IT WAS the beginning of the end for the famous old Dell - but it didn't go quite according to plan.

The curse of Friday 13th struck as demolition teams attempted to start the destruction of the Saints' century-old home by using controlled explosions.

At the given moment, before an invited crowd of spectators, the plunger was pushed, there were fireworks and an explosion - but the expected demolition failed to take place.

The fact that the destruction team hailed from arch-rivals Portsmouth was laughed off by event organiser Barratt Homes which has bought the site.

Meanwhile, emergency services were inundated with calls from local residents who believed a real disaster was taking place down the road.

Two hours later the countdown began again and this time resulted in the two massive floodlights on top of the stadium toppling onto the seats.

The explosions marked the start of development of the site. Barratt plans to build exclusive homes around the original pitch.

The events started with an announcement by Saints director Andrew Cowan, who spoke of: "a recurring dream, the chance to blow up my place of work".

First, the klaxons sounded for a three-minute warning. Then a one-minute, then a third klaxon for the ten-second count- down, dutifully counted off before Mayor Chris Kelly and then Daily Echo Big Bang competition winner Ian Barron pressed the plunger.

The pyrotechnics were impressive, with enough fireworks to equal Bastille Day and the Fourth of July rolled into one.

Impressive Hollywood-style explosions on the pitch produced enough of a flamer to grill a Big Mac. But no Big Bang.

A couple of reassuringly loud pops, but we watched, and waited and the pylons refused to move.

Ian Martin, director of Portsmouth-based demolition contractor Hughes & Salvidge could only shake his head with a grin, knowing the stick and the publicity he was going to get over a bunch of Pompey fans let loose with dynamite and unable to bring The Dell down.

Fair play to him, he fronted it up and took it in good part. "To think, this was actually my idea," he said. "They asked for something spectacular and I suggested blowing the floodlight pylons up."

Meanwhile, explosives expert Mark Hutt went off to check his detonators.

If two lots of explosive didn't go off, it meant they were still live and, after more than an hour clambering around, checking wiring and leads and adding some stronger explosive, he pronounced himself ready.

This time Ian Barron had the plunger to himself.

BANG! Off went the charges and down came one pylon. Then silence. Had it failed again?

BANG! Went the charges under the second pylon, which decided to lurch instead of fall.

"I don't understand it," said Martin Hutt.

"This is the first time I have ever had an explosion fail on me. I used 125 grammes of explosive on each leg, which would normally be enough to cut an inch-and-a-half of steel.

"I don't know what it is. I can only think it was because we used PE4 as a primer."

Yes, of course, the old PE4 problem. Why didn't we think of that? That will be the last Big Bang at The Dell. Hughes & Salvage will use more traditional methods to bring the old ground to its knees. As for Hughes & Salvidge's Pompey supporting workers, one said: "The ground has shown a bit more resistance than the team."