SOUTHAMPTON Football Club is preparing to launch a new park-and-side scheme that aims to take hundreds of cars off city centre roads on matchdays.
The scheme, which starts on Saturday, is an attempt to reduce the environmental impact of fans travelling to and from St Mary's Stadium.
Club bosses are hoping the eco-friendly initiative will cut congestion across the city as well as improve air quality.
The project aims to take as many as 300 cars off the roads each time Saints play at home, cutting CO2 emissions by a total of seven tonnes during a nine-game trial period.
Fans keen to reduce their carbon footprint must to pre-book a space at the multi-storey car park at Adanac Park, Southampton.
A shuttle bus service will drop them off at South Front, a short walk from the stadium.
READ MORE: Launch of new park-and-ride scheme for staff at University Hospital Southampton
Toby Steele, Saints' managing director, said: "We fully understand the environmental impacts a matchday can have on our city. By offering this scheme we hope our fans can play a small part in reducing our carbon footprint.
"We are also constantly looking at different ways we can improve the matchday experience for fans.
"We know matchdays can cause a significant amount of congestion in the city, so we hope this is well-received by our fans who are looking for easy and convenient parking."
Cllr Eamonn Keogh is the city council's cabinet member for transport.
He said: "We have been liaising closely with Southampton FC on developing the park-and-ride scheme as part of our commitment to easing congestion on our roads by providing more sustainable travel options for residents and visitors to the city."
READ MORE: Southampton's air quality set to be improved - here's how
Cllr Keogh said the scheme could play an important part in reducing the impact of matchday traffic on the city centre and improving air quality.
Six buses will operate from the Adanac Health and Innovation Campus, which already serves staff at University Hospital Southampton.
David French, the hospital's chief executive, added: "We are delighted to see our park-and-park is now providing not only our staff but also Southampton Football Club fans with a cost-effective and reliable travel solution, as well as playing a part in helping reduce the congestion and emissions on matchdays."
The last bus back to the car park will run one hour after the final whistle, with the facility closing two hours after each game ends.
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