Floodlight football for the first time in Scotland 22/3/1933

[Sat31March1928]

Found this 22nd March 1933

Here's the Scotsman Match Report

Wed 22 Mar 1933


Floodlight football took place for the first time in Scotland at Telford street Park , Inverness, last night, when Caledonian met Clachnacuddin in a Friendly game, the proceeds being for the benefit of A. Mitchell, the left back, and K. J. Whittontho outside left of Caledonian. A big crowd watched the game under the novel conditions. Delightful weather prevailed, and under the glare of the arc lamps, which lit up the ground the players and the white ball almost seemed unreal; but there was reality enough in the play, judging from the keenness with which the teams threw themselves into the game. Caledonian won by 2 goals to 1. The crowd numbered over 3000. The experiment of floodlighting was successful, and no doubt many more matches will be played in the dark.

Hearts lost 2-1 on the same day in front of 63000+ in SF replay to Celtic.

[Scottish]

In 'Fifty Years of the Kilmarnock Football Club' (1919) by 'An Old Player' the writer talks about John Wallace the club founder and William Dick the secretary of the SFA organising "the first great match with electric light in Ayrshire" at Rugby Park between Killie and Kilmarnock Portland in 1878

In his centenary history of Killie 'Go Fame...' Hugh Taylor goes into greater detail about this game, giving the date as the evening of Friday November 8th 1878. I won't repeat it all here save to say there was a big crowd, Killie lost 3-1 and some of the lights failed intermittently. Two Killie players were so badly injured they never played again.

The cost of the eqipment and thwe the danger to the players meant the experiment weasn't continued.

I believe a number of clubs experimented with 'floodlighting' around this time.

[Scottish]

Here's a just-about readable copy of the page from 'Go Fame..'

http://www.scottishleague.net/lights.jpeg

[Gunboat Briggs]

Haven't got the details to hand, but I remember reading about a floodlit match at Parkhead circa 1890 (Clyde were possibly the visitors?). Apparently the lights were strung across the pitch and got in the way every time someone attempted a big punt down the park....

[Sat31March1928]

It just goes to show you can't trust newspaper reports.

[Scottish]

It just goes to show you can't trust newspaper reports.

How true. I read one recently trying to suggest Graham Rix was the new Hearts boss

[Scottish]

The new SFL Review has an even earlier floodlit game between Third Lanark and Vale of Leven on October 25th 1878.