Floodlights
Floodlights
Does anyone have a picture, or link, to the old floodlights at the Turf?
They are one of my first memories of Burnley, the huge, imposing steel lattice structures beaming out a blinding phosphate-esque white fire
I never realised how big they were until they were craned into the car park at the back of the cricket field
They are one of my first memories of Burnley, the huge, imposing steel lattice structures beaming out a blinding phosphate-esque white fire
I never realised how big they were until they were craned into the car park at the back of the cricket field
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Re: Floodlights
Fantastic, thank you!THEWELLERNUT70 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 22, 2021 11:32 pmhttps://thebeautifulhistory.wordpress.c ... s/burnley/
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Re: Floodlights
I was discussing our old floodlights recently, I had once to ascend a huge tower crane and it was extremely frightening job, then a pal of mine in the same week was required to climb our old lights and he was similarly terrified of the height. they were colossal structures .
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Re: Floodlights
Real imposing structures. Navigation to away grounds used to be easy, "where are the floodlights?"Wile E Coyote wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 12:19 amI was discussing our old floodlights recently, I had once to ascend a huge tower crane and it was extremely frightening job, then a pal of mine in the same week was required to climb our old lights and he was similarly terrified of the height. they were colossal structures .
Now, they are incorporated into the stand structure.
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Re: Floodlights
ChrisG wrote: ↑Thu Jul 22, 2021 11:26 pmDoes anyone have a picture, or link, to the old floodlights at the Turf?
They are one of my first memories of Burnley, the huge, imposing steel lattice structures beaming out a blinding phosphate-esque white fire
I never realised how big they were until they were craned into the car park at the back of the cricket field
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Re: Floodlights
During the early 70s, while I was working for the club, workers were replacing Nuts and Bolts in the floodlights framework. I picked up some discarded 1" thick bolts, which looked like egg timers. They had been worn to that shape by years of friction movement of the floodlights, caused by winds.
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Re: Floodlights
What a brilliant photograph! Added bonus of the old Bee Hole End turnstiles my old man used to lift me over
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Re: Floodlights
Other than the road, no part of the ground in that picture remains.
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Re: Floodlights
You could sometimes hear them firing up,iconic structures. I wonder if there are any listed ?
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Re: Floodlights
By the late 80s they didn't seem to put them on until it was nearly dark in winter. Probably saving every penny. Plus they took about 10 minutes to 'warm up' and half of them didn't work. I did like them though, great pics.
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Re: Floodlights
They were the days of delayed and abandoned matches for floodlight failure. Good times.
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Re: Floodlights
We played at Swansea might have been a Friday night and the van driver who was unsure where the ground was aimed for the lights and we ended up at the prison
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Re: Floodlights
Could be worse. I am sure it was my dad (possibly uncle) who followed a car with a burnley sticker in the back to Peterborough away. Only said Burnley fan was going on holiday, not to Peterborough!claretonthecoast1882 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 9:11 amWe played at Swansea might have been a Friday night and the van driver who was unsure where the ground was aimed for the lights and we ended up at the prison
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Re: Floodlights
cricketfieldclarets wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 10:10 amCould be worse. I am sure it was my dad (possibly uncle) who followed a car with a burnley sticker in the back to Peterborough away. Only said Burnley fan was going on holiday, not to Peterborough!
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Re: Floodlights
That was SatNav version 1 for football fans, looking for the floodlights. Didn't always work though. You could not see Liverpool's from outside the ground. When Everton dispensed with theirs they left one stanchion remaining for that very reason.
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Re: Floodlights
Loved the sight of proper floodlights in towns. I was once driving down from Aberdeen, I spotted the floodlights on at Forfar. Parked up walked to the ground, no one on the turnstile. Went in and watched Forfar Reserves v Dundee Utd Reserves. Couple of hundred crowd on due to Willie Petigrew making a comeback for Dundee Utd.
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Re: Floodlights
That's a great photo.
Looks like there's a cable coming off the roof and into the Development Office where they must've plugged them in.
Looks like there's a cable coming off the roof and into the Development Office where they must've plugged them in.
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Re: Floodlights
if that house had put a window in the gable end wall, they could possibly have watched the matches.
