Troon FC are set to make history on Friday evening as they switch on their new floodlights at Portland Park for the first time. The West of Scotland League game against Petershill will mark the occasion, with club secretary Richard Henderson hoping for a bumper crowd to witness the milestone.
Henderson said: “We have been working towards this day for years and it’s exciting times at Troon FC.” The new lights, costing £60,000, have been installed by Halliday Lighting with funding from South Ayrshire Council. They were signed off by engineers at the start of last week.
Troon previously had training lights in 1995, but they were only permitted for friendlies and were destroyed in a storm in 2007. The new floodlights will allow the club to host competitive evening matches. The game kicks off at 7.30pm.
In addition, work will begin in early February on a new multi-use games area behind the far goal. Once completed, Portland Park will have two floodlit astro five-a-side pitches or one seven-a-side pitch, available for hire by the public and the club’s academy teams.
Meanwhile, Maybole boss Carlo Walker has hailed the signing of striker Ross Robertson as a major signal of intent. The 31-year-old helped Ayr United win promotion to the First Division in 2011 and has played for Glenafton, Troon and Hurlford. Walker said: “He’s a Premier League striker and it shows our ambition to lure a player of his calibre.”
