redevelopment was necessary after the club returned in 1944 — the South Stand had been bombed, and the incomplete fencing meant the club could not charge for admission. Half-time collections were taken to keep the club operating. The South Stand was restored to its former glory in 1950, and 1950–51 saw the capacity back around the 25,000 mark. Glass panels were fitted at each end of both stands two years later, at the cost of £90, 8s — a sum equivalent to £ in 2009. Floodlights were purchased in July 1954, and the North Stand was completely rebuilt before the 1957–58 season. The ground's freehold was purchased from Merton Borough Council by chairman Sydney Black for £8,250 in November 1959, and then donated to the club. Black announced at the same time that the floodlights purchased five years earlier would be erected on eight pylons the next year at the cost of £4,000. Due to inflation, the price paid by Black for the stadium would have been equal to £ in 2009 — this became significant as one of the conditions of the sale of the ground was the insertion of a pre-emption clause stating that if the site was ever to be used for any purpose other than sport, the council would have the right to buy the ground back for the same price it had been paid, regardless of inflation. As the pound sterling's value decreased over the years, this clause became a double-edged sword — it protected the club from asset strippers, but also meant that the stadium's value could never grow above the £8,250 that Black had paid in 1959. The first match under the new floodlights took place on 3 October 1960, in a London Charity Cup match against Arsenal. Arsenal beat Wimbledon 4–1. The ground remained largely unchanged until the club's election to the Football League, though during 1971–72 an attempt was made to start a market on the club's grounds to raise funds. The High Court ruled that this plan contravened a statute decreed by Charles I in 1628 forbidding any market within seven miles of Kingston upon Thames's market— the court reckoned the distance to be five and a half miles, so no market was built. Despite election to the Football League in 1977 and subsequent success, the club was still plagued by financial trouble. To try and ease the strain on