One of the most popular players to have ever played for the Club.

Nicknamed psycho by the fans for his no nonsense fearless style, Mark Dennis was born on May 2nd 1961 in Streatham South London and he joined Birmingham City as an apprentice in 1977 soon making his debut and eventually playing 130 games for the club and winning England U21 caps in the process , however by 1983 his disciplinary record both on and off the field was legendary and Birmingham were eager to move him on and so Lawrie McMenemy got a very talented player for a pittance in November 1983.

1983/84 was Saints best ever season league wise and it was no co incidence that Dennis's arrival occurred at the same time, left back had been a problem position for over three years since the departure of David Peach and since then a variety of players had filled in in this position, Nick Holmes had played many games there as had right back Mick Mills as well as Dennis Rofe, but until the arrival of Mark, strangely McMenemy had done little to really solve the problem.

The riot act had obviously been read to the player and thus started an 18 month period where many considered him to be the best left back i the country, in many respects he had the lot, his tackling was ferocious, he overlapped down the wing and he had skill in abundance, perhaps the only thing that stopped him getting a call up was his much publicised attitude problem, although this was not in check under the watchful eyes of Lawrie, there were many just waiting for him to implode.

But after signing for Saints he was a revellation and after his debut rarely missed a game up until the final run it when injury forced McMenemy into using returned right back legend Ivan Golac as an emergency left back and its an oft forgotten fact that as Saints stormed to that 2nd place in the league, it was Golac who played left back in seven of the last 8 games Dennis playing only once.

In 84/85 Mark cemented his reputation further playing 31 times in the league and only really missing, like the previous term the final games of the season.

But the summer of 1985 saw an event that changed both the direction of Mark Dennis's career but that of Saints itself, Lawrie McMenemy left for Sunderland.

Initially not a lot seemed to have changed for Mark, at least on the field, he played 24 league games only a little over half of the total he could have played but when he was fit he was first choice and although the league season wasnt great Saints stormed to an FA Cup semi final which sadly they lost after extra time to Liverpool at White Hart Lane.

But as 86/87 season started what the fans didnt know was that behind the scenes the cracks were starting to show and that Chris Nicholl did not command the same respect that McMenemy did with the left back, initially the season looked to be starting well and Mark even scored his first Saints goals in the opening fixtures, (these would prove to be his only two) the first at Norwich was described as a "fierce volley" the 2nd at home to Newcastle saw him steam forward cut inside and then beat the keeper with a classic chipped shot, but as the fans salivered the beginning of the end of his Dell career was about to begin.

Off the field his marriage was breaking up and it was taking his toll on the player who the papers reported was getting into a lot of trouble off the field including the Police being called to domestic disputes, he and his wife seemed to be bad for each other and there was a famous incident where after being left up in manchester for treatment to a leg injury got his wife to wheel him out of hospital and they embarked on a drunken evening.

But by February 1987 he had played his last game for the club in a 2-1 home defeat to Norwich he clashed with Nicholl in the dressing room and by his own admittance in the book "Southampton's Cult Heroes" his life was spiralling out of control.

But Dennis was not the carefree violent thug that the papers liked to portray, what wasnt known was as his marriage broke up he had gained custody of his daughter and was at 25 a single father struggling to juggle parenthood with his work, the problem was he had lots of hangers on to lead him astray.

After the Norwich game Saints took on Liverpool in a League cup semi final this was the priority and Dennis played but the club discovered that the player had been out till the early hours the night before the Norwich game at a snooker club, more horrifying though was that his young daughter had been with him asleep under the table.

Boldly the Club suspended the player and told the press that he was injured and he was never to play again for the club including missing the 2nd leg at Anfield.

He had played 129 times for the club in just over 3 years and been part of perhaps the best side in the clubs history. Sadly it should have been a lot more, if McMenemy had stayed at the Club and the dressing room continue to be populated with old pro's like Mick Mills etc who Dennis respected, then perhaps his career would have been a lot different, although in fairness it has to be said that the main problems were due to his marriage and not in the Dressing Room,     

In the summer of 1987 he went to QPR, but effectively his career was virtually over, initially he played but after leaving the Dell he would play only 28 times for QPR & 9 times for Palace, at 29 he was out of the game.

The early 90's saw him perhaps heading for the scrap heap off the field, but to his credit he changed his life around, he moved back to Southampton and initially worked as a postman eventually taking up radio work and coaching jobs at non league sides including Eastleigh & Winchester.

On The Saint (later Hampshire) Radio he was a popular figure with listeners and not afraid to give his opinion whether controversial or not.

Mark Dennis remains a legend to this day and a popular figure amongst Saints supporters of a certain age, he could have been and should have been the best left back in the history of the club bar none, unfortunately although undoubtably the standard of the games he played for the club were as good as any of the other contenders those well documented reasons mean that others perhaps have a better claim to the title, but there can be no doubt, in those three years I saw some of the best performances I have ever seen in a Saints shirt by not just Mark himself, but perhaps any player in the 40 years i have followed the club.

Photo: Action Images

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