Some form of floodlighting has existed at the County Ground since the end of the Second World War, but the initial installation was a primitive one, only suitable for training purposes.

By 1951 an enhanced system was deemed adequate for non-competitive games. It now consisted of single 1,500 watt lamps mounted on poles 30 feet high – seven on the old North Stand roof and seven along the Shrivenham Road side, with just one placed behind each goal. Most of the £600 cost was met by the Supporters’ Club.

The official unveiling was due to happen on March 19, with a friendly against Bristol City, but bad weather saw the event postponed until April 2. However, the conditions had barely improved by then and just 3,171 braved the elements to see Town win 2-1, both goals coming from Willie Millar.

Evening Advertiser reporter ‘RCE’ observed: “The equipment is not perfect. It would have to be extended considerably before competitive football could even be considered.”

But Club Chairman Wilf Castle insisted: “We do not intend extending unless competitive (floodlit) football becomes the vogue. Then of course we should have to double them up and lift them higher.”

German visitors came to the County Ground as part of the Festival of Britain celebrations a month later, but the first European side to play under the floodlights was Fenerbahce, from Turkey, in October 1953. Almost 7,000 turned up as Town came off convincing 5-1 winners.

Austrian opponents were also entertained, with both the SK Admira and SC Columbia clubs of Vienna visiting Swindon between February 1954 and January 1955.

Reserve team fixtures were first played under the lights from the 1954/55 season and in December 1955 the club began a series of Shilling Night friendly games – played on Monday evenings – and so named because only half the normal admission price of ‘two bob’ (10p) was charged. The RAF Transport Command were the initial visitors on a bitterly cold evening a fortnight before Christmas, the gate this time totalling just 130! Swindon Town missed out on becoming the first club to stage a League game under lights by seven days, Portsmouth taking that honour.

However the first at the County Ground, on February 29, 1956 against Millwall, only came about due to it being a rearranged fixture through Town’s involvement in the FA Cup. The Lions had been scheduled to arrive on January 7, but non-League Worksop were the visitors in a Third Round tie.

Maurice Owen scored the only goal of the night after 20 minutes, allowing Swindon to register just their seventh League win of the season and enabling them to move off the bottom of the table for the first time since mid-September.

Exactly five years on from the original City fixture, March 19, 1956 was chosen for the Harold Fleming Memorial game against Charlton. But this time the Players Union intervened, instructing their members not to participate in floodlit games and the match was not staged until 2 June. - by Paul Plowman