The Dell is the former home ground of the Southampton F.C. football (soccer) team in England. For many years The Dell was the smallest and most rundown Premier League ground in the country, and the team was perpetually searching for a new home. In the 1990s it seemed as if the search was over as the club announced plans to move to a new stadium at Stoneham near Eastleigh. However, the club fell into a dispute with the local council about the lack of community facilities. The dispute was resolved when the Chairman, Rupert Lowe, declared new plans for the club to move to a new 32,000 all-seater, St Mary's Stadium, for an estimated cost of £52 million. In 2001 work was completed ahead of schedule.

Club legend Matthew Le Tissier said goodbye to the stadium that had been host to his entire career by scoring a spectacular volley in the final minutes of the last game securing a 3-2 win against Arsenal. This would turn out to be Arsenal's last away defeat for over a year.

All the club's loyal fans said goodbye to The Dell by stripping all her seats, the pitch and one man even walked off with an advertising board at the end of a friendly with Brighton and Hove Albion - making them the first and last club to play Southampton at the stadium. After the game against Brighton, the bulldozers moved in and within weeks houses were being built on the site.