Graham Finally gets a place to call home

[jeffro]

Bluefield Town council approves to build a new football stadium at Graham High School. With the completion of the new field this summer, this will be a very nice facility.  

Stadium project moving forward | News | bdtonline.com

[jeffro]

Sorry dont know how i posted this twice.  Maybe Admin removes one of them.

 

[UnionGuy2017]

This is excellent. A program with the success of theirs should not have to depend on anyone else to use a stadium. 

[stu_bean]

24 minutes ago, UnionGuy2017 said:

This is excellent. A program with the success of theirs should not have to depend on anyone else to use a stadium. 

Regardless of success or not, it is senseless to be paying what they have to another state for all these years.  Sadly with that success, even more $$$$ going to the city of Bluefield.

I'll be curious to see how it changes things with other tenants of Mitchell. 

[EH31]

Curious to see the budget for construction and to see where all the money will be coming from. 
 

[Liam McPoyle]

I see this as a step towards a possible stadium. Even with the turf field in place, you're still looking at approximately $7-$10 million to construct a no-frills 5,000-seat stadium.  Is the Tazewell Co School Board willing/able to finance the project? Would the Town of Bluefield, Va chip-in? Of course, I'd imagine the Shott Foundation could provide significant funding.

Anyway, I hope it happens. GHS certainly deserves its own stadium.

[goose111874]

31 minutes ago, Liam McPoyle said:

I see this as a step towards a possible stadium. Even with the turf field in place, you're still looking at approximately $7-$10 million to construct a no-frills 5,000-seat stadium.  Is the Tazewell Co School Board willing/able to finance the project? Would the Town of Bluefield, Va chip-in? Of course, I'd imagine the Schott Foundation could provide significant funding.

Anyway, I hope it happens. GHS certainly deserves its own stadium.

And please don’t make the mistake others have and put the fans 75 yards from the field 

[Gridiron60]

I was told there was already some private funding for a portion of it. It came from a pretty reliable source. 

[CPF]

53 minutes ago, EH31 said:

Curious to see the budget for construction and to see where all the money will be coming from. 
 

The same budget that got Tazewell and Richlands new visitor stands.

[CPF]

50 minutes ago, Liam McPoyle said:

I see this as a step towards a possible stadium. Even with the turf field in place, you're still looking at approximately $7-$10 million to construct a no-frills 5,000-seat stadium.  Is the Tazewell Co School Board willing/able to finance the project? Would the Town of Bluefield, Va chip-in? Of course, I'd imagine the Schott Foundation could provide significant funding.

Anyway, I hope it happens. GHS certainly deserves its own stadium.

It's a done deal. TCPS has said they have the money. 2 million already put into it. Basically all that's needed were bleachers a pressbox and the restroom/concessions facility. Lighting has alredy been plummed in.The visiting dressing room will be the old team room inside the high school. Also the bleachers at Pocahontas could be refurbished and used as visitor bleachers if needed. Graham is paying 77,500 this year alone for Mitchell Stadium use. That money is better used funding our own place. I think a new scoreboard has even been promised to be donated.

[jeffro]

It will be interesting to see how they handle the Graham/Beaver game.  Attendance at this game is incredible.  Not sure the number but I heard hitting 10,000 or more.  

[EH31]

8 minutes ago, CPF said:

It's a done deal. TCPS has said they have the money. 2 million already put into it. Basically all that's needed were bleachers a pressbox and the restroom/concessions facility. Lighting has alredy been plummed in.The visiting dressing room will be the old team room inside the high school. Also the bleachers at Pocahontas could be refurbished and used as visitor bleachers if needed. Graham is paying 77,500 this year alone for Mitchell Stadium use. That money is better used funding our own place. I think a new scoreboard has even been promised to be donated.

Hitachi is paying for Graham’s new scoreboard.

 

I was told the bleachers at Pocahontas were donated to the Tazewell County Fair Association by the current owners of the property. 

[EH31]

18 minutes ago, CPF said:

The same budget that got Tazewell and Richlands new visitor stands.

If there’s money in the budget for new Richlands’ visitor bleachers I wish they would use it. 
 

[CPF]

They were supposed to get them when Tazewell did. Didn't know they weren't installed.

[CPF]

18 minutes ago, EH31 said:

Hitachi is paying for Graham’s new scoreboard.

 

I was told the bleachers at Pocahontas were donated to the Tazewell County Fair Association by the current owners of the property. 

Fair enough. New bleachers it is.

[CPF]

22 minutes ago, jeffro said:

It will be interesting to see how they handle the Graham/Beaver game.  Attendance at this game is incredible.  Not sure the number but I heard hitting 10,000 or more.  

