Football action is set to return under the lights at Somerset Cricket Club next season, according to club chairman Anthony Bailey.

Bailey said yesterday that the installation of a new ?cost efficient? lighting system had already begun on the club?s premises and that work was expected to be completed by June.

Local electrical firm, Bermuda Energy Conservation, have been contracted by Somerset to erect four 80-foot aluminium poles to replace the club?s previous lighting system.

?Bermuda Energy Conservation have been contracted to bring in the best lighting that we can possibly get for the price we want to pay,? confirmed Bailey.

?The new lighting is of an international standard which will allow us to play host to day and night night cricket if we want and, of course, host any international football. We have a good guarantee on them and a maintenance programme which will be put in place.?

The new system consists of four poles each featuring some 25 individual lights. Once the lights are in place, operators will be able to adjust the beams manually to cover additional or less area depending on the required amount of lighting for any given event.

Bailey added: ?Tests have already been completed and the ground is solid, so we have a solid footing on which to erect the lights. We are now looking to install a new electrical panel in the club by next week.?

The previous lighting system at the West End ground required more poles and only stood some 30 feet above ground, said Bailey, who described the new system as cost efficient.

?You would be surprised by modern technology . . . the way it is. It doesn?t take the same amount of voltage to generate additional light. And so the lights themselves are sophisticated in that they don?t use up much power to create the illumination that?s required. What we presently have (old lights) cost us more than the ones we are putting up,? he added.

?We are hoping that by the time Cup Match (July 29 and 30) rolls around we will have already hosted a few events under the lights. But if everything goes to plan, we should be up and running before June.?

Somerset haven?t played host to any night football for the past two seasons.

And news of their new equipment will be music to the ears of Bermuda Football Association who, for the past two years, have had to rely on BAA, Western Stars Sports Club and Devonshire Recreation Club to host night matches.

Compounding that problem, so far this season both BAA and the St. John?s Road ground have been out of commission following damage inflicted by hurricane Fabian last September.