The Dell in Milton Road, Southampton, England was the home ground of Southampton Football Club, between 1898 and 2001. For other uses, see Southampton (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Southampton Football Club is a professional English football team, nicknamed The Saints and based in the city of Southampton. ... A player (wearing the red kit) has penetrated the defence (in the white kit) and is taking a shot at goal. ...

The Dell, 2000

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 326 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo and editing by Dan Kerins. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 326 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo and editing by Dan Kerins. ...

Early days

The stadium was opened in September 1898, with the inaugural match on 3 September being against Brighton United. The first goal at the stadium was scored by Watty Keay and Saints won 4-1. The stadium had been built for an estimated £10,000 by George Thomas, a local fish merchant, who had bought the land just off Hill Lane and had transformed what was a natural dell, a lake flanked by banks of woodland. Thousands of tons of rubble had to be used to provide the foundations for the new ground. Initially the stadium had open staging behind each of the goals with stands along each side. The estimated capacity on opening was 24,500, of which 4,000 were seated. is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Walter Watty Keay (born Whiteinch, Scotland August 1871, died Winchester 16 January 1943) was a professional footballer, whose main claim to fame was scoring the first goal at The Dell stadium on its opening on 3 September 1898. ...

Redevelopment

In 1927, the original West Stand was demolished (together with the club secretary's house) and the new West Stand was built. This was designed by Archibald Leitch, one of the greatest football stand designers of the day, who had also designed stands at Roker Park and at Goodison Park. A year later, on the last day of the 1928-29 season a dropped cigarette caused a fire which destroyed the East Stand. A replacement stand was built which mirrored the West Stand, increasing the ground capacity to approximately 30,000. Archibald Leitch (April 27, 1865 – 1939) was a Scottish architect, most famous for his work designing football stadiums throughout the United Kingdom. ... Roker Park was the stadium of Sunderland A.F.C. between 1898 and 1997, when it was replaced by the Stadium of Light. ... Goodison Park is the home ground of Everton F.C. in Liverpool. ...

Wartime incidents

On 30 November 1940, a German bomb fell on the stadium during The Blitz, creating an 18-foot crater in the Milton Road penalty area. While the pitch was being restored, Saints had to play their remaining fixtures in 1940-41 away, although in February 1941, they played a "home" War Cup tie with Brentford at Fratton Park, Portsmouth. is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Blitz. ... Brentford Football Club are an English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. ... Fratton Park is the home stadium of Portsmouth F.C., and is situated in the English city-port of Portsmouth. ... For other places with the same name, see Portsmouth (disambiguation). ...

In March 1941, an explosion of munitions stored at the ground caused a major fire in the West Stand although this was rebuilt soon afterwards.

At the start of the 1941-42 season they played their home games at Dew Lane, Eastleigh, before the Dell was re-opened in October 1941. This article is about the town in Hampshire. ...

Post-war

In 1950, The Dell became the first ground in England to have permanent floodlighting installed. The first game played under the lights was on 31 October 1950, in a friendly against Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, followed a year later by the first "official" match under floodlights, a Football Combination (Reserve team) match against Tottenham Hotspur on 1 October 1951. is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the non League club, see Bournemouth F.C.. AFC Bournemouth are an English football team currently playing in Football League One. ... Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is an English professional football club which plays in the Premier League. ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

During the post-war years, huge crowds packed into The Dell. The attendance record was broken on 8 October 1969, when 31,044 watched Saints lose 3-0 to a Manchester United team which included George Best and Bobby Charlton. is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Manchester United Football Club are a world-famous English football club, based at the Old Trafford stadium in Trafford, Greater Manchester, and are one of the most popular sports clubs in the world, with over 50 million supporters worldwide. ... George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish football player best known for his years with Manchester United. ... Sir Robert Bobby Charlton, CBE (born 11 October 1937 in Ashington, Northumberland) is a former English professional football player who won the World Cup and was named the European Footballer of the Year in 1966. ...

Further redevelopment

In the 1980s there were several changes at the ground, with the makeshift chocolate boxes at the Milton Road end being replaced by a new stand, and the standing areas under the East and West stands being fitted with bench seats, before The Dell became an all-seater stadium in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster. New stands were erected at both ends of the stadium and the ground's capacity plunged to a little over 15,000, the smallest in the top level of English football. The Milton Road Stand was notable for its wedge-like appearance. [1] The Memorial at Hillsborough. ...

