top 10 memories of the Dell

1- first game with grandad, united fans letting off fireworks afterwards, fun

2- mouthy bloke just behind the dug out

3- asking peter shilton for autograph and him being a c*nt

4- grandad asking brian clough for his autograpgh and him being a c*nt

5- standing at the back of the milton with dad and mate, some old boy about 90 says I've been stood in this spot for 60 years, dad saying well you ain't now, god I loved my dad back then

6- ex- bird attempting to pleasure me in the upper west stand

7- last game, missus first saints game, she found the dell beautifull

8- taking my sisters italian boyfreind to the dell, we beat chelsea last minute, beattie top corner free kick, I hugged him, he thought the dell was beautifull

9- taking my gay step brother to a game, my dad made him stand on a milk crate, we drew 0-0 with coventry, he hated it.

10- going with uncle ted, we beat swindon 4-2 aet and he let me and my sister sing the referees a w8nker

11- one too many but going to the dell with my mate and wearing a hooded top from the market (1990 hooded top) and thinking all the birds fancied us and proceeding to the m&w family stand

12- one more, the general banter, people being funny, shoutng funny things, you don't get that anymore, maybe everyones too thick.

god bless the Dell.

1. Going to 'the Dell' as it is now and sitting on a kerb and crying because I'd never got there when it was a ground (I was plenty drunk).

There is no 2-10.

Also Saintkiptanui you did 12. God bless the Dell for giving me some of the finest results an overseas Saints fan could ever have dreamt off. I raise my glass to you!

Pillars in the way and Matthew Letissier.

And just the exciting feeling i got on entry to the dell, a bit like the feeling i got when i first entered my wife, but sadly with time the feeling goes and before you know it, you prefer walking into 'Pride Park'

1 - Matt Le Tiss v Newcastle

2 - Balls leaving the stadium

3 - The passageway at the back of the Archers

4 - First Game

5 - Running out of the Junior Saints section after 85 minutes to spend the last 5 in the Milton

6 - 6 -3 v Man U

7 - Pahars' goals v Everton

8 - The car park man

9 - Queueing for tickets at 5am

10 - Metal benches

11 - Piles

12 - Steam rising from urinals

13 - Queen's "One Mission"

14 - £3 midweek league cup matches

15 - Saints v West Ham (2-1 Mickey Evans and Eyal Berkovic, Dodd sent off)

16 - Mazy runs by Claus

17 - Buying The Ugly

18 - Frozen pipes

19 - Scoreboard malfunctions

20 - The lunatic Boris Johnson look-a-like in the East Stand

....that's enough for now. Could go on!

1- I only went to the Dell once and we lost 2-0 to Derby in a badly reffed match I was only 7 but I could tell it was strongly bias

2- Buying a pair of goalies gloves to catch the ball if it came in the stand

One's I have been told about:

3-My Mum managed to knocked a pile of coats off a railing on top of a policeman once

4-In a match against Chelsea their fans were throwing things at the saints fans, one thing was a radio which hit someone in the head so he just picked it up and kept it

Too many too mention but recent memories are of the place rocking, maybe literally, as we came back from 3-1 down v Blackburn and nearly won 4-3 in the last minute or so, think it was super Marians first goal and he had a shirt on that looked three times to big for him, I think it was short sleeved but was long sleeved on him :-)

The same year, the Everton game, I was offered £250 for my ticket from a guy dressed head to toe in Saints stuff, I think it was in the Cricketers.

I could list loads but i've been on the wine and the memories will make me sentimental:-)

Too many too mention but recent memories are of the place rocking, maybe literally, as we came back from 3-1 down v Blackburn and nearly won 4-3 in the last minute or so, think it was super Marians first goal and he had a shirt on that looked three times to big for him, I think it was short sleeved but was long sleeved on him :-)

 

The same year, the Everton game, I was offered £250 for my ticket from a guy dressed head to toe in Saints stuff, I think it was in the Cricketers.

 

I could list loads but i've been on the wine and the memories will make me sentimental:-)

Mrs. Doyle (from Father Ted) Go on go on go on go on you know you want to.

