TURF Moor bade farewell to a famous landmark today after the four 39-year-old floodlight towers were demolished.

Work started yesterday on Turf Moor's new floodlight system and the next stage of a grand £6m ground development plan.

The four distinctive floodlight towers disappeared overnight following a 24-hour specialist operation at the ground in which the giant towers were lowered to the ground.

Turf Moor builders Linpave had hired a team of demolition specialists to complete the job to make way for the new system.

Now the more powerful lights will be mounted on front of the new North Stand, while new floodlight poles will be positioned at each end of the Bob Lord Stand. They will both be in use in time for the big kick-off next August.

The tricky operation saw the floodlights being held by a 100-ton crane while workers scaled the structure to cut the floodlight down by sections, using oxy-acetylene torches to burn the four towers in half.

Explained site manager Andy Meadowcroft: "The floodlight was cut half way down and lifted to the ground. There is no waste from the actual floodlight because the bulbs, which are worth quite a lot of money, are removed and can be used again."

The floodlights - a landmark in Burnley since the 50s - were first opened in December 1957 for a friendly match against Blackburn Rovers.

Burnley have chosen Musco Lighting Europe Limited to install the new system at Turf Moor. Their system was chosen for the Californian Rosebowl stadium which staged the 1994 World Cup final.

The Football League are expected to release the fixture list for the 1996/97 campaign next Monday. A full Burnley and Blackburn Rovers fixture list will be published in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

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