A SAINTS fan said he was left feeling "isolated and tearful" after homophobic abuse was screamed at a football match.
Marc James has told of his frustration after he confronted Saints fans for chanting homophobic slurs at Brighton fans on December 26.
The 32-year-old had gone to the game at St Mary's Stadium on his own and was left "almost sobbing" following the ordeal.
Marc, who is a member of the LGBTQ+ group Rainbow Saints, described "little pockets" of fans chanting and shouting homophobic abuse.
The chants and language used are too offensive to be published and were directed at the Brighton team and fans.
"At the time, I wanted to sob," Marc said.
"I was on my own and it was very isolating having to listen to that.
"I couldn't allow them to shout those things so I turned around and told them to stop.
"I told them that I was gay, and asked if they had a problem with that.
"You could see that they knew what they were doing was wrong, one of them couldn't even look at me.
"One of them said that I should expect this at football and it's just banter."
Following the confrontation, no more homophobic abuse was shouted.
"I did notice after I confronted them, they did stop," Marc said.
"No one gave me any grief for it, but also no one stood up for me."
Marc has reported the incident to Southampton FC and Rainbow Saints.
Police have confirmed that during the match, they received two reports of hate crime-related public order incidents.
It was reported to police that homophobic comments were made by a man and homophobic gestures were made by a second man.
A man in his 30s and a man in his 20s were both ejected from the stadium.
The incidents are both under investigation.
Now, Marc is calling for more to be done to protect LGBTQ+ fans.
He said: "If [the club] were expecting an increase in this type of behaviour, maybe they should've put stewards in better places.
"It's not just a case of chucking people out, we need to focus on what we can do to prevent this.
"And, I think we need allies. We need people to stand up and say that this is wrong."
In July, Southampton FC revealed that membership of Rainbow Saints, which was set up last year, had grown by 1,233 per cent.
A study found that one in ten Saints fans identify as LGBTQIA+, which is 31 per cent more than at other Premier League clubs.
The group aims to create a safe space within football for LGBTQIA+ people and allies to talk about all things football, Southampton, and positive change.
The Daily Echo has contacted Southampton FC and Hampshire police for a comment and is waiting for a response.
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