Floodlights at the Lane

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HodgysBrokenThumb

HodgysBrokenThumb

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Looking up details of the career of the late Jim Iley, I noticed in the United Who's Who a comment suggesting that he was sold in 1957 at a time when United needed money for new floodlights. There are obvious parallels with recent ground developments, and I was too young to be aware of conspiracy theories at the time, but I don't see how this fits in with what happened around then. United got floodlights in March 1954, and then replaced them in December 1961. Did the money from the sale of Iley go on an extra light, on the John Street stand? I can't remember the sequence of events.
And one interesting detail about the 1954 lights: a number of evening match Friendlies were played soon after they were installed, including one against Millwall, on March 29, 1954, and the second-half was apparently the first time an English floodlit game had been televised live. Does anybody know anything about that? We hadn't even got a bloody TV set then... So was this yet another first for Bramall Lane?
 

Didn't the replacement floodlights come from Wembley stadium ? Sure this was doing the rounds back then, or was it a load of rubbish and never happened .
 
HodgysBrokenThumb said:
Looking up details of the career of the late Jim Iley, I noticed in the United Who's Who a comment suggesting that he was sold in 1957 at a time when United needed money for new floodlights. There are obvious parallels with recent ground developments, and I was too young to be aware of conspiracy theories at the time, but I don't see how this fits in with what happened around then. United got floodlights in March 1954, and then replaced them in December 1961. Did the money from the sale of Iley go on an extra light, on the John Street stand? I can't remember the sequence of events.
And one interesting detail about the 1954 lights: a number of evening match Friendlies were played soon after they were installed, including one against Millwall, on March 29, 1954, and the second-half was apparently the first time an English floodlit game had been televised live. Does anybody know anything about that? We hadn't even got a bloody TV set then... So was this yet another first for Bramall Lane?
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The stumpy John Street floodlight was installed in 1958 so you could be right.
 
coaxingstar71 said:
In 'Sheffield United : The First 100 Years' by Denis Clarebrough, (so a reliable source) it's claimed that Geoff Salmons was sold for about £170,000 which was almost identical to an outstanding payment for the South Stand.
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And Currie was sold the following year to pay for that year's installment. I think we're still paying for the rest.
 
I was born & brought up at the bottom of Woodseats Rd. In those days, if you stood on the bridge over the railway, you could see the Bramall Lane floodlight pylons, particularly on dark winter nights when they were on. It's worth pointing out that some floodlight improvements over the years have been what I'll call - more, better, brighter bulbs stuck in existing pylons - rather than new, higher, more pylons. I vividly "remember" The Star explaining that new bulbs had been installed and they were going to be lit up that night, not for a game, but to test them. I duly stood on Woodseats Rd waiting for them to come on so I could see for myself. I'd guess maybe 1969.....
 
coaxingstar71 said:
In 'Sheffield United : The First 100 Years' by Denis Clarebrough, (so a reliable source) it's claimed that Geoff Salmons was sold for about £170,000 which was almost identical to an outstanding payment for the South Stand.
Click to expand...

Legend has it that in September 2009 we got David Carney off the wage bill in order to fund that big screen we swiped from Darlington’s ground.
 
HodgysBrokenThumb said:
Looking up details of the career of the late Jim Iley, I noticed in the United Who's Who a comment suggesting that he was sold in 1957 at a time when United needed money for new floodlights. There are obvious parallels with recent ground developments, and I was too young to be aware of conspiracy theories at the time, but I don't see how this fits in with what happened around then. United got floodlights in March 1954, and then replaced them in December 1961. Did the money from the sale of Iley go on an extra light, on the John Street stand? I can't remember the sequence of events.
And one interesting detail about the 1954 lights: a number of evening match Friendlies were played soon after they were installed, including one against Millwall, on March 29, 1954, and the second-half was apparently the first time an English floodlit game had been televised live. Does anybody know anything about that? We hadn't even got a bloody TV set then... So was this yet another first for Bramall Lane?
Click to expand...
I saw two friendliest under the first floodlights.One was against Hibs and another one Esbjerg I think, but I stand to be corrected.It was like watching a match under streetlights.
 
BLADEBEER said:
I saw two friendliest under the first floodlights.One was against Hibs and another one Esbjerg I think, but I stand to be corrected.It was like watching a match under streetlights.
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No , the first floodlit football match at the Lane or anywhere else was in 1878 and before anybody starts , no I wasn't there ( I was on a late paper round if you really want to know ) :)

I was , however , at the Hibs match and have a different recollection , that of being very bright and much clearer to watch than many of the smog bound day time matches that were common in that era .
 
Ball_Sup (Phil) said:
The Star explaining that new bulbs had been installed and they were going to be lit up that night, not for a game, but to test them. I duly stood on Woodseats Rd waiting for them to come on
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Not much to do in Woodseats and Abbeydale Road area in the 60s then?

"Mam. mam can I turn electric light on and off, cos me mates are cuming round and it'll gi us summat to do....."
 
Isaw Joeshaw said:
No , the first floodlit football match at the Lane or anywhere else was in 1878 and before anybody starts , no I wasn't there ( I was on a late paper round if you really want to know ) :)

I was , however , at the Hibs match and have a different recollection , that of being very bright and much clearer to watch than many of the smog bound day time matches that were common in that era .
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Just to be clear, I think there are different things being referred to here. The first ever floodlit match (under temporary lights) was at the Lane in n 1878. BLADEBEER and your good self are referring to the first matches under permanent lights at the Lane, in 1954. And I was originally asking about this match v Millwall, which is reported to be the first live floodlit football shown on TV.
 

