Opening of Floodlights

[Merseman]

I have been trying to put together a list of when Scottish League clubs officially opened their floodlights. Can anyone contradict any of these hanselling occasions:

07 Nov 1951 STENHOUSEMUIR v Hibernian
03 Mar 1953 FALKIRK v Carlisle United
10 Mar 1953 LEITH ATHLETIC v Dunfermline Athletic (preceded by East XI v West XI on 13 Jan 1953)
28 Oct 1953 KILMARNOCK v Manchester United
08 Dec 1953 RANGERS v Arsenal
30 Mar 1954 CLYDE v Huddersfield Town
18 Oct 1954 HIBERNIAN v Heart of Midlothian

07 Mar 1955 EAST FIFE v Leeds United
14 Nov 1955 PARTICK THISTLE v Tottenham Hotspur
29 Feb 1956 MOTHERWELL v Preston North End
15 Oct 1956 AIRDRIEONIANS v Blackburn Rovers
23 Jan 1957 DUMBARTON v Celtic
07 Oct 1957 HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN v Hibernian
29 Oct 1958 QUEEN OF THE SOUTH v Preston North End
10 Nov 1958 GREENOCK MORTON v St Mirren

13 Feb 1959 ST MIRREN v Peebles Rovers (Friday night Scottish Cup tie)
12 Oct 1959 CELTIC v Wolverhampton Wanderers
21 Oct 1959 ABERDEEN v Luton Town
26 Oct 1959 DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC v Sheffield United
30 Nov 1959 THIRD LANARK v Blackpool
23 Mar 1960 DUNDEE v Liverpool
27 Sep 1960 RAITH ROVERS v Aston Villa
17 Oct 1961 (QUEEN'S PARK) Rangers v Eintracht Frankfurt
27 Nov 1961 STIRLING ALBION v Birmingham City

16 Dec 1964 ST JOHNSTONE v West Ham United
08 Feb 1965 ES CLYDEBANK v Sunderland
?? Oct 1968 AIRDRIEONIANS v Albion Rovers
07 Oct 1968 COWDENBEATH v Celtic
18 Nov 1970 AYR UNITED v Newcastle United
11 Oct 1971 FORFAR ATHLETIC v Aberdeen
21 Mar 1972 HAMILTON ACADEMICAL v Gwardia Warsaw
09 Aug 1974 MEADOWBANK THISTLE v Albion Rovers (Friday night League Cup tie)


Does anyone know details for these:

1956 ARBROATH (possibly v East Junior XI)
1962 DUNDEE UNITED
1971 MONTROSE
1972 BERWICK RANGERS
1978 BRECHIN CITY
1979 ALLOA ATHLETIC
1981 STRANRAER
?? EAST STIRLINGSHIRE


In a few cases lights may have been used in a league game or cup-tie, either on midweek or an autumn/winter weekend, before an official opening.

[ScottishFA]

I used to collect the programmes for these games, so I have a list and can add/amend these:

Albion Rovers v Airdrieonians (F), 22 October 1968
Alloa Athletic v Kilmarnock (LC), 22 August 1979
Arbroath v Forfarshire Junior Select (F), 5 October 1955 with another opening v Dundee 15 March 1972
Berwick Rangers v St Mirren (L), 20 September 1972
Brechin City v Hibernian (LC), 30 August 1978
Dundee United v Rangers (L), 10 November 1962
Montrose v Stranraer (L), 8 September 1971 with a formal opening v Aberdeen 24 Jan 1972
Morton v Third Lanark (F), 4 November 1958
St Mirren were intending to use floodlights v Partick Thistle (L), 31 January 1959 but it was postponed.
Stranraer v Albion Rovers (LC), 19 August 1981

I'm not aware that Alloa, Berwick, Brechin, Dundee United or Stranraer had an 'official' inauguration match but just used the lights when they were ready.

All the rest tally with my own records.

The only one I can't answer is East Stirlingshire.

[Merseman]

Thanks very much.

I noticed a suggestion on another forum that the bad winter of 1962-63 may have scupperred Dundee United's plans for a formal opening.


On the topic of programmes - I have copies of:

Rangers, Hibs, Hearts, QotS, Celtic, Third Lanark, Raith, Queen's Park, Stirling, Dundee Utd
St Johnstone, ES Clydebank, Cowdenbeath, Ayr, Forfar, Hamilton, Brechin, Stranraer

and understand from guides none were issued for Stenhousemuir, Kilmarnock, Morton (v St Mirren), St Mirren, Berwick, Alloa.


