Boyle Stadium

Before every season, I look at the game schedule to see where the road might lead us for broadcasts.

If there are road broadcasts, where are we going? Where do I want to go?

Also, who's coming in for the home games?

In the case of football, I generally know I'm doing all of the games -- road and away -- so I look it over closely.

This year, one specifically caught my eye: Nov 12, Greenwich at Stamford, 1 p.m.

That meant we were going to Boyle Stadium.

The site of Michael A. Boyle Stadium has been used for athletics since the early 20th century before the stadium was constructed beginning in 1935 as a WPA project. Baseball arrived in 1937, football later that year, and the first graduation ceremony in the stadium came in 1938.

The football facility is simply special.

My first trip there was in the fall of 1999 when I worked as a sideline reporter for Greenwich football on WGCH. The Cardinals hosted Fairfield Prep in a state playoff semifinal. This was before Greenwich had lights so Boyle Stadium became their de facto home field for any night games as needed.

I was pretty awed by the big stone bleachers on each side of the field, despite the fairly beaten Astroturf field.

I was taken with the place immediately.

A year later, now as the lead broadcaster, I called Big Red's appearance in the FCIAC Championship game, which has been held at Boyle Stadium since its beginning in 1967.

The booth almost hung over the field and we were given a large room to the side of where everyone else sat. It felt like a great birds-eye view.

I've been back numerous times since then, even after Greenwich installed lights at Cardinal Stadium.

I came back for several Greenwich/Stamford games as well as a few more FCIAC Championships and even games like a Fairfield Ludlowe/Stamford game when WGCH took a stab at covering a few more events from "The City That Works."

With a little research, I could find all of the various and sundry games I've called at Boyle Stadium, from WGCH to LocalLive to Robcasting.

And I raved about Boyle Stadium each time. Eventually, some upgrades removed that exceptional press box. To broadcast the game now, you head upstairs outside of the stadium to a four-room box. The view is good but nothing like the view in the old press box.

Oh, even the turf got an update.

But ... it could all use a little love.

The place screams old-time athletics and I'm sold on all of that. It screams of Coach Mike Boyle and his Black Knights of yore when they were the dominant program in Connecticut. It screams of Andy Robustelli and Rick Robustelli and Bobby Augustyn and Bobby Valentine and other athletes -- both at Stamford High and their opponents.

And I'm thrilled to be one of the many broadcasters who have called games from there.

But the turf looks like it needs an update again and the booth has rotting wood.

The room Chris Erway and I worked in today didn't have working power outlets.

Look, part of the problem is having people who have pride in the facility.

It's a place I truly treasure but I spy the litter that dots the grounds.

I'm not here to bash anyone. I'm here to profess my admiration for the facility and the hope that it will always rise.

It's a place that I will always support.

I call it "The Cradle of the FCIAC" because it was the home of the beloved football championship game and ties back to the early days of the nascent conference.

But time marches on as we know. That conference championship game is now in the past, with Chris and I being fortunate enough to call the last edition in 2015. It was the 50th and final one.

Boyle Stadium is an important place -- yes, for baseball and softball and soccer but especially for the football stadium.

I know they have plans for some renovations but things I read indicated that would focus on the baseball and softball facilities.

But take care of that football field, Stamford.

It's a special place.

And it always will be to me.