HodgysBrokenThumb said:
Looking up details of the career of the late Jim Iley, I noticed in the United Who's Who a comment suggesting that he was sold in 1957 at a time when United needed money for new floodlights. There are obvious parallels with recent ground developments, and I was too young to be aware of conspiracy theories at the time, but I don't see how this fits in with what happened around then. United got floodlights in March 1954, and then replaced them in December 1961. Did the money from the sale of Iley go on an extra light, on the John Street stand? I can't remember the sequence of events.
And one interesting detail about the 1954 lights: a number of evening match Friendlies were played soon after they were installed, including one against Millwall, on March 29, 1954, and the second-half was apparently the first time an English floodlit game had been televised live. Does anybody know anything about that? We hadn't even got a bloody TV set then... So was this yet another first for Bramall Lane?
Click to expand...

Just another example of successive boards pleading poverty and selling the club and the fans short ... no doubt all the usual club apologists will be along shortly to fudge the issue.
 
Wouldnt surprise me as we have always sold players to fund ground improvements and then got relegated soon after
 
HodgysBrokenThumb said:
Looking up details of the career of the late Jim Iley, I noticed in the United Who's Who a comment suggesting that he was sold in 1957 at a time when United needed money for new floodlights. There are obvious parallels with recent ground developments, and I was too young to be aware of conspiracy theories at the time, but I don't see how this fits in with what happened around then. United got floodlights in March 1954, and then replaced them in December 1961. Did the money from the sale of Iley go on an extra light, on the John Street stand? I can't remember the sequence of events.
And one interesting detail about the 1954 lights: a number of evening match Friendlies were played soon after they were installed, including one against Millwall, on March 29, 1954, and the second-half was apparently the first time an English floodlit game had been televised live. Does anybody know anything about that? We hadn't even got a bloody TV set then... So was this yet another first for Bramall Lane?
Click to expand...
He never wanted to leave United but the directors insisted as they needed money to pay for better floodlights. That’s what he always told us! He was gutted to leave
 
ste iley said:
He never wanted to leave United but the directors insisted as they needed money to pay for better floodlights. That’s what he always told us! He was gutted to leave
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Yes ican believe that same with Mick Jones to leeds he didnt want to go but got no choice, thats from the horses mouth.
 
I think it's a shame that most big clubs have got rid of their floodlight pylons. They did more than illuminate the pitch, they were part of the landscape of many towns and cities for over a century. They made the stadium visible from afar. The feeling of spotting the floodlights when you traveled to an away game was something special.

Which 'big' clubs still have floodlights? Are the tall pylons at Elland Rd still there?
 
Dkc said:
I think it's a shame that most big clubs have got rid of their floodlight pylons. They did more than illuminate the pitch, they were part of the landscape of many towns and cities for over a century. They made the stadium visible from afar. The feeling of spotting the floodlights when you traveled to an away game was something special.

Which 'big' clubs still have floodlights? Are the tall pylons at Elland Rd still there?
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1714414761165.png

Nope
 
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SUFC Handsworth said:
Just another example of successive boards pleading poverty and selling the club and the fans short ... no doubt all the usual club apologists will be along shortly to fudge the issue.
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Yes. I remember the Green Un letters page being full of praise for Dick Wragg every week. That popular, there was talk of a whip round to send him on holiday to Vietnam.
 
Dkc said:
I think it's a shame that most big clubs have got rid of their floodlight pylons. They did more than illuminate the pitch, they were part of the landscape of many towns and cities for over a century. They made the stadium visible from afar. The feeling of spotting the floodlights when you traveled to an away game was something special.

Which 'big' clubs still have floodlights? Are the tall pylons at Elland Rd still there?
Click to expand...


So, now we know why no one wants to buy us…….
 
ste iley said:
He never wanted to leave United but the directors insisted as they needed money to pay for better floodlights. That’s what he always told us! He was gutted to leave
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Thanks for the reply. I thought you might be interested in bits and pieces from my scrapbook, but he moved very soon after I started it. The only picture I have is from an away match at Charlton, just before his transfer. I assume the caption confirms what you say:
IMG_6645.jpeg
I have a copy of the programme for the match my main direct memory of him comes from -away at Notts County, my first ever away match, on a snowy day. Unfortunately, the programme says little about him, and he missed 2 penalties!
IMG_6646.jpeg
IMG_6647.jpeg
IMG_6648.jpeg
The next home programme is very forgiving, because of the snowy conditions:
IMG_6649.jpeg
And then in the next home match, he missed another penalty! I have no idea if he continued taking penalties…
 

Dkc said:
I think it's a shame that most big clubs have got rid of their floodlight pylons. They did more than illuminate the pitch, they were part of the landscape of many towns and cities for over a century. They made the stadium visible from afar. The feeling of spotting the floodlights when you traveled to an away game was something special.

Which 'big' clubs still have floodlights? Are the tall pylons at Elland Rd still there?
Click to expand...
correction. Not over a century. But a long time for sure.
 
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