1. The pen in the corner of the archers road end which became the away pen

2. The chocolate boxes

3. The steepness of the Milton Road stand after the chocolate boxes got replaced

4. That Saints v Liverpool game & Channon's goal

5. Coming from 1-0 down to beat Newcastle 3-1 with two goal in injury time (Gordon Watson got the last) and seeing the look of disgust on Shay Givens face

worst memory playing everton sat in the east stand, some mouthy scousers sat near me and my dad, greame sharp scores all4 as we lose 4-0 me hoping my dad would thump them, dad not thumping them and left utterly frustrated by the liberty they took, I don't think I've evr moved on from that.

Where do you start?

1) First ever game standing on a wooden box behind the goal in the Archers

2) Channon's testimonial - just incredible

3) The choccy boxes

4) Stevie Williams being arsey

5) The 'Milton Aggro' chant

6) Yellow and Blue woolly scarves

7) Beating Man City in the rain in the run-up to the League Cup final

Matt Le Tiss -- many goals

9) Pahars scoring twice v Everton

10) And -- when I was about eight -- Spurs fans on the Commons trying to charge a group of Saints lads and one of them falling into a ditch

a) The endless queues for the bog at half time!

b) The aroma of urine from the brickwall you were pointing at!

c) The warm coke served directly from a 2 litre bottle!

d) The lack of any decent food!

e) MLT's goals v Newcastle!

f) Franny's goal v Leicester!

g) Le God's winner v Arsenal in the last game v Arsenal !

It's just not the same anymore!

Too many too mention but recent memories are of the place rocking, maybe literally, as we came back from 3-1 down v Blackburn and nearly won 4-3 in the last minute or so, think it was super Marians first goal and he had a shirt on that looked three times to big for him, I think it was short sleeved but was long sleeved on him :-)

What a game. Sat near the Archers/West stand lower corner. Electric atmosphere. Constant screaming (girls) and roaring (boys) in the last 10 mins. Marians, Marsden header, Le Tiss hammer, were the scorers that day? Blackburn went down in the end, instead of us.

Not been to too many at the Dell but this was one of the best.

Come on you stripey boys!

My 6'3" mate protesting about Branfoot by sitting in the center circle and getting picked up by little David Speedie

Getting in for £2 when I was about 17

Drinking in Bedfords when far too young

MLT's final goal at the dell

The Marching Band

Police dog shows

Ooh Terry Hurlock

1. The last league game! Goes without saying just how good that was

2. Going 3-0 down to Liverpool with 16 minutes to play and everyone still thinking we were going to win. We drew 3-3. Great comeback

3. The supports club next door, the MOTM always came down for an interview. I presented it to Wayne Bridge and Hassan Kachol (sp?).

4. Beating Everton on the last day to stay up. The great escape!!

5. Playing Man Utd and nearly always beating them...or thrashing them.

6. The guy who sat infront of me smoking cigars all game for 12 years

7. The first chant I ever started 'We're gunna win 5-4' after going 4-1 down to Villa...I think.

8. Cheering before Le Tiss actually hit the ball against Newcastle in 96 (I think) because I knew it was a goal! It was when we battered them all game but went 2-0 down. Then scored 2 in the last 7 minutes.

9. Francis Jeffers calling me a **** because I threw the ball away from him.

10. My first game, against Everton, on my dads knee. We drew 1-1 and when everyone was chanted 'the referees a w@nker' I thought they were saying he was a 'scabber'....I have no idea why?! (yes I was 5)

Using the programme to find out the scores at h/t from the other games which were listed as A,B,C etc on the old manual scoreboard.

Evening games in the winter when everything seemed wondrous.

Fantastic thread, the Dell holds so many great memories for lots of people, for being one of the worst/oldest grounds in the country you just had to love the place. Memories of it could go on from now to kick-off

1) First match v Everton in 68, just be amazed by the crowd, i was hooked there and then

2) Last match v Brighton knowing we would never see the place again and just soaking it in one last time

3) MLT Could be a thread all to himself, so many great memories

4) Being able to hear everything said by the players, and telling the kids not to repeat such bad language!!

5) Night games, no other ground has ever come close to the atmosphere

6) getting autographs down in the corner

7) the slow version of OWTS sung by Louis Armstrong????

Pre and half time entertainment

9) Batman and Robin (villa fans in fancy dress) invading to pitch when they scored, before MLT inspired Saints put 4 past them

10) Just it being the Dell

Yesterday......

All our troubles seemed so far away.........

Now it seems that they are here to stay......

