This confirms relegation to League One because if the Saints manage to 'beat the drop' then the 10 point deduction will come into play this season. Should Southampton finish in the bottom 3, the 10 point deduction will be carried over to 2009/10.
Southampton must now find a buyer to prevent a further deduction for starting a season in administration. There are currently 30 interested parties in the club.
It's all very complicated so an official statement can be read at http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/News/ChampionshipNewsDetail/0,,10794~1636735,00.html
Former Saddlers Andrew Surman and Lee Holmes are currently at Southampton but Surman is likely to be sold off to help secure the financial future of the south coast club