What happened before we had floodlights?

[lappinitup 629]

It is reckoned that clubs have traditionally kicked of on Saturdays at 3pm but is this so?Floodlights were installed at Carrow Rd in 1956 but what happened before then? If kick-off was 3pm then surely it was dark by half time in the depths of winter. A large proportion of our support back then was rural, and farm workers did a 46 hour week which included Saturday mornings until midday. If the kick-off was brought forward to 2pm then those living and working in places like Kings Lynn, Thetford and Lowestoft surely couldn''t have made the game considering how primitive the roads and transport were back then. Was the fanbase mainly from the City and suburbs or did the agricultural community find ways round this?Anybody old enough on here to remember or hear older folks discussing it?

[Leedscanary 389]

Ask Tilly!

[Bill 1,788]

It was more City based. There wasn''t the hype or ''delivery of experience'' back then. More blokes would have been playing football as well, though would still catch up via the Pinkun.

 

It is also forgotten how many supporters usec to cycle to games. I''ve seen pictures of huge heaps of bikes near the ground,

 

In fact my great uncle used to give one player a crossbar to the game. I think he stopped that after playing Bolton away.

 

 

[BlyBlyBabes 0]

http://www.yourgrandadsfootball.co.uk/pre-war-the-posh.htm

 

''In the days before floodlighting (introduced in the1950’s) matches started earlier as the days grew shorter and in mid-winter a 2.15 kick-off was usual for league matches, with a 1.30 or 1.45 start for Cup replays. So prior to floodlights football was confined to Saturdays, except early autumn or late spring. Cup replays were midweek as were International matches.''

 

I would imagine that it was much the same for all clubs prior to the arrival of floodlights.

 

OTBC

[lincoln canary (& Golden Coppel) 0]

[quote user="BlyBlyBabes"]

http://www.yourgrandadsfootball.co.uk/pre-war-the-posh.htm

 

''In the days before floodlighting (introduced in the1950’s) matches started earlier as the days grew shorter and in mid-winter a 2.15 kick-off was usual for league matches, with a 1.30 or 1.45 start for Cup replays. So prior to floodlights football was confined to Saturdays, except early autumn or late spring. Cup replays were midweek as were International matches.''

 

I would imagine that it was much the same for all clubs prior to the arrival of floodlights.

 

OTBC

[/quote]

 

Similar to ameatur saturday football. League games are 2:15pm during winter months, before changing to 3:00pm when the light improves. Cup games are always 1:30pm, not sure why though.

[chicken 0]

This is the bit where we miss Wiz chiming in with the stands not having roofs so the setting sun able to break over the heads of the crowds and light the field.

Not to mention the lanterns on sticks around the edges of the stands and the persistent shooting of flares up into the sky.

[ricardo 8,042]

Bly is correct, 3pm was the kick off time until the clocks went back then it was a 2.15 K.O. It reverted to 3pm when the clocks went forward again. That was normal practice when I was a boy. Replayed FA Cup matches were played on Wednesday afternoons (2.15 K.O.) The last one of these that I can remember was against Swindon in December 1958. I bunked off school to attend. Floodlights didn''t come in until the late 1950''s and evening K.O.''s were 7.15 on a Wednesday night.

[stewfil 12]

"lincoln canary"

Similar to ameatur saturday football. League games are 2:15pm during winter months, before changing to 3:00pm when the light improves. Cup games are always 1:30pm, not sure why though.

In case of extra time?

[Kathy 823]

[quote user="lappinitup"]It is reckoned that clubs have traditionally kicked of on Saturdays at 3pm but is this so?

Floodlights were installed at Carrow Rd in 1956 but what happened before then? If kick-off was 3pm then surely it was dark by half time in the depths of winter. A large proportion of our support back then was rural, and farm workers did a 46 hour week which included Saturday mornings until midday. If the kick-off was brought forward to 2pm then those living and working in places like Kings Lynn, Thetford and Lowestoft surely couldn''t have made the game considering how primitive the roads and transport were back then. Was the fanbase mainly from the City and suburbs or did the agricultural community find ways round this?

