“The Dell was one of those tight old-fashioned English grounds which seemed to bring out the best in me,” said Ian Wright about the stadium where he scored a bucketload of goals.

Our second-highest scorer of all time added six to his total courtesy of two super hat-tricks in repeat 4-0 victories against Southampton in the early 1990s.

His first treble at the quirky and asymmetrical Dell came in September 1991, just days after he’d completed his £2.5 million deal from Crystal Palace. Wright had already opened his account against Leicester City in the League Cup three days earlier, but his performance against a talented Saints side, boasting the likes of forwards Alan Shearer and Matthew Le Tissier, served further notice that Wright was clearly a force of nature. 

Clad in the now-iconic early ‘90s ‘bruised banana’ kit, we ran riot on the south coast. Wright turned provider for our first goal when his first-half shot was parried by goalkeeper Tim Flowers, and childhood friend David Rocastle gratefully slammed in from close range. 

In the second half, Wright showcased his talents. Firstly, he latched onto a through-ball from Swedish winger Anders Limpar and clinically drilled a...