The vandalised Facilities

This is an interesting story that has caught my eye this week and highlights the good and bad in football/life/society.

Tragically the club house, changing rooms and other facilities at Pelican Colts FC ground in Nottingham were totally destroyed in an orgy of vandalism. The Chairman, Steve “Coco” Chaplin, says, “it was the worst case of vandalism he had seen at the club in decades.

“I’m absolutely gutted,” he said. “God knows what the kids are going to feel like.

“It’s a kids football ground, not adults – this is a youth football club. I’m struggling to take it all in.

“It’s beyond me. Why? For what reason? We’ll carry on, there’s no doubt about that, we’ve got a lot of good friends and everyone will muck in and do their bit.

“We could do with help from the council whose land it is but we’ve had absolutely nothing from them. Not a phone call, they don’t do anything.”

Volunteers arrived at the site on Thursday morning to find paint had been splattered across the changing rooms and the goalposts had been brought down.

The toilets had also been smashed with porcelain strewn across the floor and a fence had been broken where access had been gained. Following the attack, a fundraising campaign has raised more than £5,000 and local tradesman have offered their services to repair the damage.

General manager Tony Hatton said: “The football community has really got behind us in the past 24 hours. The response has been fantastic.

“The amount of people who have offered help – it’s just skyrocketed. It’s amazing how people have been able to dig deep and offer the club a lifeline.”

Mr Hatton said he “didn’t see the point” in reporting the recent vandalism to the police again as he believed there was “very little they could have done”.

A police statement said: “We received a report of criminal damage at Dave Eastwood Sports Ground, in Lenton Lane, Nottingham, on Friday 6 September.

“Officers attended and found fencing had been damaged. It is believed the incident was related to an unauthorised encampment.”

Nottingham City Council, which owns the site, said in a statement: “We lease the ground to Pelican FC and as per the lease agreement, they have sole responsibility for looking after the site – including repairs, maintenance and in this case the removal of travellers.”

So, a pretty despicable act and I can’t say I am hugely impressed with Nottingham City Council wiping their hands of everything. Well done to all who rallied round but look at this…..

The Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis wrote in a September 18 letter to the club’s chairman, Steve Chaplin: “I was saddened to hear about the recent vandalism that has caused considerable damage to your club and its facilities. It is deeply frustrating to see a place that means so much to so many people in our community subjected to such deplorable behaviour…

“I hope this contribution helps you rebuild and improve your facilities, ensuring that Pelican Colts FC continues to thrive as a welcoming space for young aspiring footballers in our city. Together, we can turn this unfortunate incident into an opportunity for growth and renewal.”

He donated £8,000 and Wales international Brennan Johnson, who started his career at the Pelican Colts club, have both donated money.

Well done to all who have supported.

The Good, the Bad and the (very) Ugly.

Evangelos Marinakis

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