Graham Beaver will be played at Mitchell. Unless the city decides to act a fool. Which is certainly possible.

[jeffro]

I can see that happening. I’m thinking City of Bluefield probably not enjoying this mornings news.  So if Graham is the home team, wondering how the gate situation would go.   Actually I guess they would never be considered “home “ again

[CPF]

In theory it can be a bluefield home game every year because the gate is split 50/50 every year. We sat on those visitors side for decades anyway.

[Gridiron60]

Hitachi has donated a lot to local organizations & schools in the surrounding areas. 

[Real Sasquatch]

The state of Virginia has set aside $3.5 billion in grants and low interest loans for new school construction and renovation (long overdue).  Recently, it was announced that an additional $295 million has been set aside in grants for those districts with the highest need (buildings 50 years or older or buildings and structures in bad need of repair).  Districts that have a poor ability to repay loans is being prioritized. Tazewell County, where some of the buildings are nearly 80 years old is near the top in terms of priority for these funds, along with a lot of other school divisions in Southwest Virginia.  The county will be on the hook for very little, if they awarded some of the grants.  At least the folks in charge are being proactive now.  I would expect a lot of new structures being built in SWVA in the very near future....schools, stadiums, tennis courts, gyms, etc ... Any other structure necessary to properly run a school district   Some buildings will be torn down in places and people will whine and cry and complain about taxes.  But it will be long overdue for our communities.  

[Slap the Mat]

10,000 or more at Graham/Bluefield game.  Maybe years ago.  In the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's it was not unusual to see the stands full and fans lined up along the fence.  Now, lots of empty seats every year.  Why?  I don't know.  Maybe declining area population or not as much interest in the game.  The attendance for the Graham/Glenvar Semi-Finals was around 2,000 and the stadium looked pretty sparsely filled.  The Graham/Bluefield game is the biggest gate of the season for sure.  It will be interesting to see how this rivalry game is handled.  Back in the 90's Graham and Bluefield played twice in the same season.  Traditional first game and the next game toward the end of the season.  Everybody said that was going to be a great money maker.  By the second game, most of the fans that night were disguised as empty bleachers.

That was the end of that plan.

Edited December 12, 2024 by Slap the Mat
changed a word

[BBHoops_18]

12 minutes ago, Slap the Mat said:

10,000 or more at Graham/Bluefield game.  Maybe years ago.  In the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's it was not unusual to see the stands full and fans lined up along the fence.  Now, lots of empty seats every year.  Why?  I don't know.  Maybe declining area population or not as much interest in the game.  The attendance for the Graham/Glenvar Semi-Finals was around 2,000 and the stadium looked pretty sparsely filled.  The Graham/Bluefield game is the biggest gate of the season for sure.  It will be interesting to see how this rivalry game is handled.  Back in the 90's Graham and Bluefield played twice in the same season.  Traditional first game and the next game toward the end of the season.  Everybody said that was going to be a great money maker.  By the second game, most of the fans that night were disguised as empty bleachers.

That was the end of that plan.

Not seeing where Graham and Bluefield played twice any in the 90’s. They did in 2005.

[Real Sasquatch]

5 minutes ago, BBHoops_18 said:

Not seeing where Graham and Bluefield played twice any in the 90’s. They did in 2005.

Haven't missed a Graham - Beaver game in many years and I believe this to be correct.

[Fairlawncat]

No dog in fight, but Bluefield VA/Graham seems to have been treated second fiddle for decades. Why are you holding on to Bluefield-Graham at Mitchell? It's like getting bit and eaten up by a wild animal for decades, yet you still want to feed it and pet it. Based on past treatment, I would do everything in my power to ensure the rivalry game is not played at Mitchell when I'm the home team. Why on earth would any Graham fan entertain the thought of the rivalry game played at Mitchell when you are the home team. From afar, that seems crazy and similar to an abusive relationship where the man or woman keeps coming back to the partner after years of abuse thinking "this time will be different." Hey Gmen fans, it won't be. Move on.

[Real Sasquatch]

3 minutes ago, Fairlawncat said:

No dog in fight, but Bluefield VA/Graham seems to have been treated second fiddle for decades. Why are you holding on to Bluefield-Graham at Mitchell? It's like getting bit and eaten up by a wild animal for decades, yet you still want to feed it and pet it. Based on past treatment, I would do everything in my power to ensure the rivalry game is not played at Mitchell when I'm the home team. Why on earth would any Graham fan entertain the thought of the rivalry game played at Mitchell when you are the home team. From afar, that seems crazy and similar to an abusive relationship where the man or woman keeps coming back to the partner after years of abuse thinking "this time will be different." Hey Gmen fans, it won't be. Move on.

If they split the gate each year, can't see how you could pass it up