First Floodlit Game at Wheldon Road 556
Resource type: Articles
FIRST FLOODLIT GAME AT WHELDON ROAD
The first ever Rugby League game played under floodlights at Wheldon Road, was between two representative sides Yorkshire and New Zealand, on Monday 25th September 1965, in front of a crowd of 14,000, who paid receipts of £2,800. This was the largest attendance for a representative game for many years.
The lights, at a cost of £6,000 were switched on by the Minister of Sport Mr Dennis Howell, and the weather was said ''to have behaved itself''.
In a party like atmosphere the game was preceded by a display by the West Riding County Service Band in their colourful scarlet tunics.
The game, though less spectacular than the precedings, was won by Yorkshire by 15 points to 8 and in doing so inflicted the tourist's 4th defeat in eleven games.
Unsurprisingly Yorkshire had several Castleford players in their starting thirteen, Johnny Ward; the hooker, who scored Yorkshire's 3rd try, Bill Bryant a second row forward (who was adjudged to be the best forward of the game), Jack Gamble a centre, and John Taylor the loose forward.
Tommy Smales the Great Britain captain was nominated as man of the match, which was reported to have been won by Yorkshire with ''their mobile, and hard working pack''.
Researched and written by Harvey Wiles
