Evening Games at The Dell.

[Sour Mash]

Ah, found memories. Just reminiscing now and remembering how, quite frankly, disgusting and horrible the ground was.

 

Obviously I'm a bit biased, but would never describe the Dell as "disgusting and horrible" far, far worse grounds around at the time.

[Supersubpuckett]

2-0 v Liverpool March '84, Fri night live on ITV but I was there - magic. Both from Danny Wallace, one an absolute beauty - overhead kick.

[Crab Lungs]

Obviously I'm a bit biased, but would never describe the Dell as "disgusting and horrible" far, far worse grounds around at the time.

 

Horrible will do then.

 

No, I take your point. I do miss it, it was special and thinking back, yes, there are plenty of other grounds out there far worse. Luton was a particular "highlight" from personal experience.

 

But anyway, like I said, I didn't hate the Dell - after all, it was our dilapidated fortress

Edited 8 June, 2011 by Crab Lungs

[Fowllyd]

Off on a bit of a tangent, but Palace team of the 80s?

 

They were described thus by sections of the press after they'd had a couple of decent results early that season (1981-82). They were managed by Terry Venables, the tabloids' favourite, which doubtless helped. Our 4-1 demolition of them went a long way towards putting a stop to all that (though not, sadly, to the media veneration of Venables).

[Tac-tics]

Was this around 1992/3 time? If so, it was also my first game. I thought it was 1-1 but was quite young so could be wrong...

 

Don't think so mate, I was born in 1991 think I was 6 or 7 when I first went.

[Nadia Sllim]

Off on a bit of a tangent, but Palace team of the 80s?

 

Sour Mash as explained by Fowllyd below, it was a tuesday night early in the season , the London Press had built them up as the team of the 80's as stated they had a good start. Packed Dell and Saints took them apart, Palace with Venebles had something about them but Saints in that Admiral Red and White kit took em apart!!! When Under the West stand started OWTSGMI and all of a sudden the whole ground joined in on a night match things could not have got much better to a young lad!

[CLOTH EARS]

The Dell under lights was a great place to be 'especially' if we had a big cup tie. I remember quite a few BIG evening games but one of my 1st memories of a packed house was playing Notts forest in an FA Cup replay in '77, we had just drawn 3-3 up at their place and as cup holders we were defending the cup. We won the game 2-1, but sardines had more room than we did that night, you couldn't put your hands in your pockets! the crowd was 30.000, how the hell did we used to squeeze 30.000 in there!!! (tbh there was probably more than 30.000 in the ground that night). The atmosphere was 'electric' you still can't beat the chorus's of 'Oh when the Saints' with the people in the upper east and west seat stamping their feat on the wooden floors, it made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up! I wonder if there is any old video on youtube with the saints fans doing this??? it really was a magical sound!

[keithd]

2-0 v Liverpool March '84, Fri night live on ITV but I was there - magic. Both from Danny Wallace, one an absolute beauty - overhead kick.

 

[OldNick]

Leeds Utd home was my first game 68-69?

The Newcastle 3-1 is vivid in my memory for the way the Archers changed the atmosphere when the tannoy announcer told them to sit down. That immediately made them stand up and sing. The Newcastle players just froze and we scored three goals. i recall the South Today replaying the goals with the Solent commentator over the top.

Was it Victoria Gramaires that it was pouring with rain?

[Cricketphilly]

Anderlecht, West Brom in 78 when Johnson was sent home from the world cup for failing a drug test. Got dog's abuse. Mick's testamonial in the Milton Road end!

[corsacar saint]

Everton at home,february 1968 my 13th birthday,the great Ron Davies scored a superb header a couple of minutes from time,it does not get much better than that.

Not forgetting Everton had a magnificent side then,with Colin Harvey,Alan Ball and John Hurst in midfield.

[captainchris]

Incredible place at night.......The smell I remember most is of No6 fags which everyone seemed to smoke in late 60s. First game I think I saw there was a cup game against Oxford Utd must have been about 68 - 69. No one knew how many were in the ground in those days as kids were lifted over the turnstiles and a few bob given to the guy taking the money lol.......As the thread said seeing those flood lights as you approached the ground gave you a real buzz inside.......

[captainchris]

Horrible will do then.

 

No, I take your point. I do miss it, it was special and thinking back, yes, there are plenty of other grounds out there far worse. Luton was a particular "highlight" from personal experience.

 

But anyway, like I said, I didn't hate the Dell - after all, it was our dilapidated fortress

 

Have you ever been to Peterborough - even now !!!!!!!!!!!!! The Dell was Palace............oh just remembered Fratton Park ...........lol

[benjii]

Anyone off here that was at the Oldham 3-0 defeat in about '93, Benali scored the classic own goal?