Anybody old enough on here to remember or hear older folks discussing it?
[/quote]

Unfortunately Til1010 is on holiday.

[YankeeCanary 0]

[quote user="ricardo"]Bly is correct, 3pm was the kick off time until the clocks went back then it was a 2.15 K.O. It reverted to 3pm when the clocks went forward again. That was normal practice when I was a boy. Replayed FA Cup matches were played on Wednesday afternoons (2.15 K.O.) The last one of these that I can remember was against Swindon in December 1958. I bunked off school to attend.

 Floodlights didn''t come in until the late 1950''s and evening K.O.''s were 7.15 on a Wednesday night.
[/quote]

 

 Ricardo, not sure if you meant this as it relates to Norwich City or football in general. As Bly said, Norwich got their floodlights in 1956 but many other clubs were well in advance of that. We have discussed this before, of course, of the excitement felt by those of us who were there at the first floodlit match against Sunderland, with the expectation of watching the wizardry of Len Shackleton. Were you there Ricardo?

[ricardo 8,042]

[quote user="YankeeCanary"]

[quote user="ricardo"]Bly is correct, 3pm was the kick off time until the clocks went back then it was a 2.15 K.O. It reverted to 3pm when the clocks went forward again. That was normal practice when I was a boy. Replayed FA Cup matches were played on Wednesday afternoons (2.15 K.O.) The last one of these that I can remember was against Swindon in December 1958. I bunked off school to attend. Floodlights didn''t come in until the late 1950''s and evening K.O.''s were 7.15 on a Wednesday night.[/quote]

 

 Ricardo, not sure if you meant this as it relates to Norwich City or football in general. As Bly said, Norwich got their floodlights in 1956 but many other clubs were well in advance of that. We have discussed this before, of course, of the excitement felt by those of us who were there at the first floodlit match against Sunderland, with the expectation of watching the wizardry of Len Shackleton. Were you there Ricardo?

[/quote]Yes Yankee, I was 11 yes old and went with my father and stood behind the Barclay goal. I''ve still got the match programme (6d. 17th October 1956). City team Oxford, McCrohan, Lockwood, McNeil, Pointer, Ashman, Bacon, Gavin, Hunt, Coxon, Kitchener. I distinctly remember watching Shackelton and Charlie (cannonball) Flemming.It''s interesting looking at the old prog. On the back is a photo of Riverside Rd with Boulton & Pauls Works and a large ship tied up at the quayside. It shows what enormous changes there have been in the last 56 years. I also note that you could get a rail excursion to London for fifteen shillings and ninepence ( that''s about 79p). That puts the devaluation of the pound into perspective doesn''t it.

[Bill 1,788]

It also puts both programme and train fares into some sort of perspective

 

You could go on an excursion for the cost of about 30 programmes

 

 

 

[Rock The Boat 1,332]

[quote user="City1st"]

It also puts both programme and train fares into some sort of perspective

 

You could go on an excursion for the cost of about 30 programmes

 

 

 

[/quote]

So what is the value in today''s money?

[nutty nigel 7,902]

[quote user="BlyBlyBabes"]

http://www.yourgrandadsfootball.co.uk/pre-war-the-posh.htm

 

''In the days before floodlighting (introduced in the1950’s) matches started earlier as the days grew shorter and in mid-winter a 2.15 kick-off was usual for league matches, with a 1.30 or 1.45 start for Cup replays. So prior to floodlights football was confined to Saturdays, except early autumn or late spring. Cup replays were midweek as were International matches.''

 

I would imagine that it was much the same for all clubs prior to the arrival of floodlights.

 

OTBC

[/quote]

 

There are far more football matches played on Saturday afternoons on pitches without floodlights than there are on those that have them. Surely you didn''t need to google this[*-)]

 

 

[YankeeCanary 0]

[quote user="ricardo"][quote user="YankeeCanary"]

[quote user="ricardo"]Bly is correct, 3pm was the kick off time until the clocks went back then it was a 2.15 K.O. It reverted to 3pm when the clocks went forward again. That was normal practice when I was a boy. Replayed FA Cup matches were played on Wednesday afternoons (2.15 K.O.) The last one of these that I can remember was against Swindon in December 1958. I bunked off school to attend.