Oh, I believe, in yesterday...........

1-First game v ManU 1979/80 with my grandad

2- Walking through the turnsliles in the milton and looking down at that lush green oasis

3-Waiting in the carpark for the away teams coach and getting players to sign your program, not knowing who the f*ck most of em were.

4- Getting down the front in the new milton and picking the rubber lagging on the rail ontop of the wall.

5-Keegan sighning for us on the pitch!!! huge day for a saints fan.

6-silk scarfs and wrist fandannglers.

7- The Archers pens with the little tunnel seperating us amd them , it was great going "up the Archers" and never knowing how many they would bring , older by now!!!!!!

8- The Birmingham pitch invasion 1989??????

9-Alan Balls last game.

10- Pringle jumpers , pepe jeans , patrick kagools, deck shoes , shell toes, forest hills, sergio tachine tops, lacost t shirt nicked off a gobby scouser, looking like a golfer/ronnie corbet, lyle & scot first time round when it really was trendy!!!!!!

Far too many to list but one of the earliest "special" memories was standing on a crisp tin that my dad borrowed from the snack bar so that I could see over the wall at the Milton Road end. My dad had given Terry Paine my autograph book and he came out just before the game to find us and give the book back. We were playing Barnsley and Terry had got the autographs of both teams and manager.

Last memory, of course MLT`s goal against Arsenal. I actually cried at that as it was the perfect end to the "Grand Old Lady" and with it (almost )the end of Le Tiss. SMS will never match The Dell for memories.

1 - Matt Le Tiss v Newcastle

2 - Balls leaving the stadium

3 - The passageway at the back of the Archers

4 - First Game

5 - Running out of the Junior Saints section after 85 minutes to spend the last 5 in the Milton

6 - 6 -3 v Man U

7 - Pahars' goals v Everton

8 - The car park man

9 - Queueing for tickets at 5am

10 - Metal benches

11 - Piles

12 - Steam rising from urinals

13 - Queen's "One Mission"

14 - £3 midweek league cup matches

15 - Saints v West Ham (2-1 Mickey Evans and Eyal Berkovic, Dodd sent off)

16 - Mazy runs by Claus

17 - Buying The Ugly

18 - Frozen pipes

19 - Scoreboard malfunctions

20 - The lunatic Boris Johnson look-a-like in the East Stand

 

 

....that's enough for now. Could go on!

**Sigh** All of the above and so much more, and as someone else said night games too - what a brilliant atmosphere, never come close to being matched at SMS.

God how I miss the old place...

I drove past the Dell the other day, well the site and was astonished to see how little the new development makes of it's wondefull history, it's like it wasn't even there, that makes me so sad but is typical of the city in general not being proud of what it had or is.

I always fel sorry for kids that are 8-12 ish now and really getting into going to games... they get a half empty ST Mary's and I got a packed Dell. Pretty lucky really.

Awesome memories.

To add another few I've just remembered:

- David Beckham pulling his shorts right up his arse crack when taking a throw in because he was getting so much stick.

- A bloke in the Upper East running down to the front and screaming, "Nick him, copper!", when Patrick Viera scored. Bloody hilarious. Don't know what he did to upset the guy so much.

- MLT's freekick against Wimbledon.

No particular order

1. Le Tiss goal vs Arsenal last game marginally above the one versus Wimbledon

2. Sleeping in the Car Park for the cup final general sale ticket

3. Mate telling the (soon ex) wife don't worry sometimes it's exciting after she had been bored to tears by the 5-5 draw with Coventry

4) Alan Ball making a mistake that gifted Coventry a soft goal in same, having a temper tantrum, pushing a player out the way from the kick off, taking about 5 steps forward and launching an unstoppable shot into the back of the net

5) Fans booing and spitting at Lawrie Mac (what do we fans really know eh) and the way he just stood tall and continued signing autographs for the kids

6) Mick Channon's testimonial

7) The "Keegan goal of the century" that was disallowed for offside

That goal of the season with about 30 passes that we posted on TSF recently

9) Jimmy Greaves playing for us against Vancouver Whitecaps with the whole silly "shoot out thing"

10) Being hungover on New Years Day morning vs Arsenal

Another good moment was when we played millwall late 80's, them fighting amonst themselves and one of them being thrown from the upper stand to the lower and another playing Ipswich, they scored and a few had got into archers when it was saints and them being thrown out of the stand onto the pitch by digruntled saints, so much more fun.

