What was the dell like as a stadium?

[revolution saint]

I can only echo what everyone else has said - for me the thing I miss most is how close we were to the pitch, how the players would hear every single individual comment and of course the banter. Some players were clever and could handle it but anyone that bit was crucified. I'm not sure if it's nostalgia but there seem far less terrace wits these days - genuinely funny blokes that could get a whole stand laughing. First time I went to SMS I loved it's size, how modern it was etc but when you saw how far away from the pitch we were you realised it was a different era - certainly a necessary move but there haven't been many games that I can honestly say SMS has matched the Dell for atmosphere.

[John Boy Saint]

The Chocolate Boxes...best view in the ground.

Apart from when we played QPR on a foggy Autumn Saturday afternoon and the Archers penalty box was just about visible.

[RonManager]

The Chocolate Boxes...best view in the ground.

 

If you (me) were at the front.

 

If you (me) were at the back, 12 years old and 4 foot tall, you (me) couldn't see the goal at all.

[Suffolk Saint]

Happy memories - Half time entertainment, Solent Jazz band, Brass band dressed as Woodywood Pecker, was there really a game when Roy Kinear and Chris Akabusi paraded on the pitch - maybe this was just a strange dream. Car parking at the cricket ground, voucher matches, half time score board at the Archers Road end. Tim Flowers running the length of the pitch to Archers End to acknowledge the fans. Grobbelar is innocent.

[MbaleSaint]

The night games most of all - real magic. Anderlecht in the Cup Winners Cup and for some reason my clearest memory: standing packed like sardines on the Archers v Man City in the League Cup quarter final in 78-9 and being lifted clean off my feet and carried 12 rows forward when we (was it Phil Boyer?) scored our second. And finally not having a ticket for the semi-final second leg and trying to climb a tree outside the Archers when Terry Curran scored and falling out of the tree in excitement... Great days.

 

Those two games (Anderlecht and Man City) are high up my list of Dell memories too. It was Trevor Hebberd who ploughed through the mud to score the winner against City.

[hans gruber]

In 2000 i was lucky enough to get transferred for a six month secondment to my London office from Perth. It was tough getting away at weekends because I was usually away for work, but one weekend day i grabbed the mrs and we took the train down to southampton. i was determined to check out the Dell...

 

Upon arriving I think we had to take a bus or something but when I got to near the ground, there were people everywhere, apparently Hi5 had just finished a concert...

 

anyway the two things i recall when i got to the ground was how "small" it looked, almost like 2 sheds had been put up on each side of the ground. I was convinced it was the training ground until someone told me that was it... lol

 

the second thing and this made me chuckle i still have the picture somewhere . on one of the ends (southern i think?) was a small wall with "Welcome to The Dell" on it. However the D had fallen off or been ripped off and someone had spray painted an "H" where the D was....

[opthomps]

It's good to hear about the memories people have of the ground. My biggest regret is not having made it there as St Marys is very generic. Price I paid for being the only saint in my family, with a dad who is West Ham and being raised in Derby. I actually had season ticket at the Baseball ground as a kid. I imagine the two places to be similar. bad pitch and very few females, unlike today.

[John Boy Saint]

Can anyone remember back in the very late 70's at half time, pretty promotions girls would sometimes come out and throw freebies of something into the crowd? The first I can recall was bags of a Football somethings snack like Wotsits but round (obviously) . Then a Record shop in town was the sponsor and the girls had 7" singles to throw to the crowd, the only thing was no one had sellotaped the paper sleeve opening, so as the freebie flew through the air it became the freebie of "death!" as the sleeve went 5-6 rows back but the black vinyl disc of doom flew at speed deeper into the Milton!!! Quite bizarre really when in those days at some grounds you could could come home with a free set of darts given away by the opposing fans!!

 

The last freebie into the crowd I saw was at the Milk (league) Cup game v Wolves and little cartons of Unigate milk were thrown into the Milton Road end, unfortunately about a minute after a Copper and his Boss walked the touch line in front of the Milton and these cartons some now opened rained down on them, the Copper smartly walked across the 6 yard box in front of the goal but his boss walked behind the goal and the rain of cartons got heavier as folks were looking for the rebound off the net!.............. The poor sods on the front row probably also got a coating!

