I've been able to watch some highlights from Friday Football Extra this season and I notice that there are no fans in the visiting stands at Radford. Does anyone know why? Are Radford's home games closed to visiting fans?
Question about Radford
- Thread starter Virginia HS Football Fan
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Their visitor side bleachers were condemned and ruled unsafe. Some big cracks in the concrete I was told. Everybody sits on home side this year
Wow. Thanks for the reply. Pretty inappropriate if you ask me. Any word on if they plan on fixing them?
Didn't look like to me they'd began any repairs when I there for the Giles game in week 2, just had a section roped off for visitor seating from the left end of the bleachers to about the 20 yd. line on the home side. That's not going to play well come playoff time.
Maybe they can play their home playoff games at Pulaski County.
The AD definitely dropped the ball. I think this was known about way before the season started!
Honest question, will this jeopardize them being able to host in the playoffs. The VHSL has stepped in a few times when a team out East had what was deemed an “insufficient” facilities to host state level games.
I would say yes. If you remember in 2018 the playoff game in the state semifinals with Graham was moved by the VHSL to Salem due to the field conditions at Radford. I would think no visitor seating would be a big issue for a playoff game.
Yea they do not plan on repairing them until after the season is over . Im sure they will be forced to change locations come playoff time.
You can go watch the school board meetings over the last year if you want the whole truth. The short version is that there were issues on both sides. The former superintendent got the proposal to start replacing them this summer but it would require us to move the first few home games to another stadium. The senior parents got wind of it and pushed back because they didn't want senior season to be at other places. The plan was altered to do one side at a time but it was supposed to start this summer and have one side done and finish the other during the season. Material delays have caused all of it to be pushed back. Thankful for the senior parents pushing back because with the original plan all the games would have ended up somewhere else. These seniors should be playing at home.
Now, the other thing is there is no immediate danger of them collapsing. The lawyers got involved and put the "if you know and something happens you will be liable". they were actually going to use the visitor side first but apparently it was good enough for that but not good enough for the visitors.
I know opposing fans want to think this was some ploy but it is because of our former superintendent and the lawyers and having no one willing to use common sense and use the stadium because there is no immediate danger.
Now, the other thing is there is no immediate danger of them collapsing. The lawyers got involved and put the "if you know and something happens you will be liable". they were actually going to use the visitor side first but apparently it was good enough for that but not good enough for the visitors.
I know opposing fans want to think this was some ploy but it is because of our former superintendent and the lawyers and having no one willing to use common sense and use the stadium because there is no immediate danger.
Without getting into any arguments I have been to probably 100 high school stadiums in my lifetime. Radford is much better than most. I assume all the early playoffs will be Saturday at Christiansburg and if there are later ones than they will probably be in Pulaski.
Radford and Graham played the Semifinal game at Salem in 2018. That's a longer drive for Graham, but the Graham coaches wanted to motivate their kids by playing on Salems field and having them get the idea that if they win, they play the next week on a familiar field.
There's not enough space here for me to relay the details about the bleachers fiasco at Essex. They tore down the home side bleachers in May, the new bleachers and undercarriage were delivered in mid-July. No work began until a couple weeks ago. Essex has yet to play a home game and won't until October 13. Only 2 home games this season
Just curious! Why not bring in temporary stands for the visitor side , some schools still play on the out field of the baseball field and set up a few stands to accommodate,? Buckingham comes to mind .
Jefferson Forest actually had to do this for their game against Salem in the 2015 playoffs. Their away side is (was?) a total joke. IIRC it stretches between the 40s and goes about 15 rows deep.
That was what would have happened to Radford if we had just let the former superintendent do what he wanted. I'm thankful for those parents and school board members who questioned the plan. sorry you guys are going through that.
That has been suggested. I don't think they want to spend the money but not sure why.
