PICTURE the scene – it is a Wednesday evening in Southampton and thousands of Barcelona fans have descended on the city for a crucial Champions League tie at St Mary’s.

They have flooded through Southampton Airport over the previous 24 hours, filled the city’s hotels and restaurants and provided a bonanza for taxi drivers.

All the talk is of how Saints will fare against the Catalan club’s global superstars Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.

What is more, reaching the Champions League group stages means there will be another two nights just like this to come.

If all goes well there is the prospect of making the knockout stages and welcoming another European giant like Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo or Bayern Munich and Manuel Neuer to the south coast.

It is a mouth-watering prospect – certainly for football fans, but also for the area’s businesses.

Yet with half the Premier League season gone – and back-to-back wins against fellow Champions League contenders Arsenal and Manchester United in the bag – what seemed an impossible dream five years ago when the club languished in League One after nearly going out of business altogether could become reality.

If Ronald Koeman’s side keep up the form of their impressive first five months of the season and do clinch a top-four spot, the club would benefit from a huge cash windfall that could earn them up to £60m.

But it is not just Saints that will benefit from the Champions League jackpot, as the economic rewards for Southampton and Hampshire off the pitch are just as exciting as the lavish ties on it.

In fact, it is believed that each home game in Europe’s premier club competition could earn Southampton’s wider economy as much as £3m for every game played in the city.

If the club finishes third in the Premier League it would go straight into the Champions League group stages, guaranteeing three home matches.

A fourth place finish would see Saints face a play-off to get to the group stages, which, while netting another £3m for the city, would leave fans facing a nervous wait to see if they can actually qualify for the competition proper.

Understandably businesses are keeping a close eye on the table to prepare themselves for the cash windfall to the area, and who can blame them when the average spending figure for an overseas football fan is £776 according to one study?

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Rob Wilson, a football finance expert from Sheffield Hallam University, says taking part in the competition could have an economic benefit of about £3m for each home game, with thousands of away supporters travelling to the region.

He said: “Hotels would be the biggest beneficiaries because all of the away fans are going to come and stay, and may be here for two to three days.

"Food and drink would be a big secondary beneficiary. There would be a marginal benefit for shopping and souvenirs.

"It secures employment and it could put the city squarely on the world map.”

If fans of Europe’s elite clubs such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Barcelona do flock to the city many will travel to Southampton Airport, where bosses are relishing the prospect of welcoming them.

Director of communications Jan Halliday said: “Southampton Airport is already widely used by Premier league football teams and supporters for both home and away matches.

“Undoubtedly if Southampton Football Club are in the Champions League or Europa League next season, we are likely to receive more special charters for players and supporters, plus passengers using our existing scheduled flights to and from cities such as Milan, Paris and Amsterdam.”

City cabbie Ian Hall is also looking forward to a boost in trade, saying: “If we get into Europe it’s going to reap dividends and do immense good for the city. When we went down two leagues it was like a dead city, but now it’s come alive again.

“We would have a lot more trade from the fans travelling to the matches.”

Hotels in the region would also benefit from the influx of fans.

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Karen Hockin, owner of the Elizabeth House Hotel in The Avenue, said: ““I’m sure the Champions League would benefit the city because we have the airport and the transport links are very good.

“It would also raise the profile of the club and the city, because Southampton don’t always get the recognition they deserve as they are a smaller club.”

It is not just Southampton who would benefit; people travelling to the region could well prolong their stay and take in some of the sights of Hampshire.

Councillor Sean Woodward, Hampshire County Council’s executive member for economy, transport and environment, said: “Anything that helps raise the international profile of Hampshire is a good thing for the local economy, and an increase in the number of overseas visitors would certainly bring a boost to local businesses.”

One city which has already had a taste of the footballing high life is Newcastle, which hosted Champions League football in 1997/1998, 2002/2003 and 2003/2004.

James Ramsbotham, chief executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce, believes its value to the region was “immeasurable”.

He said: “Not only do you enjoy the raised profile of the city to an audience stretching into the millions, but you get increased revenue from visitors to the region, a rise in hotel occupancy, a boost to leisure sector firms, not to mention the enormous rise in profits in bars and restaurants for the period prior to games.

“There is also the fantastic feelgood factor associated with it. As a one-club city, Newcastle has one of the most fiercely loyal and passionate set of supporters in the country, and that goes for corporate sponsorship from local firms too.

"When the club is doing well, the economy picks up.”

Stewart Dunn, chief executive of the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, is among the business leaders keeping their fingers crossed that Saints qualify.

He said: “I would expect the airport to benefit from away supporters coming in, and I would also say there would be a benefit to hotels, restaurants and to a lesser extent shopping.

“I’m sure there would also be more air and coach travel for Saints fans travelling abroad as well, which could benefit local companies.

“Southampton could benefit not only from an economic point of view but the city itself would be put on a European and global footing.

“I don’t think you could put a figure on the benefits being recognised globally would have for the city. And the longer they remained in the competition, the more its value would increase.”

  • Additional reporting by Michael Carr