Best Stadiums?
- Thread starter blackknight_pride
- Start date
Salem actually seats 7,157, according to the Civic center website. I personally don't think there is a better place to watch a football game than Salem Stadium, but I'm certainly aware that my opinion is subject to bias. I really like the new stadiums at Fleming and PH. I like Cy Dillon at Franklin Co. I like Pulaski's stadium. I really like all of the improvements that are being made at City Stadium. Mitchell Stadium is very nice, as is Richlands' Stadium. Handley is really awesome I especially like the Jeffersonian architecture of the school. Amherst, Rustburg, and Brookville are all nice places to watch a game, but honestly that's from a home side perspective, visitors side is obviously not as nice, but that's true basically everywhere. Louisa has a beautiful natural grass field and the environment is awesome from what I hear. There are many more that I'm forgetting or haven't had the pleasure of visiting.
You are correct on the capacity number on website. However, Salem has had a number of games where the stadium held somewhere between 10,000 and 14000. Those extra fans have sat or stood on the hill in the endzone.
really getting bored with this thread. if some of you want to see what a state of the art high school stadium looks like, check out some of the high school stadium's in Texas. just heard on the news couple of weeks ago that one school was spending $60 million plus on a new stadium just to keep up with their rivals. doubt any school in Va, can compare to that.
Emasculate landscaping sounds awful.
Like you said Mike, bias opinions for those that favor their own stadiums. Some need improvements for the visitor sides and I am sure that will happen
Here's how they do it, Texas-style:
http://www.wideopencountry.com/10-biggest-high-school-football-stadiums-texas/
Number two on the list reminds me of the dearly- (or not) departed Victory Stadium in Roanoke.
This might be what redzone was referring to, above:
http://asumag.com/new-construction/cost-high-school-football-stadium-rises-70-million
And finally, here's a site that will tell you everything - and perhaps a dash extra - that you ever wanted to know about Texas high school football stadiums. The fact that such a detailed site exists at all should be a good indicator of the fervor them boys have for the ol' pigskin out yonder:
http://www.texasbob.com/stadium/
http://www.wideopencountry.com/10-biggest-high-school-football-stadiums-texas/
Number two on the list reminds me of the dearly- (or not) departed Victory Stadium in Roanoke.
This might be what redzone was referring to, above:
http://asumag.com/new-construction/cost-high-school-football-stadium-rises-70-million
And finally, here's a site that will tell you everything - and perhaps a dash extra - that you ever wanted to know about Texas high school football stadiums. The fact that such a detailed site exists at all should be a good indicator of the fervor them boys have for the ol' pigskin out yonder:
http://www.texasbob.com/stadium/
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My apologies to blacknight_pride for taking the thread out of the Old Dominion once again, but the constructive conversation on our stadiums here seems to have petered out.
Here's a photo that I took myself, of a stadium in Palmerton, Pennsylvania last November. My father was from Palmerton, and my paternal grandparents are buried in the cemetery adjacent to the football stadium. My dad was a 5' 11", 135 pound wideout/defensive end for the Blue Bombers, back in 1944. In his day, the school was right in town - happily, it's still in use as an elementary school - and games were played somewhere else. I think this school and stadium were built around 1963 to 1965. Palmerton's enrollment, per Wikipedia, is about 550.
There's nothing special about the stadium. Just wanted to offer an example of what's probably a pretty typical small-school stadium from Pennsylvania. It does have one feature that I found unusual: there are no separate stands for the visiting fans. In the photo, the section of seating to the right is designated "Visitors." I'm not sure how well having fans of both schools rubbing elbows would fly at a lot of places around here. I imagine some of the smaller Virginia venues might not have any visiting stands.
