Sunward Park FC accuses metro of vandalism, theft
The Sunward Park Football Club (SPFC) committee members have cried foul over the municipality’s alleged decision to demolish the floodlights belonging to the club at the Sunward Park sports field.
Committee members furiously questioned the metro’s move, and said the municipality’s action has deprived the club of its only training ground.
According to the committee members, municipal workers recently damaged the floodlights beyond repair, and stole the electrical cables, leaving the football club in limbo.
The club also complained that football players could not train after dark due to the lack of floodlights at the club’s training ground.
The chairman of SPFC, Bradley Berriman said they can’t understand why the metro took the decision to vandalise their assets, as the two parties have prior to the vandalism held talks on the future of the facility.
Committee members claim that during the talks they were granted official permission to continue using the facility without making bookings, as they have been using it for the past couple of years.
The committee members, however, admitted that during a round of talks with the metro, a municipality official stated that he was not happy with the floodlights, which he apparently said were too close to the houses and asked for them to be removed.
Berriman said he agreed that they would do something about the lights but explained that they needed time to raise enough money for the project.
The committee members claim that they have early last month managed to raise enough money to start the project.
“We bought the required materials, including cables, and appointed an electrician to start with the repairs and reinforcements of the floodlights.
“The project was already under way, with workers busy digging the trenches on Thursday, April 7, but the following day it seems municipality workers arrived at the sports ground and took down our light poles and shattered our floodlights.
“The committee of SPFC had not been notified of this and were not aware that the municipality was going to vandalise our assets.
“A total of eight poles together with floodlights have been damaged beyond repair. The cable has also subsequently been dug out and stolen.”
It is not clear who was responsible for the theft of the cable.
“The residue from the burnt copper wire was found in a dustbin on the property.
“We find this totally unacceptable behaviour as we demand compensation for the loss that we have incurred for the damages done to the floodlights,” said Berriman.
There was no comment received from the metro at the time of going to press, but the Advertiser understands a meeting was held between the club and the metro to address the issues at hands.
It is also understood the matter, however, is not yet resolved. -@FanieFLK
Metro refurbishes ageing electricity infrastructure in Sunward Park
Sunward Park’s action plan to combat crime
