A classic if ever there was one. However ... Newcastle United have now turned St. James' Park into a stadium of light after groundstaff installed £250,000-worth of light rigging to simulate sunshine so that the pitch thinks it's summer.
The four light rigs will be in use 24 hours a day for the next five months to hopefully improve the quality of the playing surface.
Newcastle spokesman Eddie Rutherford said: "We have a beautiful stadium but it's in a terrible position as far as sunlight is concerned. The grass stops growing in winter as the light levels are so low. We've taken steps to fix this."