Football clubs cry foul over vandals’ attacks
■ Thugs have caused £2,000 of damage to goalposts at the town’s recreation ground with three attacks in 48 hours – leaving the teams who had bought them hugely out of pocket.
VANDALS have caused serious damage to a valuable pair of new football goals on the town’s recreation ground.
Yobs broke two goalposts and put them out of action, leaving the teams with a huge repair bill, after they worked hard to raise money to buy them in the first place.
The goals are used by Ashbourne Aztecs and Ashbourne Football Club and according to Aztecs president Julian Burton the vandals struck three times in 48 hours stealing locks and breaking pieces of the £2,000 goal posts.
The first incident took place on Saturday, November 17.
Damage includes bent crossbars and posts which are estimated to cost the club £300 to £400 to put right.
Mr Burton says that he believed it was the “worst vandalism” at the ground for the past 12 years.
He said: “I had one of the coaches ring me on the Saturday to let me know there had been damage done to the posts.
“I went down to have a look at it but realised I wasn’t able to sort it and thought I’d come back the next day.
“On the Sunday I came down and noticed that they appeared to be far more damaged than I previously noticed.
“I put some locks on the posts, which are number coded, and they have been removed, not just once but twice and taken away.
“After I came back from
I put some locks on the posts and they have been removed, not just once but twice and taken away. Julian Burton
watching the England game on the Sunday, they had finished it off and shoved the posts over.”
Mr Burton has said he has reported the damage to Derbyshire Dales District Council and also Derbyshire police. He is also calling for more CCTV to be installed on the ground in order to prevent more damage being caused in the future.
He added: “It’s just mindless. I don’t know why they do it. Ashbourne is a quiet place and there’s no point to it.
“I’m not sure if it’s young boys showing off and looking big but it is quite sad to see this happen to us.”
A spokesman for Derbyshire Dales District Council said: “We are already in discussion with the chair of Ashbourne Aztecs about this and have committed to undertake a review of the existing CCTV camera which covers some areas of the Recreation Ground.”