 Floodlights didn''t come in until the late 1950''s and evening K.O.''s were 7.15 on a Wednesday night.
[/quote]

 

 Ricardo, not sure if you meant this as it relates to Norwich City or football in general. As Bly said, Norwich got their floodlights in 1956 but many other clubs were well in advance of that. We have discussed this before, of course, of the excitement felt by those of us who were there at the first floodlit match against Sunderland, with the expectation of watching the wizardry of Len Shackleton. Were you there Ricardo?

[/quote]

Yes Yankee, I was 11 yes old and went with my father and stood behind the Barclay goal. I''ve still got the match programme (6d. 17th October 1956). City team Oxford, McCrohan, Lockwood, McNeil, Pointer, Ashman, Bacon, Gavin, Hunt, Coxon, Kitchener. I distinctly remember watching Shackelton and Charlie (cannonball) Flemming.

It''s interesting looking at the old prog. On the back is a photo of Riverside Rd with Boulton & Pauls Works and a large ship tied up at the quayside. It shows what enormous changes there have been in the last 56 years. I also note that you could get a rail excursion to London for fifteen shillings and ninepence ( that''s about 79p). That puts the devaluation of the pound into perspective doesn''t it.
[/quote]

 

 Okay Ricardo, a trivia question to test your excellent memory against my admittedly poor one. I was on the terraces in the River end. My memory was that Sunderland were attacking the Barclay end in the second half. I say that because I seem to remember ( I think ) Shackelton putting on more of a show in the second half but I didn''t get to see it very clearly as he was mostly up the other end. Is my memory correct or is it playing tricks on me?

[ricardo 8,042]

[quote user="YankeeCanary"][quote user="ricardo"][quote user="YankeeCanary"]

[quote user="ricardo"]Bly is correct, 3pm was the kick off time until the clocks went back then it was a 2.15 K.O. It reverted to 3pm when the clocks went forward again. That was normal practice when I was a boy. Replayed FA Cup matches were played on Wednesday afternoons (2.15 K.O.) The last one of these that I can remember was against Swindon in December 1958. I bunked off school to attend. Floodlights didn''t come in until the late 1950''s and evening K.O.''s were 7.15 on a Wednesday night.[/quote]

 

 Ricardo, not sure if you meant this as it relates to Norwich City or football in general. As Bly said, Norwich got their floodlights in 1956 but many other clubs were well in advance of that. We have discussed this before, of course, of the excitement felt by those of us who were there at the first floodlit match against Sunderland, with the expectation of watching the wizardry of Len Shackleton. Were you there Ricardo?

[/quote]Yes Yankee, I was 11 yes old and went with my father and stood behind the Barclay goal. I''ve still got the match programme (6d. 17th October 1956). City team Oxford, McCrohan, Lockwood, McNeil, Pointer, Ashman, Bacon, Gavin, Hunt, Coxon, Kitchener. I distinctly remember watching Shackelton and Charlie (cannonball) Flemming.It''s interesting looking at the old prog. On the back is a photo of Riverside Rd with Boulton & Pauls Works and a large ship tied up at the quayside. It shows what enormous changes there have been in the last 56 years. I also note that you could get a rail excursion to London for fifteen shillings and ninepence ( that''s about 79p). That puts the devaluation of the pound into perspective doesn''t it.[/quote]

 

 Okay Ricardo, a trivia question to test your excellent memory against my admittedly poor one. I was on the terraces in the River end. My memory was that Sunderland were attacking the Barclay end in the second half. I say that because I seem to remember ( I think ) Shackelton putting on more of a show in the second half but I didn''t get to see it very clearly as he was mostly up the other end. Is my memory correct or is it playing tricks on me?

[/quote]I think your memory is o.k. Yankee, that''s how I remember it. I think we were beaten 3-0 but can''t remember who the scorers were. If I remember correctly there was also a floodlight game against an Army X1 that season. I went to that with my dad also and I think we won either 5-1 or 5-2.