 

Yes, absolute bullet header. Seem to remember someone hopping the Milton barrier to wag a finger at him whilst he lay face down on the ground!

 

I was at all the matches in the 90s people have mentioned. Trying to remember some more good'uns.... didn't we beat Man U on a Monday night once? Kevin Davies with a poacher's goal? Or have I made that up?!

[Sour Mash]

Yes, absolute bullet header. Seem to remember someone hopping the Milton barrier to wag a finger at him whilst he lay face down on the ground!

 

I was at all the matches in the 90s people have mentioned. Trying to remember some more good'uns.... didn't we beat Man U on a Monday night once? Kevin Davies with a poacher's goal? Or have I made that up?!

 

Yep, was the third out of three home wins on the trot against United, 3-1, 6-3 and then the 1-0 on the Monday night in I think early 98. Cracking atmosphere that night, had recorded it off to sky to watch when I got home, wish I'd kept stuff like that!

[benjii]

I also remember, for the wrong reasons, a night match against Everton. We were completely incapable of defending against Duncan Ferguson. I don't know what the score was but I'm pretty sure we lost!

 

I like St Mary's but I do really miss those nights at The Dell.

 

Another one I remember, but which was rubbish, was the defeat to Leeds when Hughes hit the back of the net but no one noticed. Unfecking believable!

[benjii]

Also, the midweek early-stage league cup matches were a laugh. £3 pay on the night. Happy days.

[equalizer]

Anyone off here that was at the Oldham 3-0 defeat in about '93, Benali scored the classic own goal?

 

I was there, that was when the away fans had the Archers road stand, it was foggy that night and when they took the lead the Oldham fans only started cheering when they saw us kicking-off again! Also that Benali bullet header I think it put us 2 down at the time, I was sat in the upper east stand and myself and everyone around me couldn't help but laugh our heads off it was so comical the way he launched himself full length at it. It still makes me chuckle thinking about it now.

[Gigersaint]

Ah, found memories. Just reminiscing now and remembering how, quite frankly, disgusting and horrible the ground was. But it was our horrible, disgusting ground and I always felt just a tad more confident for home games at The Dell than I've ever been since we've been at SMS. In some respects, when we battled relegation for so many seasons during the 90's, I felt as if we were almost invincible as long as we stayed there. I guess we were

 

Anyway, no particularly fond memory has sprung up immediately but I do remember an evening game vs Leeds (Michael Bridges hattrick) and Mark Hughes "scoring" with a bullet volley (I think) which smashed through the net and into the advertising hoardings. Still annoys me now that we never got a goal for that and not much was ever made of it afterwards!

 

 

I also remember, for the wrong reasons, a night match against Everton. We were completely incapable of defending against Duncan Ferguson. I don't know what the score was but I'm pretty sure we lost!

 

I like St Mary's but I do really miss those nights at The Dell.

 

Another one I remember, but which was rubbish, was the defeat to Leeds when Hughes hit the back of the net but no one noticed. Unfecking believable!

 

I remember this too and also couldn't believe the goal wasn't given at the time, and equally so with nothing much being made of it afterwards except for a replay of the "goal" shown in slow motion that proved the ball went in the net. I'm not sure if it was MOTD or one of the regional sports updates but, the emphasis seemed more to be on what the ball had hit in the back of the net for such a fast and solid rebound rather than why a clear goal by what seemed a well placed ref wasn't given!

 

I recall that there may have been something (goal posts?) laid down on the ground behind the goal and the ref assummed the ball had gone wide and hit the advertising perimeter and not the posts that laid directly behind the netting?

 

As Crab Lungs and Benji mention, not much was made of it or noticed and quite a few other Saints fans I know also don't remember it until reminded as so little was made of it at the time! Not only contraversial but forgotten too by most too even though it happened!

[Ian the Red]

Many, many a game under floodlights at The Dell. Remember most of the matches mentioned above, Micky Channon's testamonial, Anderlecht, thrashing Man U 4-1 in the League Cup and Atkinson getting the sack, a certain MLT scored a couple that night! Newcastle hammering in the last 13 minutes and how about the macth against Villa, Bally was the manager and MLT smashed a wonderful freekick into the top corner @ the Milton Rd end in the last minute, wonderful. Seem to remember watching Chivers playing in one of his 1st visits abck to Dell after his transfer to spurs, think we lost that one though. Great atmosphere at the Dell!! Happy memories!!!