Final days

By this time, the Saints were looking for a new home. In the 1990s it seemed as if the search was over as the club announced plans to move to a new stadium at Stoneham near Eastleigh. However, the club fell into a dispute with the local council about the lack of community facilities. Many people in Eastleigh were also unhappy with having another town's football club in their area (Refer to EBC Planning application Z/32214/003/00 ). The dispute was resolved when the Chairman, Rupert Lowe, declared new plans for the club to move to a new 32,000 all-seater, St Mary's Stadium, for a cost of £32 million. In 2001 work was completed ahead of schedule. This article is about the town in Hampshire. ... Rupert Lowe is a British businessman, who was the Chairman of Southampton Football Club from 1996 to 2006. ... St Marys Stadium is the home stadium of Southampton F.C.. The Saints have been in residence since August 2001 when they moved from the The Dell, which for the final years of its life, held just over 15,000 spectators - less than half the size of the new...

On 19 May 2001, club legend Matthew Le Tissier said goodbye to the stadium that had been host to his entire career by scoring a spectacular volley in the final minutes of the last league game securing a 3-2 win against Arsenal. is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Matthew Matt Le Tissier (born October 14, 1968) is a retired footballer who played for Southampton and England. ... Arsenal Football Club (also known as Arsenal, The Arsenal or The Gunners) are an English professional football club based in Holloway, north London. ...

On 26 May the club's loyal fans said goodbye to The Dell by stripping all of its seats, the pitch and one man even walked off with an advertising board at the end of a friendly with Brighton and Hove Albion - making them the first and last club to play Southampton at the stadium. Saints won this game 1-0, with the goal (the last ever at The Dell) being scored by Uwe Rösler. is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. are an English football team based in Brighton. ... Uwe Rösler (born November 15, 1968) is a German footballer - born in Attenburg, East Germany (German Democratic Republic). ...

During its 103-year life, The Dell had been home to Southampton during some of its finest moments - most of all the 1976 FA Cup victory. The 1976 FA Cup Final took place on 1 May, 1976 at Wembley Stadium. ...

The Dell was demolished later in 2001 and a housing estate now occupies the site [2]. The blocks on the site bear the names of Saints Legends:

• Stokes Court
• Ted Bates Court
• Le Tissier Court
• Wallace Court
• Channon Court

Bobby Stokes, footballer 1951-1995. ... Edric Thornton (Ted) Bates MBE , born Thetford, 3 May 1918 and died 28 November 2003, was a former Southampton F.C. player, manager, director and president which earned him the sobriquet . ... Matthew Matt Le Tissier (born October 14, 1968) is a retired footballer who played for Southampton and England. ... Danny Wallace (born January 21, 1964) was an English footballer who played for Southampton and Manchester United. ... Michael Roger Mick Channon (born 28 November 1948 in Orcheston, Wiltshire, United Kingdom) is a sportsman who enjoyed a career as a feared football goalscorer with Southampton and England in the 1970s and later became a hugely successful racehorse trainer. ...

References

• Dave Juson & David Bull (2001). Full-Time at The Dell. Hagiology. ISBN 0-9534474-2-1. 

Hagiology Publishing, formed in 1998, is a collective of fans of Southampton FC committed to the collection and dissemination of accurate information on the history of the Saints. ...

External links

• Memorable matches at The Dell - from The Independent
• Pictures of the old stadium
• Satellite photo of site today from Google
• Picture of the old Chocolate Boxes

Coordinates: 50°54′52.5″N, 1°24′47.4″W Southampton Football Club is a professional English football team, nicknamed The Saints and based in the city of Southampton. ... This is a list of notable footballers who have played for Southampton since 1945. ... St Marys Stadium is the home stadium of Southampton F.C.. The Saints have been in residence since August 2001 when they moved from the The Dell, which for the final years of its life, held just over 15,000 spectators - less than half the size of the new... Hagiology Publishing, formed in 1998, is a collective of fans of Southampton FC committed to the collection and dissemination of accurate information on the history of the Saints. ... Southampton Football Club Academy or Saints Academy is the youth organisation run by Southampton Football Club to encourage and develop young footballers in the South of England. ... Southampton Football Club is a professional football club that was formed in 1885. ... The South Coast Derby, or Hampshire Derby, are terms used to describe football matches played between Portsmouth F.C. and Southampton F.C. The two clubs are the largest on the southern coast of England, and lie only 17 miles apart. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...