The plethora of fans who pour into the Middletown High School stadium on Friday nights this autumn will find some new options for seating.

Below the home stands are four new sets of orange bleachers, which can sit approximately 35 people.

“Families with young children who want to get away from the usual crowd at football games may find the new bleachers useful,” said Middletown High School athletic Director Mike DeSimone.

He continued, “We want to provide a first class facility. We want to have the quality of the experience on par with the quality of the games on the field.”

Also, a new handicapped section has been added to the stadium. There is a ramp to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and room for wheel chairs. The handicapped seating is raised, so that people who usually find themselves near the ground can see the games with a clear line of sight.

“We need compliance throughout our facilities. To get to the bathrooms, you have to go upstairs” says DeSimone. “So, there is definite room for improvement.”

A new entrance gate, located at the current ambulance entrance, is also in the works. Also, Middletown is one of the few schools in Frederick County that has fans enter the stadium via the track, so a walkway around the track is in the plans.

The new bleachers are not permanent either. They can be moved around for different sports and events, and could disappear if a full renovation takes place in the future.

Don’t expect to sit on the orange bleachers farthest from the concessions stand though; the Marching Band has been moved to them, and now only uses two rows in the regular bleachers.

“It’s an inconvenience,” Says Junior Corey St. John, who is in his third year of marching band. “The band’s sound is less audible to the home crowd now that we’ve been pushed to the corner.”

No matter what issue arises, the extra seating is still a blessing to an overcrowded stadium.