[Troon Fc]

We have the floodlight collumns and cabling all waiting to be installed, will be in for next season all going to plan. A few other things to sort first. I don't think we would ever want to play competitive games under floodlights but great for a midweek friendly, we all know how hard it is to organise a full pitch midweek.

[wishawloyal]

HibeeJibee, on 25 January 2012 - 17:25, said:

I'm sure someone can add others (especially at some of the clubs who've moved into 3G complexes or have dog/speedway/athletics tracks surrounding), but the following definetely do:


North Region
Banks O'Dee
Hermes
Hillhead
Lewis

East Region
Linlithgow
Bathgate
Sauchie
Dunbar
Spartans
Newtongrange
Dundee North End
Broxburn
Falkirk (at Grangemouth)?

West Region
Petershill
Greenock (Battery/Ravenscraig)
Whitletts (at Dam Park)
Rutherglen
Maryhill
Port Glasgow (Battery/assume new park will be lit too)
Bellshill?
Wishaw?
Carluke?


Anyone clarify these or add more?

[wishawloyal]

Wishaw have just moved to a new park away from the sports centre and unfortunately don't have flood lights.
Would agree though that teams with floodlights should be able to use them for league games midweek. Another excuse to get out the house during the week 

[superdon]

prorege, on 25 January 2012 - 21:09, said:

Hill of Beath use their lights for competitive games - a League Cup Semi Final against Kinnoull the other year, for example. Ballingry have also used theirs in competitve games.

Montrose Roselea and Kinnoull both have systems that would be ok for competitive games.

I remember being at the 'Floodlight Opening' game at Dunipace (v St Mirren), circa 1977. Suspect they would only be fit for training now, if at all.

St Mirren used to play some reserve games at Neilston Juniors under their lights, up to the early / mid 1990s.

Other grounds with the remains of old floodlighting systems include Armadale and Benburb.

Two grounds that had lights but which are now long-gone were Gilburn Park (original home of the Joeys) and Greenhead Park (Alva Albion Rangers).

Kinnoull played Bankfoot in the league on a Friday night this year and the second half was played under the lights. Not the best and I wouldn't advocate them as the minimum standard but don't think it would take too much to improve them.

[tellyboy]

Montrose Roselea installed floodlights in 2001 with the main purpose to play friendlies and bring on youth players/amateur trialists in these games. This has been a big success and worth the £6k it cost to install them. They have been approved by the East Region for matches however the only competitive game I can remember being played under them was a 2nd half of a League Cup semi final against Tayport. There have been numerous offers to play some local clubs (especially in 2008/9 when we had a fixtures backlog) but no takers. What I find strange is that these matches could have kicked off at 7.30pm however teams could not grasp the fact that if they were asked to come up in April for an early midweek game they would have a 6.30pm KO and a bigger rush from work etc. Until the Region stipulates that clubs must play midweek under lights when asked it will never happen.

The lights were installed in 2001 and due to the harsh conditions the actual Lamps had to be revamped in 2010 due to corrosion and have been replaced by ones with shells made from GRP so should last longer. When they were first installed players did complain of glare at times however the actual lamps were installed at a vertical angle and we have since adjusted them to shine more downwards at around a 45 degree angle. This has improved the qulaity of the light and reduced the glare when going for headers etc. When Peterhead recently trained on the pitch prior to their match with Celtic Sky TV were there to film it and it did look very well lit. We may still tamper with the Lamps and may tilt them further to see what effect that has.

It would be great for most clubs to have lights but we have to remember this is Junior football and there will be limitations as to who can have them. Perhaps it could be a project to make them compulsory for Superleague sides as a starter.

[HibeeJibee]

I suppose the first step would be to make it mandatory for clubs to play midweeks under the lights, as happens in the Senior leagues - not only could that help backlogs (quite markedly in some cases), but it would also make it more worthwhile for clubs to invest in lights, as they'd get more "bang for their buck".

That would mean the current 30-odd clubs with lights could be given midweeks in February/March/early April, and in the autumn.
(They might also be able to join local Senior cups etc. where these are played midweek).

Then a second step could be to make them mandatory say at Superleague level, although potentially that needn't be too strict (e.g. if a few clubs can't do it over planning constraints etc.).