Local breweries :
There are three significant (in terms of output) breweries in Hampshire, and over half a dozen micros.
Gale's is an old brewer in the area, founded in 1847 and was still family owned until last year. It maintains that tradition of both brewing and holding an estate of tied pubs, 111 in total in their case.
Unexpectedly bought by another independent family brewery, Fullers, for £92 million in 2005 it remains to be seen how they intend to run it, though it should be safer than if one of the multi-national raper of pubs had got their hands on it.
Ringwood is an example of the more modern type of brewery, focusing on supplying a wide range of outlets rather than its own stable of pubs. Founded as a micro in 1978 producing a few barrels a week it's now up to around 30,000 a year.
A decade and a half behind Ringwood, it was founded in 1992, but growing fast and developing an excellent reputation, is the Hampshire Brewery. Around 300 outlets are supplied.
Of the micros one particularly worth mentioning is White Star Brewery. A ten barrel a week plant, it is just around the corner from St Mary's Stadium, off Radcliffe Road.
As you approach the stadium from the city centre there are a number of pubs about five to ten minutes from the ground such as the Oddfellows Arms, Plume Of Feathers and Kingsland Tavern. These are very much home pubs and not particularly recommended for away supporters especially if wearing colours.
Club Bar :
The stadium is pretty much state-of-the-art, and very impressive. There are bars on the inner concourse, which serve up to fifteen minutes prior to kick-off. A lager and a bitter are offered.
The kiosks are open from ten minutes before half-time to ten minutes after. The usual range of football stadium food is available. Note that because of licencing restrictions there are two different sorts of kiosks, one serving alcohol and a limited range of food, the other hot and cold soft drinks and a wider range of food.
Each concourse has a betting booth and televisions. Smoking is not allowed anywhere in the stadium. You can't pop out for one at half-time either as Southampton has a policy of no re-admissions.
(Thanks to www.ciderspace.co.uk for the above information and their help in the rest of the article.)
Local Pubs:
South Western Arms: 38-40, Adelaide Road, St Denys. SO17 2HW.
This is CAMRA country. Local Pub of the Year three times in a row and a national finalist in 2003. Right by St Denys station.
There are up to ten beers on handpumps. Caledonian Deuchars IPA, Butcombe Bitter, and Sharp's Cornish Coaster are the regulars, plus changing guests from all over the country.
Food is restricted to snacks though there are barbeques in the garden in the summer. On two floors, the upstairs has juke box, pool, table football and TV. Serious drinking pub, but children are allowed in the upper part or garden, which has a heated smoking area.
The Dolphin pub across the road used to be pretty good as well, but has just re-opened on April 3rd so no reports yet, be good to hear what it's like.
Bevois Castle: 63, Onslow Road. SO14 0JL.
Away friendlly and a fifteen minute walk north of the stadium.
There's pool table, parking, and very competitively priced food is served lunchtimes, from 11.00-14.00, with the 'traditional breakfast' particularly popular.
Local real ales King Alfred's Hampshire Bitter, Hidden Quest, Nuptu'ale, Landlord and Hole Hearted have been on, plus changing guests from both the locality and further afield, and all the usual lagers and stouts.
Guide Dog: 38, Earls Road. SO14 6SF.
Back-street Victorian drinkers hostelry just off the main route from St. Deny's station to St. Mary's, and a couple of hundred yards further from the station than the Bevois Castle (above).
There are seven hand pumps, five for guests plus the house beers of Bowman Swift One and Fuller's excellent ESB.
Food is usually served on matchdays only.
The Old Farmhouse: 39, Mount Pleasant Road. SO14 0EG.
There are very few pubs really convenient to St Mary's but this is more convenient than most. It's about a ten to fifteen minute walk to the away end. The present building was built as a farmhouse in 1611, but has been a pub since 1843.
There was a pool table, table football and a juke box inside when we last visited, a large beer garden and some car parking outside.
Freshly prepared home cooked food is done to order. There was a selection of an Archers, London Pride and Spitfire as the real ales when visited. Keg draught was John Smith's Extra Smooth, Boddington's, Guinness, Fosters, Carling, Kronenbourg 1664 and Strongbow. Children allowed.
Waterloo Arms: 101, Waterloo Road. SO15 3BS.
Wrong way from Southampton Central for the ground, but at ten minutes from the station lovers of good beer may consider it worth the walk. It is on a bus route from the centre.
A Hop Back Brewery outlet, al la the Glue Pot in Swindon, with a full range of their excellent beers: GFB, Best Bitter, Crop Circle, Entire Stout, Summer Lightning and whatever seasonals happen to be available. They also stock several changing guest ales.
