Question for Essex Fans

[Virginia HS Football Fan]

Good morning!

Let me wish you guys the best of luck today. It’s a big day for the area and would love to see you move on to the state title game.

I have a serious question though. When is the community leadership going to get involved and step up to the plate and fix your stadium situation? Your community is losing a nice payday today from visiting fans who would have spent money on gas, snacks, and food when coming into Essex and leaving Essex.

Even if you have 2,000 people make the trip from Riverheads (just an example Riverheads fans...don’t get upset), and on average they drop $10 a head at a restaurant or store in your county, that’s an extra $20,000 pumped into the economy. And people need to get gas so say you have just 300 cars filling up at $20 a tank, that’s an extra $6,000 by even the most conservative of figures.

Have your Board of Supervisors proposed any bond referendum which would help pump money into the facility? Is the booster club really doing what they can to help raise funds for the stadium? Any business owners from the local community stepping up? How about selling sponsorship signs on the sideline and on the scoreboard? What about naming rights to the stadium? How about contacting regional high schools to see if they are getting rid of their current bleachers and maybe cut a deal?

I’m just throwing ideas out there but I’m a firm believer in doing something now instead of waiting again when facing the same situation in the future.

Football is a huge driver in the economies of small communities. And instead of visiting and home fans grabbing a bite to eat or picking up snacks in Tapphannock, now many of those same fans will take their dispensable income and pour it into a community around a half hour away from you.

 

[HighestPoint]

The funny thing is that the vhsl directory lists Middlesex stadium capacity at 1000. Only 200 more than Essex and not the 2000 the vhsl "requires." Essex is small but bring porta pottys in, pop up a tent for concessions. This is really more about sure grapes from the FC fans last time. Essex should be allowed to correct their shortfalls

 

[peck_7]

It's not about bathrooms/seating. It's the back of the end zones I think.

 

[Daddy_rabbit]

It’s not about bleachers, ports johns, or concessions near as much as the environment in general! U may as well let the fans stand on the field. Heck let them ref the games!

 

[Essex Trojan1]

Good morning!

Let me wish you guys the best of luck today. It’s a big day for the area and would love to see you move on to the state title game.

I have a serious question though. When is the community leadership going to get involved and step up to the plate and fix your stadium situation? Your community is losing a nice payday today from visiting fans who would have spent money on gas, snacks, and food when coming into Essex and leaving Essex.

Even if you have 2,000 people make the trip from Riverheads (just an example Riverheads fans...don’t get upset), and on average they drop $10 a head at a restaurant or store in your county, that’s an extra $20,000 pumped into the economy. And people need to get gas so say you have just 300 cars filling up at $20 a tank, that’s an extra $6,000 by even the most conservative of figures.

Have your Board of Supervisors proposed any bond referendum which would help pump money into the facility? Is the booster club really doing what they can to help raise funds for the stadium? Any business owners from the local community stepping up? How about selling sponsorship signs on the sideline and on the scoreboard? What about naming rights to the stadium? How about contacting regional high schools to see if they are getting rid of their current bleachers and maybe cut a deal?

I’m just throwing ideas out there but I’m a firm believer in doing something now instead of waiting again when facing the same situation in the future.

Football is a huge driver in the economies of small communities. And instead of visiting and home fans grabbing a bite to eat or picking up snacks in Tapphannock, now many of those same fans will take their dispensable income and pour it into a community around a half hour away from you.

Funny you asked that. As of right now, a group of us are planning a meeting after the holiday to come up with ways to get funds to help get the things that are needed for the football area and all other sports at Essex. We will be getting with the board of supervisors as well as local businesses to get the ball rolling. Thanks for your advice.

 

[HighestPoint]

It’s not about bleachers, ports johns, or concessions near as much as the environment in general! U may as well let the fans stand on the field. Heck let them ref the games!

So a hostile environment.

 

[Daddy_rabbit]

Have to ask the vhsl what they refer to it as. I didn’t say hostile.

 

[Virginia HS Football Fan]

Funny you asked that. As of right now, a group of us are planning a meeting after the holiday to come up with ways to get funds to help get the things that are needed for the football area and all other sports at Essex. We will be getting with the board of supervisors as well as local businesses to get the ball rolling. Thanks for your advice.

I hope it works out for you guys. I’m from the Fredericksburg area and Essex is usually covered in the local paper so I like seeing all of the local teams do well.

For example, I went to the Lafayette/Louisa County game today. Signage everywhere from local businesses sponsoring the athletic department.

You have to determine the price point for ads though. Also, work out a trade deal for advertising with a signage printing company so they can handle making the signs and in return, you can knock out the ad rates.

It’s possible. It’s going to be a grind in a small town but it can certainly be done.

 

[NND Sports Fan]

I'm I agreement that security is the main issue. And that's because there are no permanent barriers at the end of both end zones.

 

[uvacavs1]

Good morning!

Let me wish you guys the best of luck today. It’s a big day for the area and would love to see you move on to the state title game.

I have a serious question though. When is the community leadership going to get involved and step up to the plate and fix your stadium situation? Your community is losing a nice payday today from visiting fans who would have spent money on gas, snacks, and food when coming into Essex and leaving Essex.

Even if you have 2,000 people make the trip from Riverheads (just an example Riverheads fans...don’t get upset), and on average they drop $10 a head at a restaurant or store in your county, that’s an extra $20,000 pumped into the economy. And people need to get gas so say you have just 300 cars filling up at $20 a tank, that’s an extra $6,000 by even the most conservative of figures.

Have your Board of Supervisors proposed any bond referendum which would help pump money into the facility? Is the booster club really doing what they can to help raise funds for the stadium? Any business owners from the local community stepping up? How about selling sponsorship signs on the sideline and on the scoreboard? What about naming rights to the stadium? How about contacting regional high schools to see if they are getting rid of their current bleachers and maybe cut a deal?

I’m just throwing ideas out there but I’m a firm believer in doing something now instead of waiting again when facing the same situation in the future.

Football is a huge driver in the economies of small communities. And instead of visiting and home fans grabbing a bite to eat or picking up snacks in Tapphannock, now many of those same fans will take their dispensable income and pour it into a community around a half hour away from you.

Thanks for your input and thoughtful comments about our area! I totally agree with you.

I'll just say we (I am no longer with Essex, my third year out) fought the good fight for years going back to AD Blackley - when was that NNDman like 2002 or 2003? Jones fought for it, Fulks fought for it, Rapp Times sports people etc., I went several times to speak with "leaders" or wrote letters over the years etc. Nothing. Citizens volunteered to build or make improvements...they were told no.

Well actually they promised us 14-15 years ago they would fix it. It was in the budget. Well you see where that went.

I will not go into it as this is a sports forum, but SOME (not all) of the business and political leaders in Essex County have made some horrendous decisions in the past 15 years that have really damaged Essex County and made the poverty worse etc.

and somehow all I see is it seems that my taxes keep going up....

Good luck EssexTrojan1, there is some new leadership in the county that may be willing to help out....