Destroyriders
Kids’ football venue wrecked after car churns up pitch
VOLUNTEERS working at a an inner city youth club have been left “devastated” and “livid” after joyriders destroyed their football pitches.
The incident took place in north Dublin on Saturday night after a car rallied around an area primarily used for underage matches.
After causing extensive damage to the pitches, the vandals then crashed the vehicle into a tree.
The space affected at Fairview Park is mainly used by the Sheriff Youth Club.
Up to 130 children have now been left without anywhere to play.
The problem has been compounded because another pitch they use on the Alfie Byrne Road is also unplayable following the Clontarf Half Marathon last year.
Leonard Russell, who has been involved with the club since he was eight years old, doesn’t think either pitch will be able to be used for the remainder of this season which finishes in May.
The 57-year-old coaches the under-10s team and said it was heartbreaking to tell them what had happened.
He also said this isn’t the first time the pitches have been damaged after youngsters on motorbikes raked over the turf last year.
Leonard told the Irish Mirror: “It’s very frustrating to be honest with you.
“It’s the kids, we volunteer for them. It’s an underprivileged area.
“I played for the club from the age of eight all the way up. I coach there now because I want to give back.
“When you see their little faces, they’re saying to me, ‘Leonard, when are we back playing?’.
“Now I’m going to have to say ‘Listen lads, we’re going to have to try and work around this, we’re going to have to try and play away games as much as we can’.
“It was just devastating. The photographs don’t do it justice, they really don’t. It’s a lot worse.
“You’d break your ankle if you were to play on it.”
The Dubliner doesn’t believe the pitches were deliberately targeted.
He added: “They must have been doing handbrake turns on it because it was really, really bad. I’d say those pitches would be out of action for the rest of the season or close to. We’re halfway through the season now.
“There are members of the club who are devastated while others are livid. It’s very hard for volunteers to stay motivated when you’re disappointing kids all the time. It’s tough.”
I’d say those pitches would be out of action for the rest of season LEONARD RUSSELL IN NORTH DUBLIN YESTERDAY