['< sod > in 1929 the [ [ providence f. c. | providence clamdiggers ] ] football club hosted the [ [ bethlehem steel f. c. ( 1907 – 30 ) | bethlehem steel ] ] " under the rays of powerful flood lights, an innovation in soccer " at their providence stadium. < ref > { { cite news | title = draw with providence in night soccer game | url = http : / / bethlehemsteelsoccer. org / gl102629b. html | accessdate = 23 september 2016 | publisher = bethlehem steel soccer } } < / ref > in the 1930s, [ [ herbert chapman ] ] installed lights into the new west stand at [ [ arsenal stadium | highbury ] ] but the football league refused to sanction their use. this situation lasted until the 1950s, when the popularity of floodlit friendlies became such that the league relented. in september 1949, south liverpool fc\'s holly park ground hosted the first game in england under " permanent " floodlights : a friendly against a nigerian ix. < ref > wikipedia. org / wiki / south _ liverpool _ f. c. < / ref > in 1950, [ [ southampton fc ] ]\'s stadium, [ [ the dell ( southampton ) | the dell ] ], became the first ground in england to have permanent floodlighting installed. the first game played under the lights there was on 31 october 1950, in a friendly against [ [ a. f. c. bournemouth | bournemouth & boscombe athletic ] ], followed a year later by the first " official " match under floodlights, a [ [ football combination ] ] ( reserve team ) match against [ [ tottenham hotspur ] ] on 1 october 1951. the first international game under floodlights of an england game at [ [ wembley stadium ( 1923 ) | wembley ] ] was 30 november 1955 against spain, england winning 4 - 1. the first floodlit [ [ football league ] ] match took place at [ [ fratton park ] ], [ [ portsmouth ] ] on 22 february 1956 between [ [ portsmouth f. c. | portsmouth ] ] and [ [ newcastle united f. c. | newcastle & nbsp ; united ] ]. < ref name = " football league official site " > { { cite web | url = http : / / www. football - league. premiumtv. com co. uk / page / history / 0,, 10794, 00. html | title = the history of the football league | publisher = the football league | accessdate = 2007 - 02 - 22 | archiveurl = https : / / web. archive. org / web / 20070211234251 / http : / / www. football - league. premiumtv. co. uk / page / history / 0 % 2c % 2c10794 % 2c00. html | archivedate = 2007 - 02 - 11 | deadurl = yes } } < / ref > < eod > < sod > in 1929 the [ [ providence f. c. | providence clamdiggers ] ] football club hosted the [ [ bethlehem steel f. c. ( 1907 – 30 ) | bethlehem steel ] ] " under the rays of powerful flood lights, an innovation in soccer " at their providence, rhode island stadium. < ref > { { cite news | title = draw with providence in night soccer game | url = http : / / bethlehemsteelsoccer. org / gl102629b. html | accessdate = 23 september 2016 | publisher = bethlehem steel soccer } } < / ref > in the 1930s, [ [ herbert chapman ] ] installed lights into the new west stand at [ [ arsenal stadium | highbury ] ] but the football league refused to sanction their use. this situation lasted until the 1950s, when the popularity of floodlit friendlies became such that the league relented. in september 1949, south liverpool fc\'s holly park ground hosted the first game in england under " permanent " floodlights : a friendly against a nigerian ix. < ref > wikipedia. org / wiki / south _ liverpool _ f. c. < / ref > in 1950, [ [ southampton fc ] ]\'s stadium, [ [ the dell ( southampton ) | the dell ] ], became the first ground in england to have permanent floodlighting installed. the first game played under the lights there was on 31 october 1950, in a friendly against [ [ a. f. c. bournemouth | bournemouth & boscombe athletic ] ], followed a year later by the first " official " match under floodlights, a [ [ football combination ] ] ( reserve team ) match against [ [ tottenham hotspur ] ] on 1 october 1951. the first international game under floodlights of an england game at [ [ wembley stadium ( 1923 ) | wembley ] ] was 30 november 1955 against spain, england winning 4 - 1. the first floodlit [ [ football league ] ] match took place at [ [ fratton park ] ], [ [ portsmouth ] ] on 22 february 1956 between [ [ portsmouth f. c. | portsmouth ] ] and [ [ newcastle united f. c. | newcastle & nbsp ; united ] ]. < ref name = " football league official site " > { { cite web | url = http : / / www. football - league. premiumtv. co. uk / page / history / 0,, 10794, 00. html | title = the history of the football league | publisher = the football league | accessdate = 2007 - 02 - 22 | archiveurl = https : / / web. archive. org / web / 20070211234251 / http : / / www. football - league. premiumtv. co. uk / page / history / 0 % 2c % 2c10794 % 2c00. html | archivedate = 2007 - 02 - 11 | deadurl = yes } } < / ref > < eod >']