 Although reasonably well used , it was unpopular with the public , who objected to being obliged to pay tolls to use it . On 4 July 1857 , almost a year before the bridge 's opening , a demonstration against the tolls attracted 6 @,@ 000 residents . Concerns were raised in Parliament that poorer industrial workers in Chelsea , which had no large parks of its own , would be unable to afford to use the new park in Battersea . Bowing to public pressure , shortly after the bridge opened Parliament declared it free to use for pedestrians on Sundays , and in 1875 it was also made toll @-@ free on public holidays . Additionally , because the main lights were only turned on when Queen Victoria was staying in London , it was poorly used at night . Despite this , the new Battersea Park was extremely popular , particularly the sporting facilities ; on 9 January 1864 the park staged the world 's first official game of association football . 
