Volunteers at a football club have been left heartbroken after their pitch was "destroyed" by "mindless" vandals on scramblers.
Sheriff YC is a historic football club associated with the Sherriff Street area of north-east Dublin city. The club has been remarkably successful through the years.
However, there have been ongoing issues with "thugs" on motorbikes damaging their smaller pitches in Fairview Park. For the second week in a row, volunteers have had to cancel or transfer games due to the vandalism.
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This weekend, seven games have been affected and the club's volunteers say the young player's self esteem and pride of place has been damaged.
Sherriff YC volunteer Hugo Richardson, who has been making use of the pitch for 47 years since he was a teenager, told Dublin Live that seven games will have to be called off or moved to the opposition's home pitch this weekend.
He said: "It is in bits. It is wrecked. The City Council put a footpath through the pitch . . . which meant the scramblers can get onto the pitch.
"The whole weekend is gone. The pitch is destroyed. Seven games will have be transferred to an away match or cancelled. About 80 to 100 kids will be affected."
"A couple of girl's teams have been doing very well and they will be upset by this. It is not just as simple as calling it off. Hugo added that unknown "local gurriers" are damaging the pitches.
Councillor Ray McAdam blasted the vandals and called for action. He said: "This mindless and senseless behaviour has consequences.
"It means young kids who were due to be playing matches tomorrow morning can't. It means that Sheriff YC have to - at their own expense - find alternative playing pitches for under 9s and other kids to play their matches.
"This is an issue that Sheriff YC and I, as their local councillor, have been raising with the City Council and gardai over the last number of months. Nothing appears to have been done and that is why I am raising the matter at the March meeting of the City Council.
"Dublin City Council and the gardai have to do more in order to tackle what is quite frankly a scourge on our public parks. The mindless behaviour is damaging the community and social infrastructure that communities and young kids need."
One Sheriff YC volunteer said: "Here we go again, the pitch has been absolutely destroyed. They have absolutely destroyed ours, destroyed Belvedere's and it has just gotten out of hand now.
"They have lit a fire down at the small end of the pitch so we can't use that end. . . It is just getting worse".
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