As a requirement of Western League football, Dawlish Town installed floodlights on their ground in 1987, and the official opening was the 9 February 1987, celebrated when Queens Park Rangers brought their full squad to play the 1st team. At the beginning of the 1987–88 season, Dawlish played host to Aberdeen and in season 1988–89 both Chelsea and Watford visited Dawlish. Chelsea in fact played twice at Dawlish, playing Torquay United in a pre-season friendly as Torquay United’s ground was not ready to host pre-season friendlies. Dawlish have also played Crewe Alexandra on several occasions having established a close relationship with their manager Dario Gradi. It was Dario Gradi who spotted the talents of a Dawlish Youth player Seth Johnson, and for those who do not know – Seth Johnson not only played for Crewe Alexandra, but went on to play for Derby County and Leeds United as well as becoming a full England international. As part of the Western League development standards, Dawlish built new changing rooms in readiness for the 1989–90 season. Since this time, Dawlish have hosted many football league teams including Burnley, Lincoln, Leyton Orient, Bury, Bristol City, Huddersfield Town, Sheffield Wednesday and Wimbledon as well as our local senior teams Plymouth Argyle, Torquay United and Exeter City. Not every club in the country can say that one of their teams have played at Wembley Stadium even once let alone twice! But in May 1996 Dawlish Town won the inaugural Carlsberg Pub Cup Final with Wembley Stadium hosting the final. Dawlish Town won the cup 4 – 2 on penalties with the undoubted hero being Dawlish Town’s goalkeeper Jamie Day who saved two penalties. Dawlish had also won their semi-final at Anfield by two goals to nil. The second visit to Wembley was on the 22 September 1996 when Dawlish played the Dutch Carlsberg Champions Brigade Bodega in a first ever Carlsberg European Pub Cup Championship. On this occasion Dawlish lost 1 – 0 after conceding a late goal.