Touring the land of the Saints
STUDENTS from the University of Southampton Malaysia campus gained the opportunity to step into the world of the Barclays Premier League during a tour of St Mary’s Stadium, home to the Southampton Football Club, known as the Saints.
The students, who are in their final two years of the MEng in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Southampton, took time out of their studies to learn the history of the football club, which was founded in 1885.
They viewed the club’s trophy cabinet, toured the home and away team dressing rooms, visited the post-match interview area and viewed the pitch from one of the venue’s hospitality boxes.
They also went to the side of the pitch via the “tunnel”, through which famous players and coaches have walked to enter the stadium, including David Beckham who captained Manchester United and the England football team, Southampton legend Matthew LeTissier and the club’s current international players James Ward-Prowse, Nathaniel Clyne, Maya Yoshida and Sadio Mané.
The students partook in the English football tradition of receiving and wearing Saints’ scarves, courtesy of local English radio station Jack FM.
Gem Kiat Teh, a student on the tour, thought the experience was amazing and found it unbelievable that he could visit the stadium of the team he supports.
“The visit was such a great experience. I hope the Saints can keep winning and qualify for the Champions League next season,” he said.
Strong partnership
The University of Southampton and the Southampton Football Club have long enjoyed a strong relationship. In recent years, the university researchers have teamed up with the club to find ways of preventing injuries and protecting players from developing arthritis.
Less than 12 months ago, the relationship was further strengthened with the appointment of Southampton alumnus Gareth Rogers as chief executive officer of the club.
Unique education
The university’s campuses in the UK and Malaysia offer degree programmes for students to gain a unique education, with the first two years being in Malaysia and the final two years at its world-class research-centred university in the UK.
Students will graduate with a degree from an internationally recognised university and gain a global education experience.
For more information, call 07-560 2560, e-mail marketing. malaysia@southampton.ac.uk or visit www.southampton.edu.my