HP andrews, Question from a Clinton fan

[Darkhorse04]

Your stadium is tied with East Burke in seating capacity (15,000) largest stadium in NC. So what is the deal with that? Was it an old small college stadium? Do you ever have even get 1/3 of that in attendance? It looks huge from the pictures I saw. The visitor side may be Clinton's Home side if not more. Just inquiring, and looking forward to see it in person on Friday.

 

[Tootall4yall]

AJ Simeon Stadium was designed and built specifically for the Andrews/Central game. Before AJ was built the schools played their home games at Albion Millis Stadium at High Point College. The crowds were huge, to the point of overflow for every game. It created traffic nightmares for the surrounding neighborhoods and police. In a great stroke of genius the school board decided to build one large stadium off campus instead of two smaller ones on campus because both school are landlocked. As for attendance, it's definitely not what it was in the heyday of the early 70s but that's everywhere. For big games it's usually close to capacity

 

[ocdavis31]

TooTall, do you know if the visitors' side will have a full concession stand, and what time the visitors' gate will open?

 

[Shelby Lion]

We played High Point Central there in 1998 ! Outstanding facility ! Easy to get in and out of as well! Ironically last game my wife ever went with me to game! We had married July before the season that year and she went to every game with me that season! Even cheered for Shelby !!! Not so much anymore LOL!!' Great place to see a game

 

[HARRYT]

TooTall, do you know if the visitors' side will have a full concession stand, and what time the visitors' gate will open?

Talk to AD and there will be concession on both sides

 

[ocdavis31]

Thanks, Harry. I've been to Andrews games at Simeon where, either the visitors' concession stand was closed or had only a couple of items. Went to one game where the gate on the visitors' side opened at 6:55 for a 7:30 game. Went to a playoff game at East Lincoln once where the gate opened forty-five minutes prior to game time.
Usually these things happen when the school is relying on volunteers, rather than paid staff.

 

[Darkhorse04]

Wow, if that place is close to full, it will probably be the largest crowd I've ever seen for a Highschool game including the state championships. Realistically most state championship games have around 10k people there maybe a few more depending on the school size and location. But Simeon holds 15k, thats crazy, anyway looking forward to it.

 

[HARRYT]

Wow, if that place is close to full, it will probably be the largest crowd I've ever seen for a Highschool game including the state championships. Realistically most state championship games have around 10k people there maybe a few more depending on the school size and location. But Simeon holds 15k, thats crazy, anyway looking forward to it.

Not quite, doing the 70, 80 and part of the 90 Simeon would over flow with as much as 16000, when Andrew and HP Central would play. This year was only around 8,500 this year.

 

[HARRYT]

Talk to AD and there will be concession on both sides

They have change there minds about the concession on both side, can't find enough people from booster club, most will be out of town.
But will have gate open on visitor side. It's almost a quarter mile form home gate to visitory gate.

 

[ocdavis31]

Yeah, and unfortunately, it's about that far from the visitors' side to the concession stand. It creates a really negative image for the school. I would hope that the AD realizes that he can pay someone to man the visitors' side concession stand and still make a lot of money. There are a lot of folks who won't make that trip across the field.

Great venue, but the fans deserve better for a playoff game.

 

[GoNtheDistance]

Great venue to watch a game, especially a big game like Central when the stadium is full. With the holiday and other area teams hosting games in Dudley and East Forsyth and southern Guilford still in the mix down the road, I expect a decent but not good crowd for this game. As said it may be the best game in the state regardless of classification and a lot of folks will miss it.

 

[TGT]

This would be a great venue for a state championship game, instead of the big college stadiums where 10,000 looks like a poor crowd.

 

[SWE'98]

Yeah, and unfortunately, it's about that far from the visitors' side to the concession stand. It creates a really negative image for the school. I would hope that the AD realizes that he can pay someone to man the visitors' side concession stand and still make a lot of money. There are a lot of folks who won't make that trip across the field.

Great venue, but the fans deserve better for a playoff game.

Are you saying the fans deserve better just because only one side will have a concession stand? It's a simple, easy walk from one side of the stadium to the other. Paved sidewalk around the lip of the field, which offers a beautiful downward view of the field. We played there in the playoffs in 2013 and the visiting concession stand wasn't open then either. So I took a maybe 3 minute walk to the other side. Same as I do at every other away game. It may be a large stadium seating wise, but it still surrounds a high school football field, not a nascar track. Besides, making the visiting team and their crowd probably isn't a priority. Just a perk of home field advantage IMO. But Darkhorse fans, your home side is nowhere near as large as Simeon's visiting side. You will be high above the field upon entering and the very bottom seats, while offering a great view of the entire field, will have you further from the action than you've ever been. I still find it a great place, but if you are used to being
close to the field, and having full feeling stands, then you won't like it. Like the poster above said, it was built with the high population of the HP schools in mind. Rural area schools, especially ones that have to travel hours to get there, affecting the number of fans in attendance, will MAYBE fill a corner.

 

[SWE'98]

Visiter side, bottom row view.

 

[HARRYT]

Very well said. We did have a sell-out in 2012 when we played Salisbury NC, only about 30 miles away

 

[ocdavis31]

Are you saying the fans deserve better just because only one side will have a concession stand? It's a simple, easy walk from one side of the stadium to the other. Paved sidewalk around the lip of the field, which offers a beautiful downward view of the field. We played there in the playoffs in 2013 and the visiting concession stand wasn't open then either. So I took a maybe 3 minute walk to the other side. Same as I do at every other away game. It may be a large stadium seating wise, but it still surrounds a high school football field, not a nascar track. Besides, making the visiting team and their crowd probably isn't a priority. Just a perk of home field advantage IMO. But Darkhorse fans, your home side is nowhere near as large as Simeon's visiting side. You will be high above the field upon entering and the very bottom seats, while offering a great view of the entire field, will have you further from the action than you've ever been. I still find it a great place, but if you are used to being
close to the field, and having full feeling stands, then you won't like it. Like the poster above said, it was built with the high population of the HP schools in mind. Rural area schools, especially ones that have to travel hours to get there, affecting the number of fans in attendance, will MAYBE fill a corner.