EDIT: Well, of course I wasn't able to attach the photo I took. If anyone can tell me how to do that, I'd appreciate it. In the meantime, here are a few photos from the internet:
https://goo.gl/images/Xv0dFq
https://goo.gl/images/77oog1
https://goo.gl/images/RKxSD5
One thing I just noticed in the first photo that's kind of interesting - the exterior stairs on the back of the press box going to the roof. I could be mistaken, but I don't remember seeing that a lot down here. It seems like roof access is usually a ladder inside the box.
Here's a photo that I took myself, of a stadium in Palmerton, Pennsylvania last November. My father was from Palmerton, and my paternal grandparents are buried in the cemetery adjacent to the football stadium. My dad was a 5' 11", 135 pound wideout/defensive end for the Blue Bombers, back in 1944. In his day, the school was right in town - happily, it's still in use as an elementary school - and games were played somewhere else. I think this school and stadium were built around 1963 to 1965. Palmerton's enrollment, per Wikipedia, is about 550.
There's nothing special about the stadium. Just wanted to offer an example of what's probably a pretty typical small-school stadium from Pennsylvania. It does have one feature that I found unusual: there are no separate stands for the visiting fans. In the photo, the section of seating to the right is designated "Visitors." I'm not sure how well having fans of both schools rubbing elbows would fly at a lot of places around here. I imagine some of the smaller Virginia venues might not have any visiting stands.
EDIT: Well, of course I wasn't able to attach the photo I took. If anyone can tell me how to do that, I'd appreciate it. In the meantime, here are a few photos from the internet:
https://goo.gl/images/Xv0dFq
https://goo.gl/images/77oog1
https://goo.gl/images/RKxSD5
One thing I just noticed in the first photo that's kind of interesting - the exterior stairs on the back of the press box going to the roof. I could be mistaken, but I don't remember seeing that a lot down here. It seems like roof access is usually a ladder inside the box.
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I suprised to hear that you say not that many fans with make the trip. It's only about an hours drive? And it's a big deal game.
Yeah Spartan, roof access is usually an afterthought around here. Some of the ladders I've seen used..., man, And in many cases, no railings or chains around the perimeter.
Talk with Hoos or Navy or Mike about attaching a picture. I think they can tell you the steps.
I think it would be neat to see pictures of the "stadiums", (or in some cases "cow pastures"), where are fathers or grandparents played. I think I will start a thread for that purpose. I'll ask someone to post the step by step ways to post pictures.
I know that all of our brains are hopelessly addicted to football, and it would be great to honor our dads and granddads in this way. I'll think about it and try to start the thread this weekend.
Talk with Hoos or Navy or Mike about attaching a picture. I think they can tell you the steps.
I think it would be neat to see pictures of the "stadiums", (or in some cases "cow pastures"), where are fathers or grandparents played. I think I will start a thread for that purpose. I'll ask someone to post the step by step ways to post pictures.
I know that all of our brains are hopelessly addicted to football, and it would be great to honor our dads and granddads in this way. I'll think about it and try to start the thread this weekend.
What's interesting is that I have tried to correct that twice and it would not take. So emasculate it is. I think it means that the landscaping looks like it's been done by a woman that really keeps things pruned well. In all seriousness sometimes the thunb is not the best typing instrument.
Mental images guys! Please, more brain bleach!
This is how we do it. Slowly poison your brain. Internally destroy you retinas from behind. Keep hammering with away with horrible mental images until you are sitting in a padded room, drooling, hollering, naked, and your brain is reduced to mush.
Then you will be just like the rest of us!
The new sound system in City Stadium is great. So is the one at JF.
But they both have tracks so they don't qualify...
Salem was not built the way Southbottom describes. It was renovated and added on to when it became the Amos Alonzo Stagg official venue. So it is very impressive, but kind of a hybrid high school/college stadium
The only thing added for the stagg bowl was that the press box was enlarged. No seating increase, in fact seating decreased. Other than the expanded press box I can not think of anything that would be called renovation (unless you call the installation of field turf, as renovation)---now that I think about it they may have added an elevator to get to the press box and the locker room was either expanded and or upgraded. But there has been no addition to the seating or basic structure.