To even things up a bit I have some great memories of st mary's, the bloke running onto the pitch to try and punch lee bowyer after he scored a late winner for leeds and the electric atmosphere when we played the skates in the league cup, that was a different league and I nearly soiled myself with the sheer wonder of it, stunning noise and of course the Norwich roar just before the winner and possibly my favourite celebration ever, I had some serious man love after that, my shins took weeks to recover.

1 The tiny club shop

2 The clock that seemed stuck on 17minutes to five

3 St John's Ambulancemen wearing football boots

4 Waggon wheels and cherry sweets

5 Announcements for the owner of a red vauxhall registration number X YZ 245

6 Thumping Feet in the West Stand

7 Knowing you were going to be on match of the day because of the cameras

8 Away supporters in the Winston

9 The noise in the ground when you were a few minutes late

10 People arriving with cusions, flasks and radios

god i loved that place,st marys is sh1t.

1. First match in '87 2-2 v man u. Danny Wallace running past about 5 players before unleashing a 20 yarder into the top corner.

2. Coming back from 3-0 at home to Liverpool to draw 3-3 and Marian Pahars jumping onto the low wall at the archers rd. end right in front of me.

3. Ronnie Ekelund

4. Bruce Grobbelaar taking a cap from a steward and holding it out in front of the Arsenal fans just after those bribery allegations.

5. Beating Spurs 4-3 when Jim Magilton scored a 20 yarder live on sky, (take that Sheringham!)

6. Loads of MLT moments.

7. Franny Benali's full length diving header own goal against Oldham in the fog and not being able to stop myself laughing even though it put us 2 down.

8. Franny Benali's first goal in the right end this time (vs. Leicester?)

9. Mark Hughes goal against Leeds that hit the hordings at the archers road end and came back out so quick that the ref didn't give the goal.

10. The atmosphere and the banter.

1. Sitting up the back of the East Stand to see Saints win the Combination Cup with the place packed.

2. Watching my dad thump a couple of Crystal Palace fans in the Archers in the days when there was no segregation.

3. Running up and down the terraces during Reserve games and waiting for the man to put up the half time score.

4. Watching Saints put six past Palace the night before an FA Cup Final: can't remember which.

5. Seeing Nick Holmes score from the half way line against Watford in the League Cup.

6. Standing right at the back of the Milton for a quick getaway in the third round of the cup, and cheering as Hughie Fisher equalised to take Villa to a replay. And the rest was Hysteria.

7. Watching my heroes from the playground at Springhill during break time as they played five a side in the car park.

8. Watching Rangers score an excellent own goal in the old Texaco Cup.

9. Saints hard nuts in the corner of the West Sand by the Milton singing 'come and have a go if you think you're hard enough' to 8,000 Man United fans in the Archers 1976-7 Cup Game and being somewhat alarmed when all 8,000 of them decided to take up the kind invitation and invade the pitch.

10. Watching Peter Osgood take pot shots in the warm up before the game in front of the Milton. Guy laughing as the ball missed him only for it to hit a crush barrier and smack him on the back of the napper. How we laughed.

Balls leaving the ground (I always wondered what happened to them - still do)

You lot coming into my nan's pub before games and being let in the side entrance so as to keep the away fans out.

Tomato soup.

Freezing to death at January mid week matches.

Hanging around on Saturday mornings to collect autographs.

Getting on the coaches to join the convoy to go to away matches.

The tiny supporters shop.

Many many more including the very last game, seeing people walk up Milton Road with literally a row of seats was awesome.

1. Going to watch the reserves 79/80, sat in the West Stand screaming for Austin Hayes to acknowledge me

2. The end of season pitch invasion (seeing Neil Ruddock getted debagged after scoring that pen against NUFC)

3. The Saints Club (where I met my missus)...is that a good point lol

4. Drinking in the Gateway, Bedfords, Fitzhugh

5. That Keegan Goal

6. Branfoot Demos

7. Franny Benali's first goal in the right end this time

8. MLT Goals..too many of them

9. Players Lounge (countless stories )

10. Me fighting with Alessandro Pistone whilst escorting the referee off the pitch

Keegan's disallowed overhead kick.

