1977 is considered to be one of the most significant years in the richly illustrated history of Mohun Bagan.
Under the leadership of assistant general secretary Dhiren Dey, Mohun Bagan became the first club in Kolkata Maidan to install floodlights. It was inaugurated on February 10, with the Mariners locking horns with Paktakore FC of Soviet Union in a friendly match. The visitors won the match 3-0.
Later that year, on September 24, Mohun Bagan also got the opportunity to rub shoulders with Pele's Cosmos Club at the Eden Gardens. In front of an 80,000-strong crowd, the match ended in a 2-2 draw with Shyam Thapa and Md.