High school football stadium bleachers collapse, team forced to find new home
The storms damaged the middle section of the visitor-side bleachers at Shackle Island Stadium.
HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - A Sumner County high school is looking for a new place to play football games this season after its bleachers collapsed earlier this week.
The visitors’ bleachers had to be removed from Shackle Island Stadium at Beech High School when school leaders said strong winds and heavy rain caused them to collapse.
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Engineers brought in by the school determined the stadium was not safe, so the Buccaneers will play at least their first game this Friday night at White House High School.
Michael Dobson’s grandson plays football, and he considers himself to be lucky to have not been watching a game in the bleachers when they came crashing down.
“It’s scary,” Dobson said. “They need to check things like that. Think of the kids. A bunch of the kids could get hurt with something like that.”
Dobson is concerned the school didn’t catch this issue before the collapse and is glad the entire stadium has been closed until repairs can be made to both sets of bleachers.
Other Beech High School parents and students told WSMV4 they are worried this issue might keep them away from home for the entire season.
School leaders said they’re working to find a temporary fix to reopen Shackle Island and inspect stadiums at every other school in the district.
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