Several years of planning, much running around and hard work will see the completion of the lights by the end of July.

Several other changes have also taken place. After 21 seasons as first team manager Derek Stittle is becoming the club's general manager, overseeing football related matters at the club.

The first team remain in the Essex Senior League and will be run by Paul Delea (first team manager) and Ian McGowan (assistant manager), while the reserves will play in the Essex & Herts Border League and will have twin bosses in Andy Fryd and Steve Witherspoon.

The third team will play in the Mid Essex Division Two and will be managed by Peter Morrison and Gary Kiff.

The Veterans will continue in the Mid Essex League as will the under 18's in their Sunday Eastern Junior Alliance League under the watchful of youth coach Brian Hallett.

The club are also entered into the Essex Thameside Trophy, the FA Vase, the FA Youth Cup and the Eastern Floodlight Competition.

To celebrate the switch on, a game against a Leyton Orient side is scheduled for Monday, August 9 and a match against a Tottenham Hotspur celebrity team with the date to be agreed.

The club thanked every individual who has helped to achieve the acquisition of floodlights and also thanked their sponsors for the 1999/00 season, Spall Sports and United Sports and This Is Essex partner the Brentwood Gazette.

With a mixture of experienced senior players and plenty of talented youth, Brentwood FC look forward optimistically to the season. Training for the new campaign commenced on Tuesday.

Pictured at the club last week are Ian McGowan (Brentwood Football Club assistant manager), Andy Fryd (second team joint manager), and Des Pratt, who is one of the many technicians who have been involved in the project from the start.

Brentwood Football Club has finally secured its status as a senior club with the installation of floodlights.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.