On This Day – 22nd February
It was on this day in 1956 that the first Football League game under floodlights was played.
The match was between Portsmouth and Newcastle United at Portsmouth’s Fratton Park home. The game finished 2-0 to the home team with goals from Bill Curry and Vic Keeble.
15,831 fans went through the gates to see this spectacle. They were delayed by half an hour as there was a problem with the fuses at Fratton Park.
The players had to change by candle light!
Floodlights were still in their infancy and were pioneered by Arsenal at Highbury. Cup matches had been played with the floodlights being used but this game was the first Football League game.
There is something quite brilliant about floodlit football and even now, I get a buzz from watching midweek games under the lights.
You also know when winter is kicking in when the floodlights start to go on in the second half of afternoon games as the nights draw in!
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