Glouster trying to save beloved football stadium

GLOUSTER, Ohio – As you drive down State Route 13 towards Athens you will inevitably pass a stadium that looks likes it’s oozing with football history.

The football stadium is Glouster Stadium, which has served as the home of Tomcat football ever since the Great Depression. Generations of Tomcats have played on its grass field but the stadium is starting to show its age. Paint is chipping off its facade, the steps leading up the stadium are starting to crumble, and the railings are not up to regulation.

The Trimble Local School District knew that the stadium needed some upgrades. But when an engineer told them that the stadium was in too poor of shape to be used this fall, it took them by shock said district superintendent Scott Christman.

“We we’re surprised because we had three other people tell us that if we made the cosmetic changes we would be ok. So it did come as a shock to us,” said Christman.

The 1,000 seat stadium won’t be able to be used at all this year. However, with the help of portable bleachers Trimble hopes that they can still host all five home games in Glouster.

“We know our kids want to play here so if we can make that happen by next Saturday then we’re going to do that,” said Christman.

The stadium was built at a cost of $43,000 in 1939. It was constructed by FDR’s Works Progress Administration, like many of Ohio’s high school football stadiums. The stadium means a lot to the town said head coach Phil Faires, who has spent 24 years coaching at Glouster Stadium.

“We’ve played a lot of teams from different areas in the past four or five years. And that’s one thing they always mention. They say ‘that’s that football town with their stadium right on the highway. I’d really like to go to a game there,'” said Faires.

Now Trimble needs to raise money so they can start the process of updating the stadium so it can be used for the 2018 season. That’s a process that will cost roughly $750,000. All of which will be raised by donations and fundraisers. No tax payer money will be use in renovating the stadium.

They’re hopeful that with the renovations they can keep the stadium’s facade and historic look. With the improvement project will come a new grass field and seating on the visitor’s sideline for 900 spectators.

The school district has set up an account at First National Bank in Glouster for anyone who wants to donate money. Coach Faires knows that three quarters of a million dollars to fix a stadium is huge number, but he said if there’s one small town that can do it, it’s this one.

“I’ve seen this community do some amazing things,” said Faires

The Tomcats’ first game is Saturday Aug. 26. Trimble is planning on moving their scoreboard from the visitor’s sideline so they can install temporary bleachers so they can still host the game.