Auction of keepsakes from the Dell

From the clock at the top of the Eastern stand to the dugout beside the hallowed Saints turf, it was the final encore for the stadium opened to the Southampton public in 1898.

It is was the last chance for fans to save a piece for themselves.

Once the auctioneer sold lot 383 - a signed club ball - the hammer was traded for a wrecking ball and in a matter of months, the Dell was gone.

• Twenty years after the Dell - behind the scenes at hallowed ground >>>
• Twenty years after the Dell - the last floodlit match on the sacred turf >>>
• Twenty years after the Dell – a brief history of the much-loved ground >>>

To offer the greatest opportunity for people to capture their own memory of the Dell, almost everything imaginable was stripped and put in the catalogue that detailed items for auction on July 15, 2001.

But while even the most hardcore fan would probably not want to remember their favourite stadium by buying a Burco water boiler or a dishwasher, there were some collectors’ items up for grabs.

• Twenty years after the Dell - Saints v Arsenal in last league match >>>
• Twenty years after the Dell - last ever match at the beloved ground >>>
• Twenty years after the Dell - pitch invasion and last ever match >>>

More than 700 fans were told to collect their seats at a later time due to a delay in mounting the seats on special plinths.