Key facts
| Address | The Dell, Milton Road, Southampton SO15 2XH, England |
| Capacity | 15,200 seats |
| Build Date | 1898 |
| Demolished | 2001 |
| Record Attendance | 31,044 |
Description
The Dell used to be a football stadium located in Milton Road, the UK. During 1898-2001, it was a permanent home for Southampton F.C. The stadium was opened in the spring of 1898 when the first football match took place at the ground. It was the game between Southampton F.C. and Brighton United.
In 1927, the West Stand and the club secretary’s house were demolished to construct a new stand. The new West stand was designed by A. Leitch, one of the best stand designers. In 1928, a cigarette was dropped, which led to a fire, resulting in destroying the East Stand. A new stand built instead of the Original East stand was similar to the West Stand. This helped to increase the total capacity of the stadium up to 30,000 people.
In 1940, the penalty area was destroyed by a bomb, which made Southampton play games for 1940–1941 seasons at other grounds. They could return home in 1941. In the same year, another fire destroyed the West Stand, which was rebuilt later.
In the 1980s, the stadium underwent several changes, including adding bench seats under the West and East stands. In the 1990s, the Dell became all-seater fully. The capacity of the stadium was about 15,000 in 1994.
In the middle 1990s, the football club announced its intention to move to Monks Brook, but this idea was not supported due to limited community facilities. Finally, the club was announced to move to a new stadium with 32,000 seats built for 32 million pounds. The St Mary’s Stadium, the new club’s ground, was ready in 2001, and Southampton F.C. left the Dell.
The stadium was demolished in 2001, and now the ground is used for a housing estate.
FAQ
The Dell stadium in Southampton was opened in 1898. It served as the home ground for Southampton Football Club for over a century, until 2001 when the club moved to their new stadium, St Mary’s.
The name “The Dell” comes from the geographical feature where the stadium was built. A dell is a small wooded valley, and the stadium was constructed in such an area, giving it its distinctive name and character.
In its final years, The Dell had a capacity of around 15,200 spectators. This relatively small capacity was one of the main reasons the club eventually decided to move to a larger, more modern stadium.
The Dell was known for its unusual layout. Due to the constraints of the site, it had a distinctive asymmetrical design. The Milton Road Stand, in particular, was notable for its unusual slope, which was necessary to accommodate the road behind it.
One of the most famous matches at The Dell took place in October 1996, when Manchester United were forced to change their grey away kit at half-time. United were losing 3-0, and manager Alex Ferguson claimed the grey shirts made it difficult for players to see each other against the crowd. They changed to blue and white strips for the second half, but still lost 3-1.
After Southampton FC moved to St Mary’s Stadium in 2001, The Dell was demolished. The site was later redeveloped for housing, with a residential area now standing where the historic stadium once was.