There's an L-shaped bar, and a large conservatory at the back which leads into a paved garden for smokers. 
The Hobbit: 134, Bevois Valley Road. SO14 0JZ.
Included because we love the name, however has; Split levels, two bars, huge beer garden and live entertainment every night.
Pool, machines, real ale etc. in the upstairs bar, stages in the downstairs bar and the garden. Food is burgers, hot dogs and chips but only served after 21.00 until 1.30am!
Probably helps if you are a student, or at least like students. About fifteen minutes walk north of the ground.
Wellington Arms: 56, Park Road, Freemantle. SO15 3DE.
Drinkers pub, no food. Five regulars - Adnams Bitter, Fuller's London Pride, Greene King Abbot, Ringwood Best Bitter and Wychwood Hobgoblin - plus two changing guests. Hoegaarden and Leffe Blonde cater for more continental tastes. Paved garden with seating for smokers.
Could have stepped back into the Fifties, the interior gave the appearance of being entirely unchanged since then. The beer was excellent, which is what matters however.
Website: http://southampton-pubs.co.uk/wellingtonarms/index.htm
Next to the main station
Encore: 22-26 Commercial Road. SO15 1GE.
Large pub on split levels and part of the Mill House Inns chain. A fair all-rounder, it has Fosters, Kronenburg, Stella Artois, John Smiths Smooth, Guiness, Dry Blackthorne Cider and some changing real ales, but not always well kept.
Food of the 'pub fayre' genre, with an extensive menu of main meals and snacks served between 10.00 and 21.00.
Children are welcome whilst food is being served, there's Sky Sports on three TV's and a big screen, a pool table, an outdoor smoking area (pretty much the street really!) Debit and credit cards accepted. Can get very busy if there's something on at the theatre as it's right next door.
Weatherspoons
Here's info on two in the area, the Giddy Bridge, between St. Deny's station and the ground at 10-16 London Road, SO15 2AE; and right in the City Centre, about 15 minutes from the ground, the Standing Order: 30, High Street, SO14 2DF.
By the seafront
Duke of Wellington: 36, Bugle Street. SO14 2AH.
If you're down in the sea front area and you want real ales, a couple of streets back is probably the oldest pub in Southampton. There are six hand pumps, with Ringwood Best Bitter and Wadworth IPA and 6X as regulars.
An extensive menu, both snacks and main meals, is available lunchtimes (12.00 - 14.30) and evenings (18.00 - 20.30). Children allowed.
Website: http://southampton-pubs.co.uk/dukeofwellington/
Let's Party
Frog and Frigate: 33, Canute Road.
Not rushing home after the game? Open 17.00 - 04.00! Live music or DJ sets most nights, mainly 60's or 70's, and free CD juke box in between. Table football and darts.
Kronenburg 1664, Carlesberg Extra Gold, Guiness (ordinary and extra cold), San Miguel, Stella Artois, Strongbow and Fuller's London pride on draught and cocktails at at £4.00 a pint.
Happy Hour 17.00 to 21.00. 50p off all pints and bottles, £1.00 off cocktails.
Ten to fifteen minutes walk south of the stadium.
Directions :
We like to give you maps to every pub but with such a selection we've placed the postcode next to each and then go here to find out how to find it:
www.streetmap.co.uk
Good luck, and even more important, good drinking!
Here's some basic directions from station to stadium.
Shuttle bus in operation taking fans from the station to the ground, operating from the Blechynden Terrace bus stop outside the station.
Or turn left out of the station' s southern entrance and walk up Western Esplanade, which becomes Civic Centre Road.
The stadium is located around one and a half miles away from Southampton station (where there is also quite a large car park), which should take about 30 minutes to walk.
Turn left out of the station' s southern entrance and walk up Western Esplanade, which becomes Civic Centre Road. Remain on the Civic Centre Road and walk between the Civic Centre and the Marlands Shopping Centre.
Eventually a crossroads is reached with the Nationwide Building Society on one corner and Lloyds Bank on another. Cross into New Road and follow this road across a park and past a college.
Eventually you will reach a complex road junction with a number of traffic lights. Cross Kings Way into Northam Road and follow this road for quarter of a mile until you reach the ground on your right.
There are signs provided by the local council, which direct fans from the station to the ground. You can also walk from St. Denys Station, which is a good 25 minute walk away. This area has some good pubs as seen above.
Ground: Left, at the end of Northam Road.
Once again many thanks to the hardened drinkers at www.ciderspace.co.uk who supplied most of the information for this article as I can't even remember where I drank at last month let alone three years ago, much appreciated as ever. I'll miss your help next season lads! And to www.beerintheevening.com for the use of their photos.)