Looking Back: Burnden Park floodlights and drilling operation in photo

Here’s an interesting photo from our archives which Looking Back readers have helped provide more information about.

It was taken in November 1973 and the caption on the back simply states ‘Rosehill site, Bolton’.

Wanderers fans were quick to point out that the floodlights you can see belong to Burnden Park, home of Bolton Wanderers until 1997. You can just about make out the older Embankment end and scoreboard facing the camera.

On the photo, there is no explanation for what appears to be sort of drilling operation going on - the large black pipe sticking up into the air behind the Rover could be some kind of bore. Perhaps they were drilling for oil in Great Lever!

Source

Something doesn't look right to me about this picture?

For a start Rose Hill (not Rosehill?) is to the west and parallel to Burden Park - or at least where I remember Rose Hill to be - so the Embankment and scoreboard should not be facing the photographer they should be showing side on to him and placed on his left.

If the picture was facing the Embankment, then why isn't the Burnden Road End Stand, with the big Ingersoll advert on it not showing in the picture - possibly even blocking out the view of the scoreboard?



As you can see in the picture I've posted, the scoreboard is much nearer where the east pylon (top left) than the west pylon (bottom left) would be - and also the 'triangle' looking roof being presumably the roof to the paddock, which again would put the scoreboard in the wrong place?

It doesn't look right to me?