Channon's goal against Liverpool.

Too many MLT moments to remember.

Lad pushing Vinny Jones as he was about to take a throw in, then 'offering him outside'. He was kicked out by the stewards and then cheered by everyone when they let him back in. Think that was the game when Matty scored the flicked up volley at the end.

Port Vale fans throwing cups of **** down on us - nice.

Shilton - genius of a keeper.

first game against wimbledon, we won 3-1

last game against arsenal MLT goal

going on pitch at aforementioned arsenal game

man city league cup game, 4-3(?)

mid week games at the dell

the bloke who walked around the front selling sweets in fornt of milton and lower east stands

paying £8 to get in

team saints members room

the all day football for team saints

Beattie scoring a free kick in the 89th minute against chelsea to make it 3-2 after we hald thrown away a two goal lead

Loads of lovely memories, how I miss the place. Anyone remember the parachutist with the matchball missing the dell and landing in Shirley somewhere.

Loads of lovely memories, how I miss the place. Anyone remember the parachutist with the matchball missing the dell and landing in Shirley somewhere.

Happy 70th xx

Happy 70th xx

Cheeky bugger lovely cake though :-)

Loads of lovely memories, how I miss the place. Anyone remember the parachutist with the matchball missing the dell and landing in Shirley somewhere.

Oh yeah. The guy who used to give us a lift was in the loo, we made up that he'd landed on his car.

Oh those were the days

Standing on the right side of the milton as a 14/15 year old and thinking how cool the 17/18 year olds were and hoping to one day be as cool as them, I expect a few of them post on here.

3/4 way back just to the right of the gangway around 1989/90

Anyone remember any of the bands that played at the Dell, i.e. Valley Slags, Curiosity Killed the Cat

Curiosity killed the cat, remember that, they were big time back then, like getting Boyzone to play at st mary's.

i remember the valley slags

god i loved that place,st marys is sh1t.

I will second that

i remember the valley slags

One of the national papers the day after VS played at half time during the match described the lead singer (I wonder who he was?) as "a clown baiting the Leeds fans".

Oh bless. Ladysaint reminded us of the Parachutist who took the match ball off down Shirley High Street and the next day this Beauty appears....

http://www.supersport.co.za/football/article.aspx?headline=Parachutist%20delays%20start%20of%20Burnley%20match%20&id=265918

lol

3/4 way back just to the right of the gangway around 1989/90

I'd have been there. Quality bundles when we scored.

Seeing Keegan score the winner in my first ever game.

Cheese and onion rolls in the Corner Post/Fitzhugh.

Pretending I had to move my car so I could get a halftime pint in the Winston/Corner Post.

Walking out on to the terrace for a night cup game.

Being properly excited before every game.

Barry Horne v Bolton.

MLT - nothing that hasn't already been said.

Bundles on terracing.

Going in the away end when we'd sold out.

Andy Ritchie.

i would not say top 10 but a few that spring to mind

going to my first game in 1985 and everyone moving out of the way so i could stand on my milk crate at the front of the stand

captain crap chants

MLT - enough said

branfoot out protests

that game against everton and liverpool

beating utd 6-3

always wanting to see a player slip up on his studs walking down the stairs in the tunnel

What about this one then, anyone remember the year and the team we were playing.

Arguably the most amazing game ever witnessed at The Dell, the fourth- round League Cup game sees a 29-minute delay due to floodlight failure just after the start. Saints then go 1-0 up through Derek Reeves and promptly lose their goalkeeper, Ron Reynolds, injured. As he is carried off the lights fail again. Reeves then hits three more, but then score (guess the team) score four, the equaliser a penalty. Reeves nets his fifth goal with 30 seconds left on the clock.

Stewards in white coats. Is that what most Dockers did on a Saturday?

Scoreboard at HT.

The smell of a night match!

Pitchside sellers in green coats.

Wishing I lived in those flats in Archers Road.

Aways fans trying to take the Milton.

what about this one then, anyone remember the year and the team we were playing.

 

Arguably the most amazing game ever witnessed at the dell, the fourth- round league cup game sees a 29-minute delay due to floodlight failure just after the start. Saints then go 1-0 up through derek reeves and promptly lose their goalkeeper, ron reynolds, injured. As he is carried off the lights fail again. Reeves then hits three more, but then score (guess the team) score four, the equaliser a penalty. Reeves nets his fifth goal with 30 seconds left on the clock.

