Expansion of The Dell. Was it ever possible??

[Paul Chuckle]

I was discussing this with Crab Lungs the other day and we both seemed to remember in mid 90s talk of expanding The Dell to a 21000 seated stadium by expanding the West Stand if we couldn't agree a new stadium location. Does anyone else remember what the actual plans were for The Dell expansion or have any pictures of what it may have looked like???

[Dalek2003]

One idea was to turn it round ?

[jam]

That would have required upping the capacity of the West Stand by 6,000. Can't imagine the people in the flats next door going for that.

[buctootim]

IIRC the club could have gained a bit more space by turning the pitch 90 degrees as Dalek said, but increased regulation /standards meant that much of the increased space for seating would have been eaten up by a deeper perimeter round the pitch. A lot of work and money for little benefit in the end.

[The Kraken]

 

There was clearly some space behind the West Stand to allow for an extension; I'll be honest though, I can't remember seeing any design for it or anything,

[CB Fry]

There was some plan at one point to expand one of the stands (can't remember which one) and have the road going under it. That might have been from the seventies or early eighties though.

[Badger]

I think the idea of turning the pitch around was mooted in the late 60's/early 70's, but I can't imagine how that could have been achieved without major disruption for two seasons or more.

 

In the 70's I believe the club also started to buy houses behind the East Stand - name of the road escapes me but must have walked through it hundred's of times - to expand in that direction also,

[Badger]

There was some plan at one point to expand one of the stands (can't remember which one) and have the road going under it. That might have been from the seventies or early eighties though.

 

I think that might have been at the Milton or Archers end.

[um pahars]

In the late 70's there was talk of buying the garage behind the Milton Road end, closing the road there and extending the Milton Road Terrace. The council wouldn't allow this.

 

Then there was talk of buying the rows of houses behind The East Stand and turn the ground 90 degrees (this was around the same time as Wovles did their 90 turn). Not sure how far that got.

 

There were also plans to mimic the new two tier Milton (circa 1981) up the Archers but once again the council wouldn't allow it.

Edited 26 September, 2011 by um pahars
I blame the morphine!!

[Fan The Flames]

90 degrees

[Jonnyboy]

Wolves mustve felt silly spending all that money on a 180 degree turn

[buctootim]

Wolves mustve felt silly spending all that money on a 180 degree turn

 

Could have got the full 360 for only £5m more

[Torrent Of Abuse]

Wolves mustve felt silly spending all that money on a 180 degree turn

 

They did it at half time too. Confused the **** out of everyone.

[John Boy Saint]

Saints at on time were reported as owning the land behind the west stand right out to Hill Lane but the disruption re housing the folks in the flats would have be great as they would have had to be bought out of their leases.

Only Milton Road terrace rumour in the late 70s early 80s.............. It might have taken an age to get there but St Marys was right in the end: anyone sat at Old Trafford or Villa Park with their knees up round their ears?

[70's Mike]

Could have got the full 360 for only £5m more

 

Send that idea to Fratton I am sure they will go with it

[Gingeletiss]

I think the idea of turning the pitch around was mooted in the late 60's/early 70's, but I can't imagine how that could have been achieved without major disruption for two seasons or more.

 

In the 70's I believe the club also started to buy houses behind the East Stand - name of the road escapes me but must have walked through it hundred's of times - to expand in that direction also,

 

I believe this happend.

[Gemmel]

I can't remember the details, but Lawrie Mac used to bang on about the missed oppurtunity on what he refered to as "The Toy's R Us site"

 

I think we had a option to build a new ground on what is now toys r us....... I will let those that have a better memory or facts on whether that was ever a possibility, comment further.

[Gingeletiss]

I can't remember the details, but Lawrie Mac used to bang on about the missed oppurtunity on what he refered to as "The Toy's R Us site"

 

I think we had a option to build a new ground on what is now toys r us....... I will let those that have a better memory or facts on whether that was ever a possibility, comment further.

 

Just after we won the cup, the lido site was offered to the club.

Edited 27 September, 2011 by Gingeletiss

[Badger]

I can't remember the details, but Lawrie Mac used to bang on about the missed oppurtunity on what he refered to as "The Toy's R Us site"

 

I think we had a option to build a new ground on what is now toys r us....... I will let those that have a better memory or facts on whether that was ever a possibility, comment further.

 

Yes, I remember the talk of Western Esplanade at the time.

 

As a teenager I was quite excited by the prospect of a new stadium having seen it on local tv. My Dad soon spiked this enthusiasm by pointing out Saints were talking about a new round when he was my age. For decades I expected to be saying the same thing to my children,so was delighted when SMS was built.

 

Just after we won the cup, the lido site was offered to the club. I was told the reason why it was turned down, but most on here would have a GLT bashing fest.

 

Go on try us.

[um pahars]

I can't remember the details, but Lawrie Mac used to bang on about the missed oppurtunity on what he refered to as "The Toy's R Us site"

 

I think we had a option to build a new ground on what is now toys r us....... I will let those that have a better memory or facts on whether that was ever a possibility, comment further.

 

Full Time At The Dell has it all documented and is another good read from the Hagiography boys

[Colinjb]

I can't remember the details, but Lawrie Mac used to bang on about the missed oppurtunity on what he refered to as "The Toy's R Us site"

 

I think we had a option to build a new ground on what is now toys r us....... I will let those that have a better memory or facts on whether that was ever a possibility, comment further.

 

Jesus, that would have been perfect! So close to the railway station.