Do you know if any were issued for:

Falkirk, Leith, Clyde, East Fife, Arbroath, Partick, Motherwell, Airdrie,
Dumbarton, Aberdeen, Dunfermline, Dundee, Albion Rovers, Meadowbank
Morton (v Third Lanark), Montrose (both)

Many thanks.

[cowdenbeather]

Yes the Cowdenbeath opening match v Celtic is correct although the lights were first used on 11 September 1968 in a midweek game v Clydebank

[ScottishFA]

Thanks very much.

I noticed a suggestion on another forum that the bad winter of 1962-63 may have scupperred Dundee United's plans for a formal opening.


On the topic of programmes - I have copies of:

Rangers, Hibs, Hearts, QotS, Celtic, Third Lanark, Raith, Queen's Park, Stirling, Dundee Utd
St Johnstone, ES Clydebank, Cowdenbeath, Ayr, Forfar, Hamilton, Brechin, Stranraer

and understand from guides none were issued for Stenhousemuir, Kilmarnock, Morton (v St Mirren), St Mirren, Berwick, Alloa.


Do you know if any were issued for:

Falkirk, Leith, Clyde, East Fife, Arbroath, Partick, Motherwell, Airdrie,
Dumbarton, Aberdeen, Dunfermline, Dundee, Albion Rovers, Meadowbank
Morton (v Third Lanark), Montrose (both)

Many thanks.

There were programmes for East Fife v Leeds, Dunfermline v Sheffield United, Dundee v Liverpool, Meadowbank v Albion Rovers and Montrose v Stranraer. I think the ones at East Fife and Dundee are particularly rare.

Also, there is a prog for St Mirren v Partick Thistle, which was meant to be the first.

[Merseman]

Thanks again. Not many needed!

[Boabthe warrior]

East Stirling v Partick Thistle 30th March 1961 (Thistle won 7-1) Opening of Floodlights (£8,750 for lights and enclosure, £5,000 from ES Social Club)

[LEATHERSTOCKING]

The first match @ Celtic Park under electric light was a 1-1 draw between Celtic & Clyde on Christmas Day 1893. Sixteen lamps tried to penetrate the gloomy, foggy evening with 3,000 inside the ground. On 11th January 1894, Walter Arnott playing for St.Bernards complained that the electric cable strung across the pitch hampered the play in his side`s 8-1 defeat to Celtic! When Celtic raised the league Champions flag(a Union Flag in green) on 7th April it went up on one of the poles used for the lamps.

[ptfcok]

I believe the first competitive match played under floodlights in Glasgow was Patrick Thistle v Motherwell in a 2nd XI cup-tie at Firhill on 8/2/1956. (6-0, att: 5,000).

[bluedragon]

Looking at Junior football, Armadale Thistle, Broxburn Athletic and Newtongrange Star were in the vanguard in introducing floodlit football to the East of Scotland.

Armadale Thistle beat Rosewell Rosedale 4-1 on 4 April 1956 at Volunteer Park, Armadale. It was reported that “discounting some charity cup-ties, this was the first full Junior cup-tie [under the jurisdiction of the East of Scotland Junior FA] played under artificial lighting.” The match was a second round second replay in the Thornton Shield that would have normally been played at a neutral ground but Rosewell agreed to play at Armadale and permission was given for the replay to be played under lights.

Armadale introduced training lights in 1952 and upgraded them to full lights in 1954. The first match under the Volunteer Park lights was a friendly on 3 November 1954 against Ashfield who already had lights at New Saracen Park.

[Rob R]

Neilston Juniors had lights in the 1960s, I remember seeing a match on Scotsport from Brigg O lea stadium one night , but I cant remember who was playing.

[bluedragon]

Neilston Juniors had lights in the 1960s, I remember seeing a match on Scotsport from Brigg O lea stadium one night , but I cant remember who was playing.

I found Neilston 2 Morton 5 played under lights on Monday 21 December 1964 that might be the match you remember?

[LEATHERSTOCKING]

I think the first Scottish Amateur Cup match partially played under lights was the Weir`s Recreation vs. PO Phones semi final replay @ Shawfield Stadium on 13th May 1958.

[Strathman]

Ross County's floodlights were opened on the 9th Feb 1972 when County played the Scottish Professional Youth team. Tommy Docherty took the team up.

[HeartsMuseum]

Hearts opened the floodlights for 3 English teams in the 1950s

1953-10-14 Wed Manchester City 6-3 Hearts Floodlight Friendly 23979
1957-10-14 Mon Bolton Wanderers 1-1 Hearts Floodlight Friendly 21058
1958-10-13 Mon Blackpool 2-1 Hearts 19:30 Floodlight Friendly 15437