Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre - 7 interesting facts

The 56-acre site has packed a wide range of facilities over the years, including a paddling pool, gym, tennis courts, football pitches, netball courts, BMX track and more.

But did you know these seven facts about the much-loved complex's beginnings?

1. Opened in 1938

85 years ago it had poured almost non-stop with rain. Ground across the county was so saturated with water it had to be pumped away from numerous places - although the skies cleared for one crucial hour.

It was May 28, 1938, when a welcome break to the wet weather permitted the Duke of Kent to declare Southampton’s brand new Sports Centre officially open under rare rays of sunshine.

The ceremony marked the point when years of meticulous planning and hard work came to a conclusion, allowing local people to use the land which, 85 years later, is still a vital part of life for many across the city.

2. Opened by royalty

Although the rain had ceased, the official ceremony was performed by the Duke and Duchess of Kent in rather damp conditions.

But that didn’t stop thousands of local people from lining the Avenue and Winchester Road - as well as the Sports Centre itself - to see the Duke and Duchess of Kent. 

“It rained the whole of the night before and in the morning men were pumping the water out of marquees which were to receive the ‘Royal party’,” read the Daily Echo at the time.

“When they arrived in the afternoon, it cleared for an hour, and the sun shone. As soon as the ceremony was over there was a deluge.”

Before declaring the Sports Centre officially open, the Duke congratulated the council.

“You have provided facilities for a very great number of sports, and I feel sure these facilities will prove a great attraction to the fortunate inhabitants of Southampton,” said the Duke.

3. It was nicknamed 'Happy Valley'

It was Southampton’s mayor at the time, Councillor GEH Prince, who dubbed the Sports Centre “Happy Valley”.

This came about as he told the Duke and Duchess about the transformation that had taken place on the site since it had been acquired by the council five years earlier.

4. Construction cost more than £151,000

The construction of the Sports Centre cost £151,000 of ratepayers’ money and covered 269 acres of land.

That may not sound like much, but it's more than £8million in today's money.

5. First football match was with schoolkids

The first football to be played on the pitches was by a team of small boys from St Nicholas School.

6. Played a part in the Second World War

Just 15 months later and the Second World War had broken out. According to an old Daily Echo the Sports Centre manager at the time, Eric Ryder, wrote: “Not then could it be foreseen that perhaps some of the greatest pages in the history of the centre were to be written in the ensuing years, when it was the playground for the men and women of all the services over a wide area.

“Not then could it be foreseen that its landscape was to be scarred with bombs, with barbed wire, trenches and fortifications and the guns were to roar in action within its boundaries.”

A small party from the Hampshire Regiment were the first soldiers to arrive, setting up an anti-aircraft gun on one of the cricket wickets while large post were driven into the football pitches and golf course to prevent enemy aircraft from using them as landing strips.

“On many occasions, ships’ crews came straight from the pursuit of U-boats and action in the Channel to fight a more peaceful battle on the football field,” wrote Mr Ryder.

The venue was used for morale-boosting displays and it was here the American Jeep made its first appearance in Southampton during a wartime pageant called Beating the Invader.

When the war came to an end the Sports Centre became one of Southampton’s major points for celebrating both VE Day and VJ Day.

7. Sports were still played during the war

Even while the city was shrouded in the ominous veil of war and enemy raids were more than just a possibility, events at the Sports Centre continued. 

Bren and Lewis guns were positioned by the pitches and manned to ensure the games were able to continue.

Throughout the conflict, the centre was home to 2,953 football matches, 1,252 cricket games, 442 hockey matches, 57 athletic meetings, 40 cycle events and 243 netball matches.