Celtic Challenge Games – Floodlight Switch On
Celtic were relatively late to have floodlights installed at Parkhead.
While most other senior clubs in Scotland and England were already capable of playing under lights it was not until October 1959 that the Bhoys' switched on their floodlight system. However, the Celtic board boasted that the Parkhead lights were the best in football and that the four pylons – at 208 feet high – were the tallest such structures in the world. By then end of August 1959 the pylons and lights were all up and the work started on cabling and connection.
The system was installed at a cost of £40,000 by Edinburgh firm Miller and Stables Ltd and to mark the occasion the Hoops organised a glamour friendly with English champions Wolverhampton Wanderers on October 12th 1959. They had first tried to bring Real Madrid to Celtic Park for the game and though they offered the Spaniards a £5000 guarantee, Real required double this figure. The second choice was the French side and European Cup runners up Stade de Rheims, who also were unavailable. Wolverhampton Wanderers as English Champions were the third choice.
A mostly inexperienced Celtic team looked out of their depth against a Wolves side which was far from full strength and the midlanders ran out comfortable 2-0 winners before a crowd of 45,000. The visitor's goals were scored by Broadbent and Murray. While the lights were a huge success there was little room for optimisim about the performance on the pitch and to rub salt into the wounds of the Celtic support there was a strong rumour that star men Bobby Collins and Willie Fernie had been sold to Everton and Middlesbrough the season before to help pay for the new lights.
The Celtic team against Wolves was: Fallon, MacKay, Mochan, Smith, Evans, Peacock, Chalmers, McVittie, Lochhead, Divers, Auld.