Beginning of construction of what was then known as 'The New Dell'

Planning application

Saints bosses were waiting with bated breath to hear whether they could finally go ahead with their plans to build a new Dell - and the window they were given for the decision to be made was in the 24 hours before their relegation crunch match at Wimbledon on May 8, 1999.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was given the final say on the planning application after permission was granted for the development on the old gasworks site on Britannia Road, St Mary's, by Southampton City Council.

READ MORE:

• Looking back at Saints' best-laid plans for a new stadium
• Behind-the-scenes tour of The Dell
• More behind-the-scenes pictures
• Saints 1-0 Brighton – last match played at The Dell
• Saints 3-2 Arsenal – last competitive match at The Dell

He originally had 28 days to decide whether to call in the application, but the deadline was extended until after the local elections.

Plans for the new Dell could have been hauled before a planning inquiry on the basis that the club was providing just 293 on-site parking spaces for up to 32,000 fans - a departure from usual planning requirements.

When the day came around for Saints, it was a big one. Not only did the team take home three points after a 2-0 victory at Dellhurst Park, but the application went through.

The money

The Daily Echo revealed on July 9, 1999, that Saints bosses had secured the bank loans they needed to go ahead and build their £32 million stadium.

Their success at staying in the Premiership the previous season won the confidence of banks, who stepped forward to loan the club the cash they needed to build a new Dell in St Mary's.

Part of the cash for the new 32,000 seater ground also come from the sale of shares in Southampton Leisure Holdings PLC, the management company behind the club.

The club paid for a bridge across the railway line and a subway in Northam Road to improve access to the surrounding area.

They also made a financial contribution to the city council's road improvement fund.

Construction began

Construction of the £32 million new Dell began on June 1, 2000.

READ MORE:

• Pictures of the demolition of The Dell
• Pitch invasion at The Dell after last ever match
• Photos from the last floodlit match at Saints' former ground
• The Dell – a brief history of the much-loved ground

Players, Saints bosses and civic leaders were on site to witness a pivotal moment in the club's history.

Chairman Rupert Lowe got behind the wheel of a digger as part of the ceremony, before sod-turning began in earnest.

Work had to be quick to get the 32,000-seater stadium in the St Mary's district in a condition to open the following year in time for the 2001-2002 season.

Construction vehicles increased traffic in the surrounding roads, which were themselves dug up for improvements to ensure a steady flow of thousands of football fans.

Major changes include making Britannia Road a two-way street, closing Radcliffe Road at its southern end, building a new footbridge over the railway line from St Mary's to the stadium and putting an underpass under the Northam Road.

Part of the cost of the roadworks was funded by the club, while a grant of £739,000 came from the inner city regeneration fund.

There were fears building would be delayed after archaeologists unearthed a Saxon brooch during excavations in February 2000.

The corroded piece, thought to be bronze and have been used in a belt, was found under land earmarked for the east stand.

But historians soon vacated the site and it was cleared by bulldozers.