[6] Francis Lacey claimed the highest individual score at the ground, with 211 in the first innings against Kent in June 1884, which he followed with 92 not out in the second, as Hampshire won by 3 wickets.

[8] In 1883, Col. James Fellowes opened negotiations for the lease and development of land in Northlands Road, Southampton (part of the Hulse Estate) and by the Annual General Meeting of Hampshire County Cricket Club, held at the George Hotel, Winchester in January 1884, Col. Fellowes was able to report that 8 acres (32,000 m2) of land had been leased at an annual rent of £160 on condition that the club erected a pavilion.

was founded officially in 1885, although the club's history can be traced back to 1878 with the foundation of "Southampton Rangers" by shipbuilders working for Oswald & Mordaunt (later Vosper Thornycroft).

As Southampton Common was not suitable for a cup-tie, the St Mary's committee secured the use of the Antelope Ground, "by kind permission of the Pirates".

[13] The match was won 4–0, but some of the Saints' fans misbehaved; their "hilarious" behaviour was such that the owner of the ground demanded that the gate receipts should be paid to the Royal South Hants Hospital.

With pitches at the County Ground and the Antelope costing between £2.10s and £3 to rent (necessitating an attendance of 240 at 3d each to break even) the club were in great need of a permanent home.

On the morning of the game, no venue had been arranged but an agreement was reached with the Woolston Works side, who were now tenants at the Antelope Ground,[16] to use their facilities.

[16] In the summer of 1889, the Woolston Works team folded leaving it clear for the Saints to claim the Antelope Ground as their home base, with the Trojans Rugby Club as joint tenants.

[20] With this he immediately sent a telegram of protest accompanied by the necessary fee of 2 guineas[21] to the Football Association (FA) claiming that the Saints had fielded illegally registered players in Fleming and McMillan.

The claim was upheld by the FA, who found that the players had not been registered at least 28 days before the match, and as the Saints had not complied with the requirements of Rule 5 they were thus expelled from the competition.

[24] Before the start of the 1893–94 season, the Saints signed further players on professional terms, including Jack Angus and Harry Offer, who had previously played for Ardwick (later Manchester City) and Royal Arsenal respectively.

[25] At the end of the season, the Saints were able to report a "profit" of over £85 – gate receipts and subscriptions had produced income of £768, with expenses of £683 including wages of £221 and rent for the Antelope Ground of £42.

[26] There was a brief half-hearted campaign to persuade the Saints to purchase the freehold, but the club could not afford it but instead considered a permanent move to the County Ground.

[26] For the start of their League career, Saints signed several new players on professional contracts, including Charles Baker, Alf Littlehales and Lachie Thomson from Stoke and Fred Hollands from Millwall.

[27] Saints' first league match was played at the Antelope Ground on 6 October 1894 in front of a crowd estimated at between 4,000 and 5,000, who paid 6d each for admittance;[27] Harry Offer, Jack Angus and Fred Hollands scored in a 3–1 victory over Chatham.

[28] The Saints' first defeat at the Antelope Ground came against Luton on 22 December (2–1), whilst their best result was a 7–1 victory over Swindon Town on 30 March, with two goals each from Jack Angus and Herbert Ward.

Saints were "in particularly rampant mood"[27] and won 14–0, with hat-tricks from Herbert Ward and Arthur Nineham; this is still Southampton's biggest victory in a competitive match.

[27] The Nottingham Forest players complained about the spartan state of the changing accommodation, demanding an oil stove,[29] before the match eventually kicked off.

[30] The local press blamed the defeat on the failure of the Southampton players to train adequately and also suggested that the "more northerly visitors were more accustomed to the Arctic conditions".

[29] Shortly before the FA Cup exit, the Saints had entertained a team from the Wiltshire Regiment, winning 13–0 on a "quagmire of a pitch" at the Antelope Ground, with Joe Rogers scoring ten goals.

[31] The highlight of the league season was the visit of Millwall on 21 March 1896 when a crowd of 8,000 saw the Saints defeat the reigning champions 2–0, with goals from Charles Baker and Joe Turner.

[31] In the First round proper, the Saints once again received a home draw against opposition from the Football League First Division, this time in the shape of The Wednesday.

Saints' trainer, Bill Dawson, who had moved from Stoke in the summer, spent the week leading up to Wednesday's visit with extra training for the players, taking them through their paces on Shawford Down.

"[29] The reporter for "the Echo", writing under the name "Ariel", added:"All the world and his wife were there, including many of our "city fathers" and grave and reverend seigniors, whose curiosity had been aroused by the chatter that was going on in the town...

On 18 January 1896, the local press reported that contracts had already been drawn up for the sale and that "eligible villa residences" would be built on the ground where "many historic battles" had been fought.

[31] The last football match played at the Antelope Ground was on the evening of Wednesday 29 April 1896, when a crowd estimated at 3,000 saw the Saints defeat their local rivals Freemantle in a friendly, with the last goal being scored by Southampton-born Fred Hayter.

[32] Southampton Football Club spent the next two seasons as tenants at the County Ground, during both of which they won the Southern League title, before eventually obtaining a permanent home, when they moved to The Dell in 1898.