[sussexsaint]

Happy memories - Half time entertainment, Solent Jazz band, Brass band dressed as Woodywood Pecker, was there really a game when Roy Kinear and Chris Akabusi paraded on the pitch - maybe this was just a strange dream. Car parking at the cricket ground, voucher matches, half time score board at the Archers Road end. Tim Flowers running the length of the pitch to Archers End to acknowledge the fans. Grobbelar is innocent.

 

Good grief that stirred some memories

[Professor]

The Dell lost a lot of its charm when the all-seater regulations came in and capacity dropped to 15,000. Before that, being crushed into one of the Chocolate Boxes at the Archers Road end was definitely an experience. I remember being in there for an FA cup game against Arsenal, around the time we signed Charlie George and I'm convinced people in the boxes had to take turns at breathing. You certainly got to be on good terms with the people crushed against you. When Saints scored and we all put our arms in the air to cheer, you couldn't put them down again. In the 15000 capacity days a new stand at the Archers Road end replaced the old boxes while the club began the search for a site for the new ground.

Rupert Lowe said at the time that a new stadium was essential to Premier League survival but ironically, the cost of the stadium meant the club might not be able to afford relegation. Much as many people justifiably dislike Redknapp he did make a real effort to keep the club up in the relegation season and in the end, one more goal scored to turn any home draw into a win would have done it. But despite the pain that followed the move from The Dell, it has certainly panned out very well, if unexpected.

[Window Cleaner]

The Dell lost a lot of its charm when the all-seater regulations came in and capacity dropped to 15,000. Before that, being crushed into one of the Chocolate Boxes at the Archers Road end was definitely an experience. I remember being in there for an FA cup game against Arsenal, around the time we signed Charlie George and I'm convinced people in the boxes had to take turns at breathing. You certainly got to be on good terms with the people crushed against you. When Saints scored and we all put our arms in the air to cheer, you couldn't put them down again. In the 15000 capacity days a new stand at the Archers Road end replaced the old boxes while the club began the search for a site for the new ground.

Rupert Lowe said at the time that a new stadium was essential to Premier League survival but ironically, the cost of the stadium meant the club might not be able to afford relegation. Much as many people justifiably dislike Redknapp he did make a real effort to keep the club up in the relegation season and in the end, one more goal scored to turn any home draw into a win would have done it. But despite the pain that followed the move from The Dell, it has certainly panned out very well, if unexpected.

 

Choccy boxes were above the Milton, don't remember there being any at the Archers Rd end, could have failing memory I suppose. At one time the choccys were for boys.

[lifeintheslowlane]

Choccy boxes were above the Milton, don't remember there being any at the Archers Rd end, could have failing memory I suppose. At one time the choccys were for boys.

 

Yep Chockys at the Milton Road end only...There was an unofficial kids and adults box but not rigidly enforced. If you got there early and made it to the front you had a wide parapet you could lay your stuff out on...Duffle bag, programme etc. The whole game was laid out in front of you...best uninterrupted view in the ground but perishing cold and bleek in the winter. Sad day when they made way for the Milton End remodelling in the early '80s(?).

Edited 12 November, 2013 by lifeintheslowlane

[Webby]

Great days at the Dell.

 

I've been in just about every part of the ground. Lower milton terraces for the 4-1 win against Man u that cost Big Ron his job. Upper milton terrace for the 4-1 win over Liverpool in what, 88/89?

 

I remember sitting the the east stand bench seats near the archers end for the 1st leg league cup game vs Liverpool, evening game, incredible atmosphere. I'd never been down on those benches before and being down so close to ground level and so far away from the milton end made the ground look huge from my perspective. 0-0 it was, and we lost the 2nd 3-0.

 

Like others, I remember going in at about 1:30pm and getting my spot on the terrace. Brilliant.

 

Sadly, I do not actually know what my first game was.