A children’s football club in Arbourthorne has been terrorised by vandals, who have damaged their pitch repeatedly for months.
Earl Marshall JFC and Soccer School have been unable to use their home ground, Arbourthorne Playing Fields, with the dangerous and significant tears these vandals make to the grass every week.
Dale Pask, who runs and coaches for the club with his father Paul, said: “It started off on a match day, and we saw these middle-aged men with a few kids on motorbikes, quad bikes, and some buggies.
“I asked them if they could go further away until the kids were gone, and they’d come back with balaclavas and giving me the finger.
“It just puts everybody off, and the kids are scared.”
The grassroots club was founded just two years ago, and provides coaching for children aged 6 to 14 years old.
Mr Pask said: “We have kids with ADHD, cystic fibrosis, and from all sorts of backgrounds.”
“There are some parents who’ve said that since their kids have come to us, their behaviour has gotten better, but now we’ve had to call training and matches off.”
The club has contacted Sheffield City Council, and multiple police reports have been made against the same group of vandals who have “threatened and abused” locals, but nothing has been done to stop them.
Mr Pask said: “As soon as they see the council cut the grass and line it out, they head straight for it.
“When the vandals come through, what if their brakes fail or what if they lose control, and kids get hurt? Who’s going to take responsibility for that?
“A lot of people from the council and police have opinions on the situation, but no one wants to actually do something about it.”
The vandalism has caused the club significant financial challenges, with potential fines coming in from the league after multiple match cancellations.
Pask is urging the council to help install protective fencing around the pitch, as it would cost the grassroots club more than they could afford.
The petition is close to reaching its goal of 500 signatures, and can be found here.