We Need To Keep Vandals Away From Our Football Clubs

Date: 10th August 2020

As many of you know, we have always been huge advocates of football and the local community coming together and making projects better for all sorts of people within our society. 

During this global pandemic Scottish football clubs have really stepped up and engaged more with those in the community that need them. Clubs via community trust and their charities have been able to help out the young, the vulnerable and the elderly during lockdown with different packages to help their needs. Some have received food parcels, have had hand sanitiser dropped off, NHS staff have had care packages sent to their hospitals and some clubs have emailed or phoned supporters just to check in on them.   

In return, our communities have also helped out their local clubs. Even though fans can’t go to matches; season tickets are still selling, people are buying raffle tickets, club merchandise is being purchased and local residents have even donated to football teams that they know care about their community. 

Unfortunately during lockdown others within the community are not as respectful for all football does for their towns. 

It’s with tremendous sadness that we have seen a spike in vandalism at the homes of some of our beloved Scottish football clubs. 

Last year I had the pleasure to visit and film Maryhill FC, a club that wouldn’t exist today without financial contributions from the local community and without the invaluable support of volunteers who work there to keep the club going. Yet they’ve suffered from four attacks since lockdown started in March. 

Lochburn Park has seen vandals strike by throwing debris including broken glass onto the pitch, which will cost a sizeable sum to clear up. 

In June, Rutherglen Glencairn announced that louts had entered their stadium and basically set out to destroy the away team’s dugout. Again the club will have to fund repair costs via their own pockets!

Disappointed

Last night we were celebrating how amazing our fans were as we sold out our supporters wall, this morning we awake to the news that Gayfield has been broken into and that it has been vandalised and spraypainted all over the ground and pitch. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/wvgU5agLl0

— Arbroath FC (@ArbroathFC) May 31, 2020

Scottish Championship side Arbroath FC, who have a really strong bond with their support, also unfortunately had their stadium damaged by hooligans. Gayfield Park had graffiti sprayed across the grounds including on the pitch. 

Then in this past week Saltcoats Victoria had their premises broken into. The Ayrshire side had various items left dumped on the pitch, their tea room was left decimated and items were also stolen from the property too! 

We need to do more to help our football sides. These are clubs who are missing their main source of income at the moment and yet they now need to fork-out money to clean up after scummy hooligans that have nothing better to do with their time. 

If you have any information regarding any criminal damage to any of our football grounds then please contact your local police force. 

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