Sheffield children’s football pitches left ‘unplayable’ by vandals on quad bikes

The Limb Lane playing fields in Dore, which are home to Ecclesall Rangers Junior Football Club, were targeted last week as riders left tyre marks, grooves, and bumps in the turf.

The individuals gained access to the site by removing car park boundary posts, which remain missing.

Martin Windle BEM, aged 75, who is chairman and founder of the club, said: “Ultimately the cost is to the children and it’s soul-destroying, especially after all they’ve been through these last two years with covid. Having something like this happen numbs you, it really does.

“It hits us hard because we spend thousands of pounds a season on maintaining our fields, as well as buying new goals, kits and footballs, just for some morons to come and spoil everything,” he added.

“I just don’t understand why someone would want to come and do wheelie spins on pitches that have just been marked and look beautiful.

“I feel sad for the people doing it really, they clearly have nothing better to do with their lives.”

The damage done adds to the existing challenges brought by the cold weather, as the ruts caused by the vehicles are likely to freeze over, leaving dangerous jagged edges.

Deborah Sier, manager of the Ecclesall Rangers U11s side, said: “It beggars belief that someone would be so peevish as to do this. The work the managers, coaches and parents do to make sure their children have decent grounds, yet others just spoil things for the sake of it. It’s just mindless vandalism.”

There is now a race against time to get the pitches repaired, as the first fixtures of the new year are scheduled to take place this weekend.

Police have been made aware of the incident and Sheffield City Council is set to discuss the problem in the coming month.

Ecclesall Rangers have urged members of the public with information about the vandalism to contact the club as soon as possible.