[saintquin]

I can't remember the details, but Lawrie Mac used to bang on about the missed oppurtunity on what he refered to as "The Toy's R Us site"

 

I think we had a option to build a new ground on what is now toys r us....... I will let those that have a better memory or facts on whether that was ever a possibility, comment further.

 

 

50,000 seater with tunnel from the away fans section into the train station if I remember correctly.

[Fan The Flames]

Wasn't the Toys R Us site turned down because they thought it would be too foggy.

[alehouseboys]

50,000 seater with tunnel from the away fans section into the train station if I remember correctly.

 

I remember going into the Civic Centre where they had 3 alternative models for the public to view. It was pretty exciting times, we'd recently won the cup and a brand new stadium was finally on the cards...we were on the up! The stadium was just one part of grandious plans to redevelop Western Esplanade/the ols Power Station site but like most such things in Southampton it slowly got whittled down to something far less spectacular...one great big toy shop...and no stadium.

[100%Red&White]

In the late 70's there was talk of buying the garage behind the Milton Road end, closing the road there and extending the Milton Road Terrace. The council wouldn't allow this.

 

Then there was talk of buying the rows of houses behind The East Stand and turn the ground 90 degrees (this was around the same time as Wovles did their 90 turn). Not sure how far that got.

 

There were also plans to mimic the new two tier Milton (circa 1981) up the Archers but once again the council wouldn't allow it.

 

You're right, they did look to put another (lopsided) tier above the Archers but the city council couldn't allow it as the double decker buses would pass periously close.

 

I think they did purchase a number of houses that immediately backed onto the East stand (remember bumping into the ICF down that road one day) but they still couldn't have gone much higher with the East as some of the houses the other side of the road would have had their sunlight cut out for a large chunk of the day.

 

I don't think the figures stacked up for the Western Esplanade scheme in the 70s. Didn't the club want the council to build the stadium shell as part of the deal and Saints do the rest? I believe the council also wanted a running track around it for athletics but the club were against it. It took another couple of decades to do the place up to what we know now.

[Eastcowzer]

The Milton Road terracing could have been 'squared'off at the East Stand corner, by extending over the road as Milton Road was closed to through traffic any way. Douby that much could have been done at the Archers Road end.

The overflow would probably have been in the 'Winston'.

[Kenilworthy]

During the demolition I went down to the Dell site and when cleared it looked pretty large. So we could have done something if we were able to shut down and move somewhere else for a couple of seasons, like Celtic did. But that was never feasible. And would a complete new ground on the site still have been the Dell? My Dad has always talked about plans going back to the 50s to rurn the pitch through 90 degrees. Apparently Charlie Knott, the speedway promoter, was keen on a joint stadium development at one time but never got anywhere with it.

[The Kraken]

During the demolition I went down to the Dell site and when cleared it looked pretty large. So we could have done something if we were able to shut down and move somewhere else for a couple of seasons, like Celtic did. But that was never feasible. And would a complete new ground on the site still have been the Dell? My Dad has always talked about plans going back to the 50s to rurn the pitch through 90 degrees. Apparently Charlie Knott, the speedway promoter, was keen on a joint stadium development at one time but never got anywhere with it.

 

It's been said, but at the Dell we were massively hemmed in with regard to how close the fans were to the pitch. New regulations with the size of perimeter really meant that the size of land available to us at the old site, however it was rotated, just wouldn't have been enough. And that's before you start even thinking about space for visiting TV crew vehicles, parking etc.

 

I know St. Mary's gets a bit of criticism for it's location but, for an inner city stadium, I'm not sure if there are really too many better locations that we could have gone for. I actually very much like our new location, and as much as I loved the old ground I think we have the better of everything with our current location.

Edited 27 September, 2011 by The Kraken

[kwsaint]

Rotating the Dell through 90 degrees was suggested after the war when the site behind the West stand was a bomb site. Once the flats went up it was never going to happen. There were plans to close Milton Road and complete the stand. Council stopped that one. At one time the club owned all the houses behind the East stand - then sold them again. Council put a stop to a top tier on the Archers because of the buses. I think that replacing the West stand was the only serious option if we had stayed at the Dell.

 

None of the above happened, its all history. I happen to like SMS and think that having a site close to the city centre is a good thing.

[Badger]

Rotating the Dell through 90 degrees was suggested after the war when the site behind the West stand was a bomb site. Once the flats went up it was never going to happen. There were plans to close Milton Road and complete the stand. Council stopped that one. At one time the club owned all the houses behind the East stand - then sold them again. Council put a stop to a top tier on the Archers because of the buses. I think that replacing the West stand was the only serious option if we had stayed at the Dell.

 

None of the above happened, its all history. I happen to like SMS and think that having a site close to the city centre is a good thing.

 

Agree,far better than the preposed Stoneham venture.

[Toomer]

I think the idea of turning the pitch around was mooted in the late 60's/early 70's, but I can't imagine how that could have been achieved without major disruption for two seasons or more.

 

In the 70's I believe the club also started to buy houses behind the East Stand - name of the road escapes me but must have walked through it hundred's of times - to expand in that direction also,

 

That was an idea the club had late 70s early 80s and turn the ground round,

[derry]

The council were looking at building a municipal stadium somewhere north of the docks with the Saints as the main user, however I believe the Saints wanted sole use, which the council couldn't agree, so the idea was dropped.

[Toomer]

The council offered the area where Toys R Us are.

[Viking Warrior]

Under Lowe a feasibility study was undertaken to build at the dell but due not being able to buy propertiesand planning it was not cost effective and the price of just putting only a couple thousand seats in the dell it was not financially viable. Hence Stoneham being an option . I still might have some documents about the options and the initial way forward with SMS .