‘They deserve better’: East Bank reacts to Calvert Field being playable, bleacher demolition

EAST BANK, WV (WOWK) – East Bank Middle School’s football team will get to play its home games on home turf after all, but community members are still raising concerns that gameday won’t be the same.

Calvert Field will remain open after engineers determined the bleachers, locker rooms, and press box were structurally unsound. A Kanawha County Schools spokesperson says that engineer report was released on June 10.

Originally, the field would only be permitted for the team to practice on the field, but to have to play its home games at Riverside High School. That decision was followed by public outcry to keep the field open.

Instead, the bleachers, press box, and locker rooms will be demolished. The bleachers and locker rooms will be replaced by portable ones, which are expected to be installed in time for the start of the season.

Kanawha County Schools says the home side will have about 500 seats, and the away side will have about 200. According to head coach David Peters, the locker rooms will be replaced by trailers this season. They will be removed after the football season.

Neil Hopkins used to coach at Calvert Field back when it hosted East Bank High School. He won four state championships coaching over a 26-year period and says he has lots of fond memories at the field. He and his players even helped build the press box about five decades ago.

Hopkins recalls having concerns about the field deteriorating during his own tenure and says demolition could have been avoided.

“Kids deserve a good place to practice, a good place to play, a good place to shower, a good place to rest,” Hopkins said. “I just hate the thought of losing everything here. Time changes a lot of things. But when you take the heart out of the community, it’s hard to live with… But the thing that bothers me is that they’re being used as pawns.”

East Bank Middle School says they are adjusting their home game schedule now that they will be playing their home games at home, but their home opener will be in September.

Kanawha County Schools says the demolition will begin in the middle of next week.

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