TWENTY-FIVE years ago today, the Daily Echo reported how Saints new stadium dream might be in tatters.

On the outskirts of the city, plans for a 25,000 seater stadium, an athletics track with 3,000 seat stand as well as community sports facilities, golf course and 5,000 parking spaces were planned for Stoneham, to the north of Southampton.

The complex was to be built alongside the Swaythling Link Road - Stoneham Way - at junction five and over Stoneham Lane.

It wasn't the first plan for a new stadium - Western Esplanade (1942) and Wide Lane (late 1970s) had previously been mooted - with capacities as high as 40,000 suggested for the latter.

The fear was that the recently published Taylor Report would force Saints to limit The Dell to a capacity of just 12,000, so a new stadium was an absolute must.

As it was, Saints managed to survive on a 15,200 capacity at The Dell, when redevelopment was completed in 1994.

With such a small capacity, the fear was that the club would be forced to hike prices so much only a small number of fans would be able to afford to see the team, reported the Daily Echo in March 1991.

The alternative was to see the club fall out of the top flight, unable to compete with richer clubs and their much bigger capacities, so the Daily Echo even started a campaign and petition to show how much support the plans had, with full details of the scheme being published in August 1991.

However, the land a Stoneham was on the border of Southampton and Eastleigh, meaning that a total of three councils were involved - Southampton, Eastleigh and Hampshire - making an agreement on the plans hard to come by.

This is what was raising fears about the plans back in March 1991, leaving fans fearing the worst for the future of the club.

The plans were called Stadium 2000, with the number referring to the date the complex was due to open by.

After years of wrangling and arguments, Southampton City Council were able to offer disused land which used to be gas works to the club for a new stadium - although there simply wasn't enough room there for all the extra sports facilities and commercial opportunities to fund it all.

So instead, the capacity was upped to 32,000 and the £32m St Mary's Stadium opened in August 2001, with The Dell becoming flats at the Stoneham site staying as open land.