A good samaritan based in the north of the capital has offered to cover up graffiti at local side Craigroyston FC’s clubhouse.
The football club was targeted yet again in another act of senseless vandalism that seems to be plaguing the team that is trying to offer affordable football lessons to their community.
Kevin Walker, of JL Decor Edinburgh, offered to help within minutes of the problem being advertised on Facebook - the second time the tradesman has met the call for help from the East of Scotland club.
Kev had previously covered up graffiti that was strewn across the team's dugouts and has offered to cover up the vulgar language and messaging that has been recently sprayed onto the clubhouse and adjacent building.
Vulgar messages were sprayed on the building, as was an incoherent tag that appears in bright green.
The club has been plagued by antisocial behaviour throughout their recent history, with those responsible damaging the enclosure, clubhouse and dugouts on a regular basis.
Alongside this, they are left to deal with a running battle with local dog walkers who leave their dog muck across the playing field and — on one occasion — a young couple getting intimate atop their dugout.
This has meant that the club, who is trying to offer affordable coaching to working class communities, have had to dip into their already stretched funds to pay out for damages and costs that are not football-related.
The Covid pandemic has had a major impact on Craigroyston FC, with the team unable to raise funds for operational and growth costs often associated with clubs of their stature.
Chairman Daz Affleck said that he was extremely grateful for the pro bono work that Kev has carried out at the club and has said that his work has allowed the board and playing staff to focus on the running of the club.
Daz, as well as other members of the board, were forced to take over the running of Craigroyston after their previous manager left last year.
On the show of solidarity from JL Decor, Daz said: “We went down on Thursday last week and again on Friday and saw bits and bobs of graffiti but within 48 hours it escalated to a lot of the buildings being covered.
“We had not long had it painted as we live in a vibrant area and do not want it to be an eyesore. We want to make it look good and for it to blend in with its surroundings but folk come along and see a blank canvas and just throw their paint on it.
“There was more than what we shared on Facebook but we did not want to put the more vulgar messaging on our page.
“There is graffiti that takes up most of the wall on the clubhouse which is a tag I cannot make out. And on the adjacent wall it's stuff like ‘Smell your maw’ with a big devil and all the usual stuff you expect.
“We try not to wax lyrical and play the victim all the time but the vandalism never stops. A gate that was recently repaired had a panel booted off it which was the second time in as many months.
“We took over the club in 2020 and you could say it is happening on a weekly basis. We had a home game on a Saturday and were left to pick up bags of glass and things folk set on fire like deodorant as well as used condoms.
“The dog walkers continue to leave dog mess on the park. I must pick up at least seven or eight every home game. It is relentless.
“This is not the first time that Kev has helped us out off his own back and we have spent a small fortune ourselves on paint. Kev had freshly painted the dugouts free of charge for us after they were targeted by vandals in the past. And it must have been the summer when we gave the clubhouse a fresh lick of paint which cost a lot of money. It's frustrating cause it's never long before they return after you fix it.
“Kev deserves all the credit as he has been a real good guy to us and we certainly need more of that at the moment. What he does is take the pressure off of us. We are really thankful for his support.
“On the inside everything is great but money is always a factor for a club like ours. We have not been able to do fundraisers due to Covid so rely on the money at the gate. Trying to get money in is a chore. We spend £600 a month just on facilities for training which is steep. Then we probably only take in £150 on the gate and that's twice a month.
“Having to use our funds for repairing broken benches or windows is not easy at all, so we thank Kev for stepping up and helping us out again which allows us to focus on the football side of things.”
Kev, who runs JL Decor Edinburgh, said: “I have followed the club for a few years on social media and seen over lockdown that the committee and volunteers had put in a lot of time doing up the clubhouse and the grounds. It is sad to see these vandalism attacks all the time.
“I helped them last season when their dugouts got vandalised and it was only a few hours that I needed. They put a lot of effort in to get it looking half decent and grow the club and I thought I would give back and take something off their hands so that they could focus on football.
“What is a half day to me to put it right and is a way of giving back. Nothing to it.”
You can visit JL Decor Edinburgh Facebook page here.
