Seventy-five-year-old David Bailey has been attending Middletown High School football games for decades, but now that tradition is in jeopardy as one Delaware school district limits the number of people at games.
Bailey, a former Middletown High School football player in the 1960s whose son was also on the team decades later, is one of many fans who may no longer get to attend games because the Appoquinimink School District, in the name of public safety, will now be limiting who can get tickets to home football games.
“We have huge crowds for Middletown. I mean, we fill our stands up and support our kids, and it’s just a shame,” Bailey said.
The change in policy will also affect Appoquinimink and Odessa high schools. The school district cited various incidents as the reason for the change, including a shooting last week near a football game between Middletown and Appoquinimink highs, as well a shooting in Philadelphia this week that killed one player and wounded five other teens following a scrimmage.
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Until further notice, tickets can’t be sold at the stadium on gameday; students must show identification to attend; each player, cheerleader or band member may only invite five guests, who must be registered and show ID; spectators must stay in the stands, with no roaming allowed; no bags will be allowed in the stadiums; and young children must stay with an adult at all times.
It’s not the only change in policy following violent incidents in Delaware. After some high school sports fights over the last few years in the state, some schools pushed up the start times for their basketball games and others hold football games Saturday afternoon in an attempt to reduce crowds.
For Bailey, the changes mean he will now have to settle for watching a live stream of Middletown High School’s home games.
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“The people that’s doing what they’re supposed to do and get along and support the school and the team – we have to pay the price for it and I don’t think that’s fair,” Bailey said.