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Re: Floodlights
The above picture is looking down Bee Hole Lane during the redevelopment.
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Re: Floodlights
I remember going on the Turf to mark the switching on of the floodlights. I was a ten year old in 1957 when we played Blackburn at home to officially see a floodlit Turf Moor for the first time. I know both teams played strong teams but I can't remember much about the game, I think was too enthralled by these incredible illuminations in the night sky. It was almost a space age new experience for me. Great memories.
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Re: Floodlights
Didn't the origional lights have a full bank of lighting which at sometime was replaced with high intensity lighting which only required about 2/3 rds of the lighting bank/pylon to be filled?
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Re: Floodlights
Yes, tally.
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Re: Floodlights
The original lights I seem remember had 48 light blubs per pylon but that was reduced significantly when they replaced them around 1970.
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Re: Floodlights
it was quite magical as a kid to see the sky near the turf illuminated by these lights.
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Re: Floodlights
I was a young kid living close to the ground when they first went up. I thought we were getting four Blackpool Towers.Wile E Coyote wrote: ↑Sat Jul 24, 2021 10:01 pmit was quite magical as a kid to see the sky near the turf illuminated by these lights.
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Re: Floodlights
More than likely. My mate lived two doors down and we could watch games off his roof when they put the big screen up in cfs. Still unsure how it was even possible but we definitely watched us against Birmingham on said screen out of the skylight.Wile E Coyote wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 7:25 pmif that house had put a window in the gable end wall, they could possibly have watched the matches.
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Re: Floodlights
Another club had the same lights, possibly Bolton at Burnden Park. I think they were made by Watson's (or maybe Booth's), of Bolton?
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Re: Floodlights
Definitely Bolton at Burnden Park. I think Watson's were a Bolton company.basil6345789 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 24, 2021 11:18 pmAnother club had the same lights, possibly Bolton at Burnden Park. I think they were made by Watson's (or maybe Booth's), of Bolton?
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Re: Floodlights
Those were the first turnstiles I remember going through. Pushed through the child’s turnstile by my dad (think it cost 50p or maybe less) and told to wait the other side. There was always a group of boys waiting for their dads to come through the adult turnstile.
Re: Floodlights
Yep, same here. I think I recall the adult price being around £1,80 - painted white on black above the turnstiles.martin_p wrote: ↑Sat Jul 24, 2021 11:32 pmThose were the first turnstiles I remember going through. Pushed through the child’s turnstile by my dad (think it cost 50p or maybe less) and told to wait the other side. There was always a group of boys waiting for their dads to come through the adult turnstile.
The floodlights always fascinated me. MASSIVE things, with the WATSON panel. Going to Burnden Park was interesting as they had the same pylons, as noted on here. The actual lamp configuration was different in the late 80s, though.
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Re: Floodlights
Funnily enough I remarked to my Dad yesterday that the floodlights at Oldham reminded me of our old ones.
Re: Floodlights
Highbury was always an odd ground. It had the floodlights mounted along the roofs of the two side stands. It had the moats running around the perimeter, presumably to stop fans getting on the pitch but a nuisance for ball retrieval; and it had the police band. They used to march round the pitch at half time and as they went along the ends the leader would throw his stick up in the air and then catch it, often making out he was going to fail to entertain the supporters who would react accordingly. I don't remember them being dropped. These police would then return to a seated area on the side to the right of the away end.
Some comments on floodlights:
https://www.footballsite.co.uk/DYK/DYK2 ... lights.htm
...and some pictures:
https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=footbal ... loodlights
Some comments on floodlights:
https://www.footballsite.co.uk/DYK/DYK2 ... lights.htm
...and some pictures:
https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=footbal ... loodlights
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Re: Floodlights
I have this abiding memory that the "new" lights were required because of the move to colour television and the old ones werent good enough. With Bob Lords love of TV I wonder these days if that was true!ClaretTony wrote: ↑Sat Jul 24, 2021 9:40 pmThe original lights I seem remember had 48 light blubs per pylon but that was reduced significantly when they replaced them around 1970.
Also I remember hearing they were purchased second hand from West Ham.