[lappinitup 629]

You both have better memories than me even though you''re both MUCH older than I am. [;)]

[BlyBlyBabes 0]

[quote user="nutty nigel"][quote user="BlyBlyBabes"]

http://www.yourgrandadsfootball.co.uk/pre-war-the-posh.htm

 

''In the days before floodlighting (introduced in the1950’s) matches started earlier as the days grew shorter and in mid-winter a 2.15 kick-off was usual for league matches, with a 1.30 or 1.45 start for Cup replays. So prior to floodlights football was confined to Saturdays, except early autumn or late spring. Cup replays were midweek as were International matches.''

 

I would imagine that it was much the same for all clubs prior to the arrival of floodlights.

 

OTBC

[/quote]

 

There are far more football matches played on Saturday afternoons on pitches without floodlights than there are on those that have them. Surely you didn''t need to google this[*-)]

 

[/quote]

 

Good Lord. I thought you''d gone off on holiday with Tilly.

 

OTBC

[Bill 1,788]

There was a floodlit game played not long after the war using old army searchlights - though it almost didn''t happen as the generator packed up about an hour before the.game.

 

Luckily there was a German POW camp not too far away and they brought in a few lorry loads of these chaps to operate some kind of cobbled up arrangement of hand cranked pulleys etc to keep the generator going

 

hence the expression

 

many Hans make light work

 

 

[ricardo 8,042]

[quote user="lappinitup"]You both have better memories than me even though you''re both MUCH older than I am. [;)][/quote]I have no trouble remembering stuff from 50 years ago Lapp but I often get to top of the stairs and wonder what the hell I''ve come up for.Funny old life.

[nutty nigel 7,902]

[quote user="BlyBlyBabes"][quote user="nutty nigel"][quote user="BlyBlyBabes"]

http://www.yourgrandadsfootball.co.uk/pre-war-the-posh.htm

 

''In the days before floodlighting (introduced in the1950’s) matches started earlier as the days grew shorter and in mid-winter a 2.15 kick-off was usual for league matches, with a 1.30 or 1.45 start for Cup replays. So prior to floodlights football was confined to Saturdays, except early autumn or late spring. Cup replays were midweek as were International matches.''

 

I would imagine that it was much the same for all clubs prior to the arrival of floodlights.

 

OTBC

[/quote]

 

There are far more football matches played on Saturday afternoons on pitches without floodlights than there are on those that have them. Surely you didn''t need to google this[*-)]

 

[/quote]

 

Good Lord. I thought you''d gone off on holiday with Tilly.

 

OTBC

[/quote]

 

Christ on a bike. I thought you''d gone off in a sulk with Wiz.

 

 

[nutty nigel 7,902]

[quote user="ricardo"][quote user="lappinitup"]You both have better memories than me even though you''re both MUCH older than I am. [;)]
[/quote]

I have no trouble remembering stuff from 50 years ago Lapp but I often get to top of the stairs and wonder what the hell I''ve come up for.

Funny old life.
[/quote]

 

I do that but then remember when I get that warm feeling down my.....

[+o(]

 

 

[TIL 1010 5,246]

[quote user="Kathy "]

[quote user="lappinitup"]It is reckoned that clubs have traditionally kicked of on Saturdays at 3pm but is this so?

Floodlights were installed at Carrow Rd in 1956 but what happened before then? If kick-off was 3pm then surely it was dark by half time in the depths of winter. A large proportion of our support back then was rural, and farm workers did a 46 hour week which included Saturday mornings until midday. If the kick-off was brought forward to 2pm then those living and working in places like Kings Lynn, Thetford and Lowestoft surely couldn''t have made the game considering how primitive the roads and transport were back then. Was the fanbase mainly from the City and suburbs or did the agricultural community find ways round this?

Anybody old enough on here to remember or hear older folks discussing it?
[/quote]

Unfortunately Til1010 is on holiday.

[/quote]

I may well be on holiday but news of the Wrinkly Old Storm Chaser making fun at my expense has reached even these parts.[H]

[drurys testamonials V 15 0]

Must be an exciting holiday if you feel the need to post on the pinkun while you''re away lol