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When Salem Stadium was constructed in 1985 it was built on a fast track construction schedule which is indicative of the near unanimous agreement within the City power structure of the need for such a facility. The primary goal was as a football first facility with the Salem HS Spartans as the primary tenant. The secondary goal was to add a municipal stadium asset to the growing Taliaferro Sports Complex that could be available for area schools, primarily the ODAC, to utilize. Another secondary goal was to offer a smaller municipal stadium option in the Roanoke Valley(as an alternative to the rapidly decaying and oversized Victory Stadium in Roanoke) that could also serve as an outdoor venue for other competitions(band primarily) and shows/gatherings(concerts primarily). Both secondary goals were deemed reasonable and achievable based on the management track record of the accompanying Civic Center facility and history has borne that out time and again with the flagship being the long standing Stagg Bowl Run. Fleming was designed as a multiuse on campus facility. Both venues met the designated needs nicely and are more than adequate for viewing high school football games, in my opinion, your claims of bias, etc. notwithstanding.
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Hey cutnjump - did you happen to see my question earlier in this thread regarding Clifton Forge? I thought you might be able to offer insight as to where the Mountaineers played their games.
Saw the question and I think(vague recall) that your suggestion that the baseball field was used is correct but, I am not 100% firm on that which is why I did not originally respond. I will see if I can get a firm answer for you by next week. I go to church with a guy that went to Clifton Forge and I believe he can probably provide the answer or get to someone that can.
Very good cut and jump. The ODAC has hardly ever used the stadium, but it was talked about at the time. However, you leave out maybe the most important goal. One not written about but very very real. In 1985 Pulaski was the big dog in high school football in SW Virginia. Salem had suffered some down years since it's inception in 1977. Folks longed for football success that was so common to to the city when Andrew Lewis was the cities high school. So they hired Willis White away from Patrick Henry and he quickly got Salem on equal footing with Pulaski (some of those Salem/Pulaski games are still talked about). But when they decided to build the stadium the unwritten goal was to have a bigger, nicer, and better stadium than Pulaski, right down to making sure the flag pole was higher, and the flag was larger. This was made clear by then Mayor Jim Talifero who was a huge football fan and the driving force behind the stadium. So the main goal was to create a first class stadium for Salem high school that was better than Pulaski's.
Pulaski and Joel Hicks were developing a great program that would be the envy of many for a lot of years. As far as being the Big Dog in Southwest Virginia at the time, that would depend upon where the Southwest Virginia line is drawn, the definition of the Big Dog and how many years you actually had to put together to be considered more than a flash in the pan. Before the Pulaski faithful jump out of their skin I am not saying they were never the measuring stick but, rather when they became the measuring stick is open to discussion. Patrick Henry, Northside, GW Danville and EC Glass were all AAA programs at the time that might like to debate your coronation of Pulaski County. As far as leaving the other out, it could be that I just viewed the potential firestorm and backlash from some Salem faithful if I raised the Pulaski issue, no matter how accurate, to not be worth the hassle of typing. ;-)
Just to make sure people have all the facts, Pulaski and Salem were AAA in 1985. Pulaski remained AAA longer than Salem did. Pulaski would win a AAA state championship in 1992 and Salem would get to the AAA finals losing to Hampton 14 0 in I think 1985.( Maybe 86/87)
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I've never been to a game at C-ville but I drove past the stadium off 250. Really really nice! I wish I could be at the Louisa game there this year.
Yeah that Cville Louisa game will have big playoff implications assuming Cville keeps winning
It was never said or implied they were not AAA. More importantly people that know high school football knew they were AAA at that time as well as the fact there were several other schools at that time that could also lay claim to the position you claim the Cougars held.
Not everyone knows the history of high school football in western Virginia as well as you do. I didn't think that had been made clear. No argumentative position taken or intended.
