Playing fields

[b]In your opinion who had the BEST football field when you played...I am partial to Sembach back in the day the field was between two sets of high bleachers..almost as if you was playing in a ditch at times hahah but man what a gerat place to play ball..

I have to agree with Sembach AB being a great place to play football. I did not play there but officiated there. I called High School Football when I was stationed at Ramstein AB 1995 - 1998. I only visited a few CSC Stadiums. As for the UKSC. Maybe I'm partial and showing some home cooking but RAF Alconbury Spartan Stadium was a nice place to play. Never had the pleasure to play at RAF Mildenhall. I drove by it on occasion. Honorable mention goes to RAF Upper Heyford.

I gotta say Ramstein was probably the nicest setup with Sembach a close second. Of course the best place to play by far was CNA, it was always a sure win and one heck of party!!!

Hahnhawk#60 wrote:I gotta say Ramstein was probably the nicest setup with Sembach a close second. Of course the best place to play by far was CNA, it was always a sure win and one heck of party!!!

Glad you liked playing us Wolfhounds when they weren't very good! Heck, I remember how we hosted the then 1st year Wolfhounds in 83 or 84 at Rhein-Main and they damn near beat us and the following year we played there and they were winning the game for most of the day but we some how pulled it out! It wasn't for lack of talent that the early Wolfhound teams sucked, just a numbers game! We would have what seemed like twice the players they would have! Even when I played for them we always seemed to have just around 35-45 guys to the other teams 60!

As for the sure win, I was honored to play the final 3 seasons of USAFE football as a Wolfhound and I can tell you now, NOBODY came into our house and beat us! In fact I don't think any team in the CSC or UKSC can boast about going to CNA, which by the way did in fact have the best damn playing field all around, and marking it down as a win in 92 & 93! There wasn't another field in all of USAFE that could compare to the pristine condition of the Wolfhound playing field! Now it sucked that it rained a lot during many of those games, but as far as it being a field you loved to play football on, it never got muddy, unlike Sembach's field or Spangdahlem's or Bitburg's, or Ramstein's did! Cold and wet, sure, but we could maintain our balance while playing football which is all that mattered!

At any rate, long story short, we had the best playing field in the entire USAFE and I'll go out on a limb here and also lay claim to our home record being unmatched by anybody those final 2 seasons! WE JUST DIDN'T LOSE AT HOME! The party was always the same, but the game, the team, and the sport just got better and better and better!

I'll never forget the turn around cause in 91 we won all of 3 games all year! 92 and 93 we played the Rams and the Rockets in the playoffs both times losing on the road but never hung our heads in shame!

It was laughable to watch the disdain and confusion of all the big teams making their yearly trip up to Holland thinking it was gonna be a cake walk! LOL! But we layed an ass whoopin to anybody we played at home! Didn't lose once at home those final 2 seasons! Bet no one else in USAFE can say that!

I remember Chicksands playing Sembach in either 81 or 82 in football and losing the game. The score I can't remember (old) but I do remember walking down all the steps to play the game and walking back up after losing. Beautiful place to play football and all the people stationed at Sembach made the players, staff and coaches feel more than welcome. It was a great time and even better memory. God Bless all my USAFE friends!!!

I played with RM 90-92. Some how we never played at CNA when I played. I did hear that they had really nice turf though. If I had to choose from the stadiums that I played, I would have to say Sembach. Not because of the turf but because of the setting. To me it was truly a stadium type setting. Where as all others were like fields with bleachers. Man I miss those days.

It's great to hear about all of your memories playing football here in USAFE. It's a shame that Services has done away with a lot of the sports programs because of budget cuts. Sembach AB is now called Sembach Kasearne and belongs to the Army now. The field is still there, but doesn't look the same as you all remember it. Only one side of the bleachers remain and from the sounds of your posts it must be the visitors side. The football posts have been removed and I believe the field may only be used by the youth programs now. I've added some pictures of the F-86 that was on a pedestal near the church and Shoppette. My squadron has been tasked to remove it and transport it to Ramstein AB to refurbish it and have it displayed near the new Kaiserslautern Military Community Center (BX/PX/Mall). Anway, thanks for starting this web site up and keeping the memories alive. My father, William R. Campbell, played USAFE football in the late 50's until he retired in 75'. Played for Rhien Main, Ramstein, and Alconbury.
Karl M. Campbell

Hey any chance you can post some pics or pic of he football field??? Or E mail tem to me???

jm3245@yahoo.com

Thanks Jim fro Ohio

Wiesbaden Flyers 74 and 75
Sembach Tigers 76

Now I am prejudice with my pick since I played at R-M from 68-71. The field was crowned and may have been the only one like that in Europe. The setting was not spectacular as it was just bleachers not like Sembach's canyon which I enjoyed. The field conditions were always great since we were not allowed on it except for walk-thrus on Friday and Saturdays games. The field was also rolled with Civil Eng street roller.

Sloppiest field was Chicksands 1986
Best field... Bitburg in September... George Price had that field looking like a gold course...!!!!

Elmo "E.T." Tillar

elmotillar wrote:Sloppiest field was Chicksands 1986
Best field... Bitburg in September...  George Price had that field looking like a gold course...!!!!

Elmo "E.T." Tillar

From 80-83 I thought RAF Chicksands was one of the better fields in England (my opinion)! During those years the team was not the best but they gave their all!!