I'm saying that Simeon is a great venue, and Andrews has an excellent program.
And yes, I'm saying that the visitors deserve better. You may want to revisit the stadium. Little farther than a three-minute walk, and if you are on the sidewalk, you can't see the biggest portion of the field in the horseshoe. I'm saying that programs can be hospitable, especially at playoff time. At Thomasville, concession stands are open on both sides for every game and all concession stand workers are paid. It's still a money maker. Anything less reflects poorly on the host school.

 

[GoNtheDistance]

Will any of our good friends in Thomasville volunteer to work the visitor concessions?

 

[SWE'98]

Good for Thomasville, I guess. I sure would love to know what visitors have done to deserve that the host school show them love. I always expect a hostile environment at away games. Not hostile people, mind you. But I don't expect rose petals on my seat or harps to be played wherever I walk, even if it is a three minute walk to the other side with a great view of the field as I go, like I experienced at Simeon. Most schools don't even have a concession stand on the visitors' side. Sorry bastards.

 

[Wizard of the East]

Please.notice these are not DarkHorse fans complaining about the concession stands. I could care less and usually we bring our own beverage and peanuts! As far as the crowd the DarkHorse faithfull will do a little better than fill a small corner . I don't know how much of the bleacher will be filled but I can confidently say that other than their across time rival Central it will be the largest visiting crowd they've had in spite of the 2.5 hour drive The DarkHorse fans will represent.

 

[ocdavis31]

Will any of our good friends in Thomasville volunteer to work the visitor concessions?

Probably not. But I'll donate $20 to help pay somebody. Good luck to the Red Raiders.

 

[ocdavis31]

Good for Thomasville, I guess. I sure would love to know what visitors have done to deserve that the host school show them love. I always expect a hostile environment at away games. Not hostile people, mind you. But I don't expect rose petals on my seat or harps to be played wherever I walk, even if it is a three minute walk to the other side with a great view of the field as I go, like I experienced at Simeon. Most schools don't even have a concession stand on the visitors' side. Sorry bastards.

Guess we're lucky up here, SWE. Every school in our conference has a full concession stand on both sides of the field. Salisbury has one in the end zone. Most of them are pretty danged good. And I don't think it's about the love. It's about the Benjamins.
But I do like your harp idea!

 

[Godevilsgo]

Guess we're lucky up here, SWE. Every school in our conference has a full concession stand on both sides of the field. Salisbury has one in the end zone. Most of them are pretty danged good. And I don't think it's about the love. It's about the Benjamins.
But I do like your harp idea!

OC they just don't get it's common courtesy to welcome and accommodate the visiting fans. And the money is pretty big in a concession stand. I have been to a number of eastern small school stadiums. They are the size of our middlle schools.

 

[GoNtheDistance]

Regardless, do not be surprised if our concession folks give any extra food left over at the end of the night (pizza, hot dogs, chick fil a, etc) to the Clinton kids for a long ride home (win or lose). They've done it pretty consistently in the past during the playoffs. We aren't assholes I promise. Our boosters may not be as large as they should be by other people's standards or be able to shore up enough volunteers to have the visitors side concessions open on thanksgiving weekend but nonetheless, we are excited to have a quality program like Clinton in town for the best matchup in all the state. I'll take a chance for a big time game on the field over a concession stand any day of the week.

 

[Tootall4yall]

Funny that a SW Edgecombe guy and a Thomasville guy are arguing about concessions at Andrews...LOL!

 

[SWE'98]

It was the best thing about our game there. The final score sure wasn't friendly. Lol. No, I was trying to take up for the good folks at TWA. It wasn't my first game there. I used to live on Williams Ave or St in High Point, right around the corner from Andrews' campus and the beautiful campus og HPU. I've even competed on the track next to the stadium. I have nothing but fond memories of my times there.

 

[GoNtheDistance]

Thank you to our good friend from SWE. We are Ok with a little flack from our friends in Thomasville about our concessions, it may be warranted in this case


To our good friends in Thomasville, we promise to have visitor concessions open if you will put us back on your schedule after your AD backed off his long term commitment to our AD after the 2 beat downs you took a few years back. Just kidding, maybe not.

 

[ocdavis31]

Thank you to our good friend from SWE. We are Ok with a little flack from our friends in Thomasville about our concessions, it may be warranted in this case


To our good friends in Thomasville, we promise to have visitor concessions open if you will put us back on your schedule after your AD backed off his long term commitment to our AD after the 2 beat downs you took a few years back. Just kidding, maybe not.

See what I can do, GoN. But you may have to up the ante and unlock the bathrooms this time.
In all seriousness, I'll be pulling for Andrews. I'm still laughing at a playoff system that has you in the east.

 

[SWE'98]

Guess we're lucky up here, SWE. Every school in our conference has a full concession stand on both sides of the field. Salisbury has one in the end zone. Most of them are pretty danged good. And I don't think it's about the love. It's about the Benjamins.
But I do like your harp idea![/QUOT
Perfect response. Lol. I honestly don't have a rebuttal.

 

[ocdavis31]

It's all in good fun, SWE'98. The Andrews folks like to keep alive that fable about how Thomasville is afraid of them. Gotta give them a little grief back. They've certainly had our number on the field for a while.