1960?? Leeds??

The doors at the Archers being pulled back about 10 mins from the end

Eric Martin throwing practice balls into a stewards sack before ko.

Brian O Neil wearing a trilby as he ran out

playing football in the car park

Jimmy Gallagher

The Halo Club

The Nos 2 bus going down the Archers with a brief glimpse of the pitch

Fred Kemp

The St Johns Ambulance men taking corners

The pie shop by the players tunnel

Seeing "Bootsie" getting bottled in the Milton by Chelsea fans.

The coppers coming on to the pitch perimetr with 10 mins to go.

L Mac greeting those old dears who were always hugging the bench seat wall

the scoreboard with a David Walker lookalike model

The police erecting a cordon by Silverdale Rd.

The congestion by St Marks church

Excited Newport fans in 67 FA Cup match

Chivers putting a pen over the Milton terrace

Bobby Stokes debut v Burnley

Paine scoring v West Ham on MoTD

Summerbee getting sent off, Milton end going mad

Tommy traynor's testimonial v Twente Enschede

Jim Steele's mistake v Anderlecht

The 3 Wallaces debut

Chantin in the car park about Branfoot

MLT's first and last goal

Horne's last minute equaliser that flew like an exocet

Holmes's goal v Watford in the Lg Cup.

Getting Wet

The sweet shop opposite

The house in the Archers that later became the Supporters club and the strippers on a Sunday

John McGrath covered in oil

The gateway pub in Northlands Rd

Ron Davies's jag

Mick Channon being called Doreen because he always fell over

Dougal's sheepskin later sold to Motson

throwing apples at the Everton coach circa Lg Cup 1971

England manager Alf Ramsey in the director's box

Booing Bobby Moore in 1966

Tony Byrne coaching the kids in the car park

David Smallman booting us out of the Cup circa 1971 (Wrexham)

Joe Kirkup's umbrella

Watching Southampton Schoolboy matches

George Best's wife and him getting sent off

Hollywood's tackles.

The doors at the Archers being pulled back about 10 mins from the end

Eric Martin throwing practice balls into a stewards sack before ko.

Brian O Neil wearing a trilby as he ran out

playing football in the car park

Jimmy Gallagher

The Halo Club

The Nos 2 bus going down the Archers with a brief glimpse of the pitch

Fred Kemp

The St Johns Ambulance men taking corners

The pie shop by the players tunnel

Seeing "Bootsie" getting bottled in the Milton by Chelsea fans.

The coppers coming on to the pitch perimetr with 10 mins to go.

L Mac greeting those old dears who were always hugging the bench seat wall

the scoreboard with a David Walker lookalike model

The police erecting a cordon by Silverdale Rd.

The congestion by St Marks church

Excited Newport fans in 67 FA Cup match

Chivers putting a pen over the Milton terrace

Bobby Stokes debut v Burnley

Paine scoring v West Ham on MoTD

Summerbee getting sent off, Milton end going mad

Tommy traynor's testimonial v Twente Enschede

Jim Steele's mistake v Anderlecht

The 3 Wallaces debut

Chantin in the car park about Branfoot

MLT's first and last goal

Horne's last minute equaliser that flew like an exocet

Holmes's goal v Watford in the Lg Cup.

Getting Wet

The sweet shop opposite

The house in the Archers that later became the Supporters club and the strippers on a Sunday

John McGrath covered in oil

The gateway pub in Northlands Rd

Ron Davies's jag

Mick Channon being called Doreen because he always fell over

Dougal's sheepskin later sold to Motson

throwing apples at the Everton coach circa Lg Cup 1971

England manager Alf Ramsey in the director's box

Booing Bobby Moore in 1966

Tony Byrne coaching the kids in the car park

David Smallman booting us out of the Cup circa 1971 (Wrexham)

Joe Kirkup's umbrella

Watching Southampton Schoolboy matches

George Best's wife and him getting sent off

Hollywood's tackles.

I remember the Sunday lunchtime do`s with the strippers and a comedian. One particular Sunday they had well known Skate Shep Wooley , who recorded the "Scummer" song as the comedy act and he bombed. He went off halfway through his act pretending that his guitar strings had broken but the management made him come out and finish!