It was a moving experience for Saints and their staff as the club finally settled into their new home.

The long-held dream became reality yesterday as they moved into the Friends Provident St Mary's Stadium, ready for a new era.

Staff were instructed to wear old clothes for the day as they switched their belongings to offices unrecognisable from the building site of just a few days ago.

It was a long, tough day filled with the usual stresses and strains experienced by anyone moving house, let alone a major organisation.

But by late last night they were up and running and ready for business this morning when tickets for Saturday's opening game against Espanyol went on sale.

There is still plenty of tidying and finishing off to be done over the next few days but it is all rapidly taking shape and the inside of the stadium looks terrific under the polythene wrappers.

The banqueting suites are almost fully fitted out, furniture is piled up ready for use in the executive boxes and carpets and curtains are in.

Kitchens are close to being operational and phones and computer equipment has been installed and fine-tuned ready to go.

And, despite the hard work and upheaval, staff were clearly impressed by their new surroundings with many departments now together in open plan offices.

Accounts, insurance services, telesales, promotions and marketing now work side by side in one room with the Academy and community staff at the other end of the building.

Chairman's secretary Nola Gonella said: "When you see everyone in together it is clear this is not a small business any more.

"When the phones start ringing I think people will be surprised how much happens in other departments. Up until now they have been isolated and probably think they are the only ones who are busy.

"It has been a bit fraught and frantic at times as it would be with any move let alone one as big as this.

"But everyone has just about settled in and it is quite impressive how much has been done even since Friday. Then it looked like a building site, now it looks like our home."