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Re: Floodlights
ClaretTony wrote: ↑Sat Jul 24, 2021 11:23 pmDefinitely Bolton at Burnden Park. I think Watson's were a Bolton company.
I can't vouch for Burnden Park but I think that Watsons did the floodlights at Leeds Road, Huddersfield (or that we had the same firm providing the Longside roof).ClaretTony wrote: ↑Sat Jul 24, 2021 11:23 pmDefinitely Bolton at Burnden Park. I think Watson's were a Bolton company.
The 'Big One' Rollercoaster at Blackpool Please Beach opened in 1994 and claimed to be the world's tallest (it wasn't). The tubular track and supports were produced then shifted from Watsons in Bolton and stored at the nearby Blackpool Airport.
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Re: Floodlights
Similar for me. Not the game mentioned above but still the promise of attending my first game played under floodlights. Think it was late 50's, perhaps Jan 1960 but I was taken to Peel Park, home of Accrington.Stanley, for an FA Cup replay between the hosts and Preston.North End who included the great Tom Finney.in their line-up. I could hardly eat my tea I was so excited and as you can see it was an unforgettable.night. I'd.never seen a.team in red shirts.before , everything seemed to glisten and the only disappointment was that the underdogs were beaten. Magical memories. I'm going to go and see if I can find out exactly when that game was played.Vino blanco wrote: ↑Sat Jul 24, 2021 9:13 pmI remember going on the Turf to mark the switching on of the floodlights. I was a ten year old in 1957 when we played Blackburn at home to officially see a floodlit Turf Moor for the first time. I know both teams played strong teams but I can't remember much about the game, I think was too enthralled by these incredible illuminations in the night sky. It was almost a space age new experience for me. Great memories.
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Re: Floodlights
Monday, 9th January 1961.Silkyskills1 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 26, 2021 11:29 amSimilar for me. Not the game mentioned above but still the promise of attending my first game played under floodlights. Think it was late 50's, perhaps Jan 1960 but I was taken to Peel Park, home of Accrington.Stanley, for an FA Cup replay between the hosts and Preston.North End who included the great Tom Finney.in their line-up. I could hardly eat my tea I was so excited and as you can see it was an unforgettable.night. I'd.never seen a.team in red shirts.before , everything seemed to glisten and the only disappointment was that the underdogs were beaten. Magical memories. I'm going to go and see if I can find out exactly when that game was played.
It was 1-1 at Deepdale on 7th but Preston won the replay 4-0.
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Re: Floodlights
Just checked myself,CT, and surprised to see that date. I was still a few months short of my 9th birthday and I'd already been to 'a night game' at Turf Moor so I'm guessing the excitement must have been a combination of another night game and the magic of the F A Cup that was around then. Game replayed just over 48 hours later,too. Something else we'll never see again.
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Re: Floodlights
Tom Finney had retired at the end of the previous season though - 1960/61 saw Preston relegated.
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Re: Floodlights
Never to return, as we speak...ClaretTony wrote: ↑Mon Jul 26, 2021 5:37 pmTom Finney had retired at the end of the previous season though - 1960/61 saw Preston relegated.
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Re: Floodlights
He came to The Turf in a testimonial - was stll magic!
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Re: Floodlights
I was referring to Preston in the Top Divisionbasil6345789 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 26, 2021 5:47 pmHe came to The Turf in a testimonial - was stll magic!
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Re: Floodlights
The years playing tricks again. I did see him play at Turf Moor in the 59-60 season, a 1-0 win for us and that was an evening kick off. I thought he carried on playing but evidently not but according to my dad and older brothers a truly magnificent footballer.ClaretTony wrote: ↑Mon Jul 26, 2021 5:37 pmTom Finney had retired at the end of the previous season though - 1960/61 saw Preston relegated.
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Re: Floodlights
I never saw him play competitively but my dad said he was the best player he ever saw, Bill Shankly said he was the best player that ever lived and Jimmy Mac told me he was the best he ever played with or against. That'll do for me.Silkyskills1 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 26, 2021 5:55 pmThe years playing tricks again. I did see him play at Turf Moor in the 59-60 season, a 1-0 win for us and that was an evening kick off. I thought he carried on playing but evidently not but according to my dad and older brothers a truly magnificent footballer.
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