, broadcasting, corporate IT and performance systems.
The blown-fibre architecture at St Mary’s and the extensive OS2 and Cat6A network at Staplewood also created practical routes for future expansion, reducing the need to repeatedly rebuild the physical infrastructure beneath each new technology programme.
Related guidance
Foreword by Wayne
Wayne Connors, Managing Director, ACCL“Our relationship with Southampton Football Club is a good example of how ACCL works best with its long-term clients. We are not simply brought in to install cables; we work with the IT team to understand where the technology is heading and make sure the infrastructure is capable of supporting it.
What started with fibre works at St Mary’s developed into projects covering the stadium backbone, communications rooms, Wi-Fi, broadcast connectivity and eventually the infrastructure across Staplewood.
By investing in the core fibre and structured cabling infrastructure first, Southampton FC has been able to introduce new technologies as its requirements have developed without continually rebuilding the network underneath them. That is exactly what good infrastructure design should achieve.”
“ACCL continues to excel and is a valued provider of all our structured cabling solutions. Whether your requirement is fibre, copper or a turn-key network solution, ACCL know what they are talking about. Their project management is end-to-end and their knowledge vast.
Wayne played an integral part when we commissioned our new state-of-the-art Staplewood Football Development Centre, including a site-wide Wi-Fi solution. I highly recommend ACCL.”
Matthew Reynolds, IT Director, Southampton Football Club
Frequently asked questions
When did ACCL begin working with Southampton FC?
The relationship began in 2011 with a fibre optic project at St Mary’s Stadium.
What backbone was installed at St Mary’s Stadium?
ACCL installed seven-core blown-fibre duct and three 12-core OM4 multimode fibre bundles to create a 10Gb backbone between four communications rooms.
Why was blown fibre selected for the stadium?
The duct architecture supported the initial OM4 installation while leaving routes through which additional fibre could be introduced as the stadium’s requirements developed.
How was the stadium cabinet migration completed?
A 20-person ACCL engineering team completed the rationalisation during a Bank Holiday weekend so the network could be operational for the following working day.
How did the stadium Wi-Fi estate change?
ACCL supported the move from approximately 70 HP access points to around 130 Meraki access points during an approximately six-week off-season programme.
What match-day systems use the network infrastructure?
The infrastructure supports digital advertising, two large video screens, outside broadcast organisations and match-day photographers.
How much fibre was installed at Staplewood?
Approximately 6km of Leviton 12-core OS2 singlemode fibre was installed to connect the main building with remote facilities and external locations.
How many structured cabling outlets were installed at Staplewood?
Approximately 500 Leviton Category 6A outlets were installed as part of a certified system with a 25-year manufacturer warranty submitted after completion.
What systems does the Staplewood infrastructure support?
The network supports corporate IT, Wi-Fi, CCTV, video analytics, access control, IP audio, building systems and coaching and performance technology.
Was connectivity maintained during the Staplewood works?
Yes. ACCL supported the ISP relocation and established temporary communications arrangements during the transition.
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