Magazine - Hoons wreck Burwood East South Oval

By Editor in General News on 3rd Nov 2008 9:00

Damage by hoons has left a Whitehorse cricket club without a home ground until after Christmas.

Burwood East South Oval was attacked in the early hours of Tuesday last week, wrecking freshly planted couch grass designed to protect the ground from drought.

Whitehorse Council said the whole outfield needed replanting, leaving East the Burwood-Bennettswood Cricket Club stranded until the ground is ready in the new year. Box Hill Reporter District Cricket Association president Colin Young said the incident was “just deplorable” and probably the worst the association had seen.  “I know from experience it is hard enough to organise a club as it is without this happening,” he said.

“This makes it harder again if we can’t get a Saturday venue, games have to be played on Sundays and that means volunteers have to be there two days at the weekend and don’t get a day off.”  A meeting was due to be held between the association, the club and the council on Monday night to thrash out alternative arrangements. Mr Young said one option was for the club’s top two grades to play at the neighbouring north oval and look for another ground for the remaining teams.

Club member and league treasurer Neil Davey branded the hoons as “idiots” and warned the club would face a tough time reorganising its fixtures.  The council carried out interim works to allow a two-day game that began the previous Saturday to be completed at the weekend.

But general manager for infrastructure Phil Warner said, as of Monday, the ground would need to be closed.  “This act of vandalism to the ground is extremely disappointing to both the club and council as significant council funds and collaborative work has been undertaken with our sporting clubs,” he said.

Source & More: leader-news.whereilive.com.au

Read more articles in General News